Ordinances and doctrines of great importance were initiated at the Last Supper. I will mention just three.
- . . . the Savior introduced the ordinance of the sacrament. He took bread, broke it, prayed over it, and passed it to His disciples, saying, "This is my body which is given for you: this do in remembrance of me." In this manner He instituted the sacrament.
- . . . His overwhelming emphasis was on doctrines teaching love as a preeminent principle. He taught, "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another."
- . . . through Christ's intercession or direction, "the Holy Ghost was promised to the apostles as another Comforter.
In talking about Easter and the Atonement, Elder Cook quotes the Prophet Joseph Smith: "The fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the Apostles and Prophets, concerning Jesus Christ, that He died, was buried, and rose again the third day, and ascended into heaven; and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it."
Elder Cook then goes on to elaborate on the three "ordinances and doctrines" from the Last Supper (mentioned above.)
As we ponder what it means to be Christians today, think about what our path of discipleship will require of us. I suggest that we contemplate and in appropriate ways emulate what the Savior did in those last two days of His mortal life.
First, consider the Savior's introduction of the sacrament. Sacrament meeting is the most sacred and holy of all the meetings in the Church. If we are to be His disciples and to be committed members of His Church, we must remember and reverence the sacrament. It allows each of us to express with broken hearts and contrite spirits our willingness to follow the Savior, to repent, and to become a Saint through the Atonement of Christ. The sacrament allows us to witness to God that we will remember His Son and keep His commandments as we renew our baptismal covenant. This increases our love and appreciation for both the Father and the Son. [This is why Sacrament meeting is so important.]
The Savior also emphasized love and unity and declared that we would be known as His disciples if we have love one to another. We manifest our love for God when we keep His commandments and serve His children. We don't fully comprehend the Atonement, but we can spend our lives trying to be more loving and kind, regardless of the adversity we face.
How we relate and interact with each other is a measure of our willingness to follow Jesus Christ. Many in this world are afraid and angry with one another. While we understand these feelings, we need to be civil in our discourse and respectful in our interactions. This is especially true when we disagree. The Savior taught us to love even our enemies. I found these comments comforting given the growing coarseness of our [un]civil public conversations.
I invite each one of us individually to recognize that how we disagree is a real measure of who we are and whether we truly follow the Savior. It is appropriate to disagree, but it is not appropriate to be disagreeable. Violence and vandalism are not the answer to our disagreements. If we show love and respect even in adverse circumstances, we become more like Christ. [I suppose this applies to any followers of Christ who are talk show hosts too!]
For yet another time, a speaker at this conference talked about how noisy and distracting our world is. Elder Cook continues: We live in a noisy, contentious world, where it is possible to be viewing or listening to information, music, or even pure nonsense virtually every waking hour. If we want to have the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, we must find time to slow down, ponder, pray, and live so we are worthy to receive and act upon His promptings. We will avoid major mistakes if we heed His warnings. It is our privilege as members to receive light and knowledge form Him even to the perfect day.
Elder Cook concluded with a story from Samoa following the recent tsunami there. He said, As we met with the families in Samoa, the significance of spiritually going to the higher ground, living a better life, and clinging to saving ordinances was abundantly clear. As I have pondered . . . the current condition of the world, I have felt an urgency to counsel each of us to seek the higher ground - the refuge and eternal protection of the temple.
Elder Cook then goes on to elaborate on the three "ordinances and doctrines" from the Last Supper (mentioned above.)
As we ponder what it means to be Christians today, think about what our path of discipleship will require of us. I suggest that we contemplate and in appropriate ways emulate what the Savior did in those last two days of His mortal life.
First, consider the Savior's introduction of the sacrament. Sacrament meeting is the most sacred and holy of all the meetings in the Church. If we are to be His disciples and to be committed members of His Church, we must remember and reverence the sacrament. It allows each of us to express with broken hearts and contrite spirits our willingness to follow the Savior, to repent, and to become a Saint through the Atonement of Christ. The sacrament allows us to witness to God that we will remember His Son and keep His commandments as we renew our baptismal covenant. This increases our love and appreciation for both the Father and the Son. [This is why Sacrament meeting is so important.]
The Savior also emphasized love and unity and declared that we would be known as His disciples if we have love one to another. We manifest our love for God when we keep His commandments and serve His children. We don't fully comprehend the Atonement, but we can spend our lives trying to be more loving and kind, regardless of the adversity we face.
How we relate and interact with each other is a measure of our willingness to follow Jesus Christ. Many in this world are afraid and angry with one another. While we understand these feelings, we need to be civil in our discourse and respectful in our interactions. This is especially true when we disagree. The Savior taught us to love even our enemies. I found these comments comforting given the growing coarseness of our [un]civil public conversations.
I invite each one of us individually to recognize that how we disagree is a real measure of who we are and whether we truly follow the Savior. It is appropriate to disagree, but it is not appropriate to be disagreeable. Violence and vandalism are not the answer to our disagreements. If we show love and respect even in adverse circumstances, we become more like Christ. [I suppose this applies to any followers of Christ who are talk show hosts too!]
For yet another time, a speaker at this conference talked about how noisy and distracting our world is. Elder Cook continues: We live in a noisy, contentious world, where it is possible to be viewing or listening to information, music, or even pure nonsense virtually every waking hour. If we want to have the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, we must find time to slow down, ponder, pray, and live so we are worthy to receive and act upon His promptings. We will avoid major mistakes if we heed His warnings. It is our privilege as members to receive light and knowledge form Him even to the perfect day.
Elder Cook concluded with a story from Samoa following the recent tsunami there. He said, As we met with the families in Samoa, the significance of spiritually going to the higher ground, living a better life, and clinging to saving ordinances was abundantly clear. As I have pondered . . . the current condition of the world, I have felt an urgency to counsel each of us to seek the higher ground - the refuge and eternal protection of the temple.
"As we ponder what it means to be Christians today, think about what our path of discipleship will require of us. I suggest that we contemplate and in ways emulate what the Savior did in those last two days of His mortal life." "If we want to have the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, we must find time to slow down, ponder, pray, and live so we are worthy to receive & act upon His promptings." Both quotes are important things to remember & think about often.
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