First Sacrament Meeting Talk in New Ward

So, now having given the precursory explanation, I now feel inspired to share my experience with my first time speaking in sacrament meeting in my new ward, the Glenmere Ward of the Greeley Stake. (In case someone's reading this that doesn't know what a "stake" is, it is in a nutshell, a regional collection of members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, often to which we are referred as the "Mormons".)

So upon moving to the new ward, I was beginning to feel somewhat comfortable with the members of my new ward and felt that, since the bishopric really had not spoken to me on what I felt were "too many" occasions, I felt I might have been clear to not speak in the ward for a while. WHOA!!! Was I wrong about that. Never have I been able to go more than a year without speaking in any ward, from the time that I returned home from my mission in Costa Rica. In some cases I hadn't been able to even go six months without being asked to speak again. So of course by "feeling comfortable" in the new ward and thinking I wouldn't be asked to speak for a while, I was GROSSLY mistaken. At the end of February (I believe it was the last Sunday in February), the bishop approached me after sacrament meeting and asked if I would speak in two weeks and, upon my positive response (meaning that I answered in the affirmative, not necessarily that I was "positively" responding), he informed me that he would call by the end of the night that following Tuesday (two days later) to inform me of the subject on which I was to speak. Now, when I say I may not have been "positively" responding, that is not to say that I had a negative attitude about it. While I don't consider myself a great public speaker, I do actually kind of enjoy it when the opportunity presents itself to speak in sacrament meeting.

Two days later, as promised, Bishop Cocroft called to inform me the subject on which I was to speak. This is where the assignment I might say became difficult. He asked me to speak on a talk given by Elder Neal A Maxwell in general conference in 2002 and, which said talk had just been printed again in the December 2008 issue of the Ensign and was titled "Consecrate Thy Performance". Personal consecration is a great subject. As part of my instructions, Bishop was clear to point out specifically that "I don't want you to READ the talk". So, the subject is great, I was actually kind of excited to speak in sacrament meeting, but I was to give a talk about a conference talk from perhaps THE most difficult of the general authorities to understand. (Many people talk about how before he was to speak, they had to carry their own dictionaries to look up his words, because Elder Maxwell was such a powerful speaking and great orator, that he often used words that can be very difficult to understand.) What follows below is some of what I discussed in my talk, including excerpts of his talk, and quotes from other important church leaders.

"Consecrate Thy Performance" by Elder Neal A Maxwell

"Consecration" is "a solemn commitment of your life or your time to some cherished purpose (to a service or goal)", or "sanctification of something by setting it apart (usually with religious rites) as dedicated to God.

Lance Armstrong, a world-renowned bicyclist and cancer survivor consecrated his time for many years to develop an amazing ability to race bicycles. He excelled so much in his ability that he won the Tour de France an unbelievable seven times. As a cancer survivor, towards his (first) end of his bicycling career, he established the "Livestrong Foundation", a foundation that is "consecrated", or dedicated, to finding a cure for cancer. This form of consecration certainly is on a higher level of dedication then what one would say was his consecration to the sport of cycling in the pre-foundation times. Often times, a person may find great joy in an activity. The world is replete with examples of athletes that consecrate their time and talents to becoming professionals, far beyond what many of us "normal" people might achieve. Going a step above the athlete is when a person consecrates their life to a cause, such as Lance Armstrong dedicating his time to the Livestrong Foundation.

In the church, priesthood holders "consecrate" a small vial of oil, which is then used exclusively to bless the sick and afflicted according to the faith of those they serve. We go beyond this further when we consecrate our lives to becoming more like our Heavenly Father. In the early days of the church, the "saints", or early "Mormons", lived what we now know as the "law of consecration", a law/commandment wherein the members gave up all of their worldly possessions to the church and then received back from the church only according to their needs. We see examples of the same throughout the Book of Mormon and the Bible.

Elder Neal A Maxwell said, "We tend to think of consecration only as yielding up, when divinely directed, our material possessions. But ultimate consecration is the yielding up of oneself to God. Heart, soul, and mind were the encompassing words of Christ in describing the first commandment, which is constantly, not periodically, operative."

The Prophet Joseph Smith teaches the true meaning of consecration:

"When we consecrate our property to the Lord it is to administer to the wants of the poor and needy, for this is the law of God; it is not for the benefit of the rich, those who have no need. . . Now for a man to consecrate his property, wife and children, to the Lord, is nothing more nor less than to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, visit the widow and the fatherless, the sick and affflicted, and do all he can to administer to their relief in their afflictions, and for him and his house to serve the Lord."

It's so great to have modern day prophets that are able to teach us the finer points of the gospel. Although we often find the reality of keeping this kind of commitment much more difficult than our initial thoughts may lead us to believe, we receive blessings for committing ourselves to a Christ-like life.

Elder Maxwell further teaches: "Many ignore consecration because it seems too abstract or too daunting. The conscientious among us, however, experience divine discontent because of progression mixed with procrastination. Hence, loving counsel is given with the confirmation of this direction, encouragement to continue the journey, and consolation as we experience individually the inherent degrees of difficulty."

A part of this quote that may be difficult to understand without dissecting it word for word is the part "the conscientious among us experience divine discontent because of progression mixed with procrastination." To me this says that while I'm striving to live my life better and more in line with the Savior's teachings, I experience setbacks because sometimes I put my own natural wants and desires perhaps over what I may know to be the better choice. Elder Maxwell promises us "encouragement to continue the journey". This may be blessings we receive and recognize as we are successful in living the gospel. "Consolation as we experience individually the inherent degrees of difficulty" says that I'm not perfect and as I see my shortfalls, consolation comes through repentance in my life. Making amends for what I may do wrong yields the comfort that the Spirit of God can provide. It can be feel as much as a big hug from a close friend or loved one, in fact the One who loves us most of all, or a sense of relief as we know that amends have been made and we can then resume our progression after receiving forgiveness for our (my) sins.

While I don't wish to preach doom and gloom on everyone, there are some cases where we may secretly withhold a part while we proclaim to be consecrating all that we have. In Acts 5: 1-11, we read of one such example. Peter and John had been teaching and testifying to the people and some leaders where they were at the time. The people felt the power of their words and chose to live their version of the "United Order" or "law of consecration" as we later come to know it in the early history of the current day church. At the end of Acts 4, we read "the multitude of them that believed were of one heart and of one soul: neither said any of them that ought of the things which he possessed was his own; but they had all things common." Translation: Those that believed were of one heart and one soul and none of them said anything he owned was his own, but they all shared everything. I'm not sure if I personally am ready for that level of consecration, I still like too many of my own things. From Acts 5: 1-11, though, we read of Ananias and Saphira who, having committed to living the law of consecration, later thought to withhold some of what they had. They sold a piece of land and, without telling anyone, kept some of the money that they earned in selling the land. When turning over the money to Peter, Peter knew through the Spirit that Ananias had withheld part of the earnings and inquired of it to Ananias. To make the long story short, both Ananias and his wife, Saphira, were struck down dead for their failure to live up to the commitment. This example may have had more to do with their level of commitment than the small portion that they may have actually withheld. There will come a time when we will each have to commit in such a way as this in our hearts. More importantly, there will come a time when I will have to commit to live this way in my heart. Currently, a large part of our now "law of consecration" is that we commit to pay a 10% tithing, an amount equal to 10% of our income to the church. The Lord certainly can get by without what each of us may contribute individually in this way, but he promises us blessings for living the law and, furthermore, we learn to give back a portion to the Lord and what he has already given us.

Elder Maxwell says, "So many of us cling tenaciously to a particular 'part,' even treating our obsessions like possessions. Thus, whatever else we may have already given, the last portion is the hardest to yield. Granted, partial surrender is still commendable, but it resembles, more than faintly, the excuse, 'I gave at the office.'

"We may, for instance, have a specific set of skills which we mistakenly come to think we somehow own. If we continue to cling to those ore than to God, we are flinching in the face of the consecrating first commandment. Since God lends us "breath . . . from one moment to another,' hyperventilating over these distractions is not recommended!

"A stumbling block appears when we serve God generously with time and checkbooks but still withhold portions of our inner selves, signifying that we are not yet fully His!"

Sometimes we may be scared or unsure of ourselves and want to shrink from our obligations in one way or another. Said Elder Maxwell: "Shrinking occurs in so many ways. The terrestrial kingdom, for example, will include the 'honorable,' clearly not bearers of false witness. Yet they were still 'not valiant in the testimony of Jesus.' The best way to valiantly testify of Jesus is to become steadily more like Him, and it is that consecration that carves out the emulative character."

Consecration Returns to God What Is His

We consecrate ourselves by accepting God's will (sometimes this seems more easily said than done) and submitting ourselves unto it.

"In striving for ultimate submission, our wills constitute all we really have to give God anyway. The usual gifts and their derivatives we give to Him could be stamped justifiably 'Return to Sender', with a capital S. Even when God receives this one gift in return, the fully faithful will receive 'all that (He) hath'. What an exchange rate!

"Meanwhile, certain realities remain: God has given us our lives, our agency, our talents, and our opportunities; He has given us our possessions; He has given us our appointed mortal spans complete with the needed breaths. Guided by such perspective, we will avoid serious errors of proportion."

The Savior is our ultimate example of consecration. We read seemingly countless examples of Christ performing miracles: He healed the sick, raised the dead, restored sight to the blind, hearing to the deaf, multiplied fishes and loaves to feed multitudes of people. What would this have meant if he hadn't performed his ultimate act of consecration, giving his very life and taking on himself the sins, infirmities, and the pains of the world??? It might have ultimately meant nothing had he not performed that one ever-important act.

Again from Elder Maxwell: "In pondering and pursuing consecration, understandably we tremble inwardly at what may be required. Yet the Lord has said consolingly, 'My grace is sufficient for you'. Do we really believe him? He has also promised to make weak things strong (unto us). Are we really willing to submit to that process? Yet if we desire fullness, we cannot hold back part."

Ultimately by consecrating ourselves, dedicating our time, talents, minds, and hearts to God, we are promised that we will receive "all that the Father hath". Elder Maxwell continues, "Besides, how could we be entrusted with his 'all' until our wills are much more like His? Nor could his 'all' be fully appreciated by the partially committed."

As we live our lives, we need to evaluate our performance and correct any wrongs in our lives to most fully come to realize the blessings he has promised. During his mortal ministry, the Savior told his apostles that one of them would betray him. Concerned by this, one of them asked, "Lord, is it I?" Upon evaluating ourselves and our own commitment to personal consecration, we need not ask the same question. In a slightly different way, we might evaluate our own performance and, finding our shortcomings, ask the question, "Lord, is it this?"

I know that consecration is perhaps one of the most difficult of the commandments to live fully. Perhaps this is why the first commandment is to love the Lord with all our heart, might, mind, and soul. Listen to what Elder Maxwell says: "We may have known the answer for a long time and may need resolve more than we need his answer (to that question of 'Lord, is it this?'). The greatest happiness in God's generous plan is finally reserved for those who are willing to stretch and to pay the costs of journeying to His regal realm. Brothers and sisters, 'come let us anew, this journey pursue.'"

I know that as I strive and struggle to put God first in my heart, blesses come to me.

This talk is one of my favorite talks that I remember from Elder Maxwell before he passed way. I've listened to it over and over again. It's probably one I can listen to 100 times or more and continue to find ways to improve. Luckily, I've got my life ahead of me to do so.