Articles of Faith

Austin had Gabriella Parker come up because she had turned 16 and moved from Miamaids to Laurels.  He asked her to say the 4th Article of Faith without any notice.  She was a bit flustered and almost got it right.

The next Sunday, she was giving a youth talk and asked the Bishop to come up and give the 6th Article of Faith. He was a bit flustered and almost got it right.

He has asked several youth advancing to share an article of faith.  This week he interviewed a young man turning 12. He asked the Bishop if he could tell him in advance which Article of Faith he was going to have him say.  So Austin said, how about #5.  The Bishop kept his end of the deal and had him come up and say the 5th Article of Faith.

Hope - First Ward Conference Talk

Bishop Nunn - HOPE

For the past several weeks, I have tried to think of a topic I should speak on. I have asked members of the Bishopric, the ward council, members of Bishops Youth Council, and my good wife. I was given a wide range of topics. If I was to use the lingo of our young people, my talk might sound something like this given the topics suggested.

 #testimony

#faith

#gossip

#datingbefore16

#chastity

#theGodhead

As I have pondered about the many things I could talk about, I have had a number of experiences over the past few days that have led me to what I wish to speak on today.

            In the corner of our family’s living room stands a ficus tree.  This tree has moved six times, lived in two states, and has been transported between two countries. Through all this, the tree has remained healthy and looks beautiful. This tree was given to me from my boss shortly after the death of my youngest brother, 18 years ago. The tree stands in our living room and has become a symbol of hope to me. Hope can be defined as the “confident expectation of and longing for, the promised blessing of righteousness.” The scriptures often speak of hope as anticipation of eternal life through faith in Jesus Christ.

            Recently in the online newsfeed UtahValley360.com was published an article titled, “15 New Year’s Resolutions from the Prophets for 2015.”  The resolutions include topics such as, Avoid contention. Find more meaning in temple service. Take care of your body. Learn more about the gospel. Improve personal scripture study. Serve someone everyday. Have more meaningful prayer. Increase your fast offering. Repent daily. Have family home evening. Forgive quickly. Maintain a clear vision. Evaluate yourself honestly. Emulate Jesus Christ.

            As I read over the list, thoughts such as, “I need to try harder to be better” crossed my mind. I then read a few comments across the bottom of the article. One comment caught my eye, shocked me, and then caused me to reflect. The comment said, “This list could be summed up as ‘constantly evaluate yourself and seek perfection.’ No wonder so many Utahns are on anti-depressants. This is the impossible gospel.”  I was shocked by the comment and then saddened. Do we not understand that this is a gospel of hope? Yes, we seek personal growth, personal strength, a deeper understanding. But we do all of this only because we hope “the best is yet to come.”

            The Prophet Moroni wrote, “Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope; and if there must be hope, there must also be charity.”

            Last month as our family traveled to a rodeo in Claresholm, Kaylynn had us listen to talk presented at Time Out for Women in Salt Lake. The speaker was Noelle Pikus Pace. You will remember Noelle as an Olympic bronze medalist for the United States from the most recent winter Olympics in the Women’s Skeleton event.  As she received her medal, cameras caught a glimpse of her Young Women medallion around her neck.

            During her talk, she shared this story. In 2005, she had qualified for the winter Olympics. She was at the top of her game, prepared and ready for competition. She had trained and dedicated her life to her sport. During her last training run, she stood at the end of the track with her friends waiting for her teammates to complete their runs, when what seemed as out of nowhere came a four-man bobsled. Standing at the end of the track with no place to run, Noelle was struck by the sled. She was hurled through the air about 20 feet landing on the asphalt. Her leg badly broken, she was rushed to the hospital for surgery. As she lay in the recovery room crying, the surgeon walked in and looked at Noelle and said, “Why are you crying?” Shocked and unable to answer, the surgeon then asked again, “Why are you crying?” The surgeon then stepped towards her and said, “You can either look back and be miserable about what just happened to you, or you can move on. Your leg is broken and feeling sorry for yourself won’t change that.” Noelle reflected on that comment saying that was the best advice she was ever given.

            President Gordon B. Hinckley said, “I am asking that we stop seeking out the storms and more enjoy more fully the sunlight. I am suggesting that as we go through life, we accentuate the positive. I am asking that we look a little deeper for the good. Look for the sunlight through the clouds.”

            President Uchtdorf teaches that, “Hope is one leg of a three-legged stool, together with faith and charity. These three stabilize our lives regardless of the rough or uneven surfaces we might encounter at times.”

            Too often in our lives, we cave to despair. We feel that all hope is lost, that we can’t go on. The road is too rocky and rough. The river is too wide to cross. The hill is too steep to climb. The race is too long and too fast to finish. The despair comes as the adversary wishes us to fail. He blinds our hearts and minds and slowly leads us down the path to destruction.

            Rich Miller has recently shared his story of how he lost his faith and then regained his faith in a Mormon message titled Finding Your Purpose in Life. He states that a lesson he learned is that cynicism creates a numbness towards life. Cynicism is an attitude of scornful or jaded negativity, especially a general distrust of integrity or professed motives of others. Cynicism is the opposite of Hope. We must not allow ourselves to have an attitude of scornfulness. We must love and forgive others.

            The word hope is used every day in our lives. We hope for a good day, we hope for health or we hope for good weather. We hope our kids will be happy. We hope for a good job. The word hope’s meaning changes as we grow and mature.

            Nephi taught that,  “we must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward feasting on the words of Christ and endure to the end, behold thus saith the Father, Ye shall have eternal life.”

            President Uchtdorf shared this insight on hope: “Hope can be seen in two ways. Things we hope for and things we hope in. Things we hope for are often future events. If only we could look beyond the horizon of mortality into what awaits us, beyond this life. Is it possible to imagine a more glorious future than the one prepared for us by our Heavenly Father? Because of the sacrifice of Jesus Christ, we need not fear, for we will live forever, never to taste of death again.

            The things we hope in sustain us during our daily walk. They uphold us through trials, temptation and sorrow. Everyone has experienced discouragement and difficulty. Indeed there are times when the darkness may seem unbearable. It is in these times that the divine principles of the restored gospel we hope in, can uphold us and carry us until once again we walk in the light.”

            Brothers and sisters, if you are struggling with a challenge, physically, emotionally, maybe a wayward child or your own addiction, hold on to hope.

            The Book of Mormon prophet Alma shared his experience of being racked for three days even as the pains of a damned soul.  He then recounts these feelings, “Now as my mind caught hold upon this thought I cried within my heart : O Jesus, thou Son of God, have mercy on me, who am in the gall of bitterness and am encircled about by the everlasting chain of death. And now, behold when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more. “

            As we grow in our personal desire to be obedient, as we more perfectly keep the commandments such as the word of wisdom, modesty, dating, marriage, and tithing, we are better able to attain hope.  Hope needs to find place in our every day lives.

            As a freshman attending Utah State University, I learned that hope can get me through.  I arrived in Logan, Utah, late at night in mid-March. I had never been to Logan and was completely unfamiliar with what street addresses like 2000 North 100 West meant.  I eventually found my uncle’s home who had offered me a place to live. I was shown to a garage that had a small office space built onto it with a heater and carpet on the floor, a single bed in the corner. The next morning I found myself enrolling in classes. I had no idea what the word credit even meant. Many of the first nights were lonely. I would often find myself walking down the street alone at night asking God why am I here? Is this what you want me to be doing?

            Knowing an earlier prayer had been answered about going to school, my hope in answer to prayer kept me going to class, searching for work, and trying to make friends. Over time, I found a job I loved, was set up on a blind date with a great math tutor who eventually became my wife. I have found in my life when I am lonely or afraid, it is my hope in a greater cause than myself has gotten me through.

            The 13^th Article of Faith states, “We believe in being honest, true, chaste, benevolent, virtuous, and in doing good to all men; indeed we may say that we follow the admonition of Paul – we believe all things, we hope all things, we have endured many things and hope to be able to endure all things.”

            As we reflect on our lives, I hope we reflect on the many things we have endured because of our hope. As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, our ability to endure is made stronger because of our hope in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.

            I hope the following story might illustrate our need for continued hope.  Several years ago, my dad and I were working together for a summer on a ranch in Saskatchewan. Summer was ending and we were gathering horses for the fall sale. On this particular day, it had been raining slightly on and off. We saw a window of opportunity to gather one more field about 12 miles from home. Our boss drove us to the back field and dropped us off. We started to ride, trying to find the horses. At about the same time we found the horses and headed for home, the wind picked up and the rain started to beat down heavily upon us. Suddenly the lightning started to crack.

            Now being on the top of a horse during a lightning storm in a place where you can see your dog run away for a week, is a little on the scary side. We managed to get the horses headed for home. Horses always seem to move better if they can follow the lead horse. I started out in front with the rain and wind beating on my horse’s face, we headed home. He lowered his head and unwaveringly pushed on. The rest followed. By the time we reached the top of the hill overlooking the ranch, our boss had come in the truck to get us. Soaking wet, we loaded our horses and climbed in the cab. I looked over at the old cowboy boss and said, “Bet you thought we gave up, didn’t you?” I have often looked back on his reply at hard times in my life. He said, “I know you better than that.”

            Members of the Leavitt Ward, you have each been given the horse of hope that will carry you home, even when the wind is blowing, the rain is pounding, and the ride is sometimes long. Our Savior Jesus Christ knows each of us. He knows you. He knows the challenges you face. He knows how hard things can be. But because of Him, we can hope in the future.

            President James E. Faust said, “There are tremendous sources of hope beyond our own ability, learning, strength, and capacity. Among them is the gift of the Holy Ghost. Through the marvelous blessings of this member of the Godhead, we can come to know the truth of all things.” He went on to say, “Hope is the anchor of our souls.”

            Ether taught in the Book of Mormon, “Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world.  Yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God.”

            May we each find hope in our daily lives. In a book titled “Focused” by Noelle Pikus Pace appears this quote, “Hope gives us courage to do those things that we don’t believe we are capable of.” Because of our hope in Christ, our understanding of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, the restoration of the priesthood, and the sealing power of Elijah, we can have hope in all things. We can have hope of all things.

            I testify that Jesus is the Christ and our hope in Him will bring us joy and peace.

            In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

What Were You Thinking?

Austin conducted our January fast and testimony meeting today and bore his testimony. He told about how last week we went out sledding on our hill. Jill decided to jump on her horse with snowpants on bareback with only a halter. She started walking, then trotting, then a slow lope, and then a full-on run. As she rode past our sledding hill, Austin yelled, "What are you doing?" Jill yelled back, "I can't get him to stop."

The horse came to the next fence and turned and Jill fell off. She came walking back with a bruised shoulder. Austin said, "What were you thinking?" Jill said, "I've done it before."

Austin compared our lives and testimonies to this story. He said that sometimes we have challenges or make mistakes because we think we have done it before and been okay. Or that sometimes we have done things before and been fine, and other times things don't always go the right way and we have challenges.  But it is important to have a strong testimony and stay strong.

Then he bore his testimony.
I know this church is true.
I know that Joseph Smith is a true prophet and restored this gospel.
I know that President Monson is the living prophet today, and what he says goes.
I know that we receive blessings from going to the temple.
I know that Jesus is the Christ.

Tithing Settlement

Austin survived his first tithing settlement. He really enjoyed visiting with all of the families and getting to know people better. He gave each family a new Book of Mormon and asked them to read and mark it next year as a family.

Christmas Message

On December's Fast Sunday, Bishop Nunn was the last one to bear his testimony, and he stood up and challenged us to avoid anything negative and to be positive and post positive things. Share the goodness.

For our Christmas Sacrament Meeting, we opened with the organ and piano playing an awesome arrangement of Joy to the World with the congregation standing to sing. Then the choir sang a couple songs and there were a couple other musical numbers,  and Brother Olsen and Brother Zemp were the speakers. Bishop Nunn gave the closing remarks.  He told about a Christmas when he was young when his family was living in the bunkhouse - 24 feet by 24 feet. His Dad was working at a logging camp as a buckerman (and that's not how he got his name) and had an accident and broken his ribs. That Christmas, their gifts were wooden horses and wooden trains and wooden guns that his parents had cut out.  A few years later they received real bebe guns. He said that every Christmas is not perfect and happy for everyone. Some years will be a wooden horse Christmas, and some years will be a store-bought, just what you wished for, with all of your family around you - Christmas.  No matter what kind it is, serve others, enjoy what you do have, and remember the reason we celebrate Christmas - the birth and life of Jesus Christ.
We closed with the organ and piano and all of the congregation singing O Holy Night. I wish every person in the world could experience the Spirit of a powerful Christmas Sacrament Meeting.

Baptisms, Missionaries, Funerals

Baptisms:

Hallee Pilling - a cool fall morning at the creek

Taylor Blackmore
Bailey Wood
Jaguar Hallock
Shayde Primrose
Grace Mandwe

Brinley Bevans

Barton Bevans

Griffin Forsyth

Missionaries:
Bishop Nunn started a tradition where the congregation stands and sings Called to Serve as the closing hymn of our missionary farewells.

Jordan Wood

Clayton Leavitt
Devonie Quinton
Aubrey Zemp
David Burton

Brother & Sister Carnell
Lindy Bevans

Funerals:

Shirley Bevans - Dixie's aunt
Lawrence Cahoon

Dale Still
Matthew Seeley
Blaine Leavitt
Karyn Forsyth
Audrey Walburger
Berdene Farren

Wedding:
Lloyd Retzer & LJ Potter

Lloyd Retzer's son - Matt

We Must....

Austin did great conducting his first Sacrament Meeting as Bishop Nunn. It was Fast Sunday since next Sunday is General Conference.

As he bore his testimony, he told us that there are 4 things we MUST do.

First, we must study the scriptures every day.

Second, we must pray.

Third, we must go to the temple.

Fourth, we must love each other.