回應先知的挑戰 - 閱讀摩門經的見證

回應先知的挑戰 - 閱讀摩門經的見證

接受先知的挑戰 李歐愛萍 2005 年8月2日，當先知興格萊戈登會長在香港教會行政大樓奉獻儀式的講道中，挑戰教友在2005年底前讀完摩門經時，我深深地感到神的慈悲，因為祂差遣年逾 95歲的僕人，千里迢迢來港探望教友，不但激勵了教友的心靈，並且提升了我們的靈性，而他的訓示只是一個簡單的挑戰。我覺得這個挑戰並不困難，只要好好安 排時間，悉力以赴，應該可以做到。 雖然我已經開始閱讀摩門經，但仍然決定從頭再讀，以徹底回應先知的挑戰。我每天都提醒自己要閱讀摩門經，並且一定要在年底前讀完，但由於要照顧家庭和兒子們，所以面對不少的壓力。 我 以前曾經閱讀摩門經多次，但在今次閱讀的過程中，仍然獲得一些特別的經驗，就是每當我讀到一些在過往給我很大啟發及幫助的章節時，內心都充滿對神的感謝； 對曾經幫助我的教友的緬懷。我更加體會經文給我安慰的力量；對我生活的幫助，使我不斷仰賴神及尋求從經文中獲得的祝福。 我見證接受先知的挑戰，在2005年底前讀完摩門經，確實使我內心充滿主的愛，使我更有決心遵守祂的誡命，及獲得堅強的見證，並且知道神的兒子確實活著。奉耶穌基督的名，阿們。■ 圖片由劉文強兄弟提供 圖說：李歐愛萍姊妹的家庭

閱讀摩門經的見證 江蔡惠英 摩 門經確實是主的話語，神聖經文。當我被先知興格萊戈登會長邀請在今年內完成研讀摩門經時，在當中我知道神的存在及祂對我們的愛。神在每個時期也會收集祂的 果子，有不同的人，在不同的地方準備成為神的工具。李海的服從得以幫他的家庭認識神，並獲得從神而來的祝福。在李海後裔中有很多優秀的子孫，如：尼腓、雅 各和以諾斯等。假如李海沒有聽從先知的忠告他們沒有離開耶路撒冷，事情一定要改寫。 在我們的生活中也是一樣，神給我們自由選擇權，祂不會強迫我們做任何事。祂賜給我們救主，而基督藉著他的榜樣幫助我們知道要行走道路的方向，我們才可以回到天父家裡。我們亦可跟從自然的慾念，追隨撒但。 我 很羨慕尼腓三書中的尼腓，雖然在他出生年代的人民極為頑固，但他卻勇於向這個絕大多數人民都是邪惡的民族，呼籲悔改及為主作見證。見證。他的勇敢、信心、 對神的渴望、對人民的愛，令他得以與神和諧。尼腓曾蒙天使的眷顧，並聽到了主的聽音。因此，他是親眼見到天使的證人，並蒙得權力，得以知道關於基督的傳道 服務。他也是一位目擊人民迅速從正義轉向邪惡和憎恨證人。他奉耶穌的名驅逐惡魔和污靈，甚至他的兄弟被人用石頭擊斃後，也把他從死裡救活了（尼腓三書7： 15，19）。他真的在盼望基督，當時間到了，救主來到他面前，他看到、聽到、摸到了我們的救主，我們的神。想到這點，確實令我感到興奮，假如我也在場， 我會如何呢？我願努力跟從救主，願聖靈常在我身邊，助我跟隨衪，我知道祂活著。奉耶穌基督的名，阿們。■ 圖片由劉文強兄弟提供 圖說：江蔡惠英姊妹的近照

對摩門經的見證 劉文強 先 知興格萊戈登會長在2005年8月2日來港主領香港教會行政大樓奉獻儀式。在講道中，他重申8月份利阿賀拿的總會會長團信息：勇敢忠誠的見證，及挑戰香港 的教友在2005年底前讀完摩門經，並應許達成這項挑戰的教友必定獲得以下祝福：「你們的生活和家中必更加充滿主的愛。你們必更有決心遵守祂的誡命，你們 必獲得堅強的見證，知道神的兒子確實活著。」 由於我從未親身與先知會晤，所以特別珍惜這刻相聚，倍加專注地聆聽他的講道和訓勉，並本著敬慎服從的心，欣然地接受先知的挑戰。 我 為了完成這項挑戰，便開始隨身攜帶摩門經，在忙碌的生活中，等待有空閒的時間便取出經文閱讀。我發覺摩門經比較厚，不方便隨身攜帶，所以轉用袋裝的小型電 腦閱讀摩門經，但又發覺翻閱章節，費時不便。正當我惆悵時，卻偶然瞥見一本已久放在書架上的薄裝版本摩門經，覺得神也知道我的需要，銳意幫忙，使我更加努 力完成這項挑戰。 當我閱讀摩門經時，經常想起先知在講道時對教友表達的諄諄教誨與關愛，使我更加有勁，更加專 注地貫徹了解部分艱澀的中文翻譯；縱橫交錯的時代背景；重覆命名的人物事跡。當我克服以上的閱讀障礙後，更深切體會專注閱讀經文；思考經文內容；參照聖經 互補；尋求聖靈啟迪等方法的重要性，並且見證摩羅乃的應許：「神必使你們知道我所寫的是真實的」（摩羅書10：29）。 我 感到最開心的是跟太太和14歲的兒子（達明）一起閱讀摩門經，或許大家的進度各有不同，但大家好像多了一個共同的目標、多了一些溝通的話題、多了一份信仰 的堅持。並且當我們每天都閱讀摩門經時，大家的心思意念都維繫在福音中，與神的關係更密切，感應更通達，真是一項充滿靈性和喜樂的挑戰。 2005年12月31日（星期六），或許很多人在除夕都會出外慶祝，但當天我發現達明竟然在房間內繼續閱讀摩門經，我知道他想在最後的一天，盡最大的努力讀完摩門經，以完成先知給他的挑戰。我也受到他的熱忱和毅力而感動，不敢打擾他。 2006 年1月1日，我和達明向一位兄弟進行聖職探訪。當我做完祈禱及稍為了解該位兄弟的近況後，便請一直靜靜地坐在身旁的達明跟該位兄弟交談。他即時開口就問： 「你讀完摩門經沒有？」該位兄弟有點愕然，但隨即坦誠地回答：「還沒有讀完。因為生活及工作繁忙，只讀完尼腓二書。」我問達明：「你有甚麼建議給他呢？」 達明對他說：「你要繼續讀摩門經。讀之前要祈禱，這樣可以得更快和更明白。」 達明的問題和建議真是令我吃驚， 他坦率地表達了最近幾個月，內心在宗教上的思念和體驗。他希望別人不要輕視先知的說話；他體諒別人因為生活繁忙，而未能完成先知給予的挑戰；他鼓勵別人需 要鍥而不捨地遵照先知的訓示；他分享自己藉著祈禱所獲得的寶貴經驗：「藉著聖靈的力量，你們可以知道一切事情的真實性」（摩羅乃書10：5）。我感謝神祝 福達明在閱讀摩門的過程中不斷成長和進步。 至於我另外一個大兒子，他正在香港擔任全職傳教士，他亦完成了挑 戰，從閱讀的過程中，他增強了對摩門經的見證，更深切體會斯密約瑟確實是神所揀選的先知，他翻譯了摩門經、復興了福音及聖職，並且建立教會和興建聖殿，使 聖徒蒙福。他接受先知的挑戰，從而獲得的見證，大大增強了他對傳道事工的熱忱和信念。 我衷心感謝先知的挑戰，激發了我和家人閱讀摩門經，獲得福音上的知識和靈性上的進步。看著孩子們在福音中，茁壯成長，充滿快樂，我和太太真是心甜－－孩子開心，父母甜在心。 我見證摩門經確實是神的話語，耶穌基督的另一部約書。我見證跟隨先知，必定獲得他所應許的祝福。奉耶穌基督的名，阿們。■ 圖片由劉文強兄弟提供 圖說：劉文強家庭相片。劉文強，劉達明和劉達誠長老（左起）

我對摩門經的見證 許甄婉儀 2005 年8月，先知透過利阿賀拿向教友發出一項屬靈的挑戰──在年底前讀完摩門經。當時我沒有決心接受挑戰，幸好神學研究所的課程是摩門經，並且在9月派發了一 張精美的書籤，幫助我記錄閱讀的進度，以達成在年底前讀完摩門經的目標。剛開始時我預計每天閱讀三章經文，便能完成目標，但後來我選擇了以頁數為指標，限 定自己每星期要讀50頁經文。我有時會讀得比較多，但有時卻未能達標，只好在下一個星期追補。最終，我在12月18日讀完整本摩門經。 今次最大的收獲是體會到凡事定下目標，就更容易獲得成功。摩門經共有718頁，分為244章。我們若然漫無目的，日以繼夜地閱讀，一定會很吃力，假如設定每星期或每日的閱讀進度目標，便較容易達成。 2006年依始，我也為自己及家庭訂下目標，以達成今生的使命，就是配稱地在高級國度中獲得永生和超陞，並且擁有一個永恆的家庭。 我 另外一個收獲，是閱讀摩門經所獲得寶貴的福音知識。主前545至559年（尼腓二書33：7－9），尼腓表示他對人民有博愛，及對基督有信心。主前83年 （阿爾瑪書7：24），先知阿爾瑪教導人民要有信心、希望和博愛。主後421年，先知摩羅乃也教導：「所以必須要有信心；如果必須要有信心，也必須要有希 望；如果必須要有希望，也必須要有博愛」（摩羅乃書10：20）。這些美好的原則一直在鞏固我的信仰及見證，因為我對基督有信心，所以凡事都祈求天父的幫 助和指引。博愛是一門很高深的學問，真是知易行難。最近我在聖殿見到一個姊妹在進行恩道門儀式前，忽然暈厥了。很多聖殿工作人員都急忙上前搶救，雖然我並 不認識她，以前只在聖殿内見過她幾次，但也想看看有甚麽可以幫忙。 事件過了大約一星期，我在前往聖殿途中迎面 遇上這位姊妹，我除了對她微笑外，更停下來問候她的健康情况。事後我也感到奇怪，自己竟然不怕唐突，或許當時我真的很想表達對她的關懷和問候，希望這是我 邁出博愛的第一步吧！雖然我仍然不知道她的姓名，但內心仍滿載對她的祈禱和祝福。我見證只要時常緊記摩門經中，眾先知的教導，我們必定有聖靈為伴，可以過 著正義的生活及回到天父的身邊。以上的見證奉耶穌基督的名，阿們。■ 圖片由許甄婉儀姊妹提供 圖說：許甄婉儀姊妹家庭相片

閱讀摩門經的見證和經驗 陳心言 自 從我升讀中五，爸爸就更積極鼓勵我每天早上閱讀經文及參加福音進修班。他說這樣可以獲得聖靈為伴，提升靈性，所以我聽從他的囑咐。雖然我非常緊張香港中學 會考，擔心若然成績未如理想，會影響學業前途，但是我知道不盡心研讀經文和祈禱，成績一定會更差，因為神知道甚麼東西是對我最好的，只要我凡事忠信和盡 力，祂一定會增添我的力量。 我感謝先知在2005年8月給教友的信息，挑戰我們在該年底前讀完摩門經，並且承 諾達標者會獲得祝福。我每天都依照預定的計劃閱讀摩門經，每天都獲得不同的啟迪和幫助，就好像摩羅乃書10：4－5：「……用真心誠意來求問，有著對基督 的信心，祂必藉著聖靈的力量，對你們顯明這些事情的真實性。」 2005年10月，我申請到外國的教會大學讀 書。吐露港支聯會會長黃志康與我面談，他問我有否閱讀摩門經及能否跟上進度。我說應該能夠按計劃在年底前讀完摩門經，並且深信只要堅持，神必定會祝福我的 學業，讓我有明確的目標和方向。黃會長便邀請我在讀完摩門經後，撰寫一篇文章刊登在利阿賀拿，分享見證和經驗。 由於當時我每天都獲得不同的啟迪，所以很想找機會分享見證，但卻沒有適當的時機。我感謝神啟發黃會長的靈感，指派我撰稿，讓我有渴望和動力在達成先知的挑戰後，寫下真誠的見證。 當 我在去年底讀完摩門經時，真的感到很開心，因為這是我成為教友多年以來，第一次讀完整本摩門經。我亦恪守我的承諾，在此分享見證和經驗。我知道摩門經是真 實的，沒有摩門經就不會有耶穌基督後期聖徒教會，而教會的領袖是由神所揀選的，我們一定要服從領袖的教導。我知道復興的福音已臨到我們身上，只要服從先知 的啟示，必定蒙神祝福，所以我鼓勵教友繼續努力研讀摩門經。奉耶穌基督的名，阿們。■ 圖片由陳心言姊妹提供 圖說：陳心言姊妹與小虎合照

遵從先知的訓誨 胡李美嫦 我 遵從先知興格萊戈登會長的訓誨──閱讀摩門經，感覺與家人的關係更加融洽。當父母與子女之間互相抱怨，不能各盡其職時，我們讀到尼腓三書8：25：「我們 若在這大而可畏之日來臨前就悔改，…..這樣我們的母親，我們美麗的女兒，和我們的子孫們都能被饒過了…..」，我們即時變得謙卑，及體諒彼此的輭弱，並 且感到家人的愛與關懷。藉著遵從先知的訓誨，我們重獲這種美好的感覺。■ 圖片由胡李美嫦姊妹提供 圖說：胡李美嫦姊妹家庭相片

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Story of The Month

EVEN IN DIFFICULT TIMES... WE CAN STILL LEARN AND GROW

As we observe Veterans Day this month...let's be thankful for those who are and have defended us and preserved our liberties. Our world is full of war and hatred in every corner. While we detest war and the destruction from it, we have great cause to be grateful for those who go to war to protect our freedoms. At times we get bogged down with the thoughts of all the bad things in the world. The hungry, the depressed, the sick, as well as the many things inflicted on innocent persons by others...the cheating, the lying, the stealing, the rapings and the killings. There are many things to draw our attention away from all the good things going on.

In the study of the good and bad, there is the following idea: How could we be judged according to our goodness or wickedness if there weren't evil acts done by men? There needs be evidence of the wickedness or there would be no judgement. So there are those who have to suffer at the hands of evil and conspiring men and because of them in order for there to be a judgement of the evil that is done while in this earthly probation.

Therefore, in the evidence of those good things men do for each other the evidence will be used at the judgement seat to speak for their goodness. We need then to follow the teachings of the Savior in order to have the evidence speak for good on our behalf. In the book of Matthew, Jesus taught,"Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me." So wherever and with whomever we do good things, it is as if we have done it unto the Savior.

Recently our family had cause to recognize all the good surrounding us and of the best in people..This past September 21st is a day we won't forget as a family. One of our obstacles in this life met us head on. Our grandson, Beau Winters, was playing in a football game when he collapsed on the field. He was airlifted to Spokane, WA where he underwent four hours of brain surgery. It was a difficult time for our family as everyone was so worried about the outcome of the collapse. After the surgery the Dr. told us there would be a window of 24-48 hours while they would monitor him and then after that time they would know better just how his body reacted to the cause of collapse and the surgery. Well, after many prayers and a great deal of gratitude for those who knew how to care for him, we were blessed with the information that he was responding well. The news was positive and we felt then that he was probably going to be okay again in every way. The whole experience reminded us of what is truly important while we are here. We are so grateful for the angels above and the angels on earth who cared for him and us. We felt the strength come that was needed to feel that we could cope with whatever we had to at this time to help him and his immediate family. We were made aware of how fragile this life is and how much we depend on Heavenly Father for our well-being... physically, mentally and especially spiritually. He cared for us socially too, as we were overwhelmed with the love of friends and family as we spent those few days not knowing if Beau would be with us or what his mental capacity would be if he lived. There was such an outpouring of love and friendship from those we count as family and friends and then from many who we didn't even know who were part of the area where Beau and family live. What a great blessing those good people were to us.

Even in our difficulties and hardships...we learn and grow from them. I think it is so we can have empathy for others when they have adversity to overcome. We become better people when we live through a difficult situation and find a way to help others.

There is much good to celebrate with this Thanksgiving Day coming up at the end of the month as there is for us to celebrate and be grateful for the military personnel who has and are defending our freedoms today.

What has this to do with Temple Square World? It has everything to do with it, as we discover the gospel of Jesus Christ is the root of everything. That gospel taught on Temple Square by the sisters called to share it, sustains us in this part of our eternal life and eventually leads us back to live with our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The atonement is the key, as we repent and try to do better...as we adhere more closely to gospel principles we become better equipped to return to our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and to live with them eternally.

The first weekend of October was general conference of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I'm sure that you were filled with joy at being able to listen to our Prophet and the apostles as I was. To be there on Temple Square and visit the places that we love so dearly because they remind us of who we are and what we need to do was the best. How sobering the thought to know how few of the people of the world know about the restoration of the church and of the prophet. We need to increase our effort to take it to the ends of the earth and share it. I pray we will all renew our efforts to do this.

Written by Maurine WINTERS

The Joys of Creation--Spoken Word by Lloyd D. Newell

The Joys of Creation

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

Nancy was eight years old when a teacher looked at her drawing and spoke six words Nancy would never forget: “You’re not very talented, are you?” The words not only embarrassed her, they burrowed inside her, creating a firm resolve never to make a fool of herself by attempting to draw or paint again. It took more than five decades for Nancy to outgrow this image of herself as a clumsy, artless, and uncreative person. Today Nancy knows something she wishes she could have understood when she was eight: the reason we create is not for the praise of others but because we love something so much we want to see it exist. That’s what creative people do. They bring to life things that didn’t exist before. Creativity is one of the great, mysterious hungers we all have as mortal souls, and there are as many ways to express this divine drive as there are people who feel it. Some of the most creative people in the world never pick up a paintbrush, sit down at a piano, or fill a page with words. Yet because of them, the world is filled with scented gardens, warm quilts, and loving relationships. Sometimes the most important thing we create is as simple as a smile. Many of us have something we’ve always wanted to try to do but never quite got around to it—perhaps because we lacked the confidence, or maybe because we were afraid we would fail. The good news is this: when we set aside our fears and begin to create, we make not only our lives but our world more meaningful and more wonderful. One wise man put it this way: “God left [the] world unfinished. . . . He left the problems unsolved and the pictures unpainted and the music unsung that man might know the joys and glories of creation.”1 1 Attributed to Alan Stockdale by Sterling W. Sill in Conference Report, Apr. 1960, 70. Program #4102

A Lifetime of Learning--Spoken Word by Lloyd D. Newell

A Lifetime of Learning

Delivered By: Lloyd D. Newell

An elderly man sat in his easy chair carefully cradling a book. Magazines and newspapers lay on the table in front of him. “My books are like friends to me,” he said. “I share so many memories with the old ones, and I enjoy learning from the new ones. And there is always so much to learn!” This from a man for whom learning had been a constant practice for the better part of a century. Some feel they have outgrown their chance to learn. “You can’t teach an old dog new tricks,” goes the saying, but that seems not to be true. Many older people are still reaping a rich harvest of knowledge. Lifelong learning is no longer a luxury for just a few of us but something that all can pursue. To consume a good book, to digest a report of current events, to savor the words of great thinkers past and present is to feed the soul and nourish the heart. We are never too old for such a feast. And learning is found not just in books. People and places are great sources of new information and experience. We can ask questions and enjoy discussions with friends and family members, learning from their points of view. We can visit a local museum to hear the story of a historic landmark or inquire at a public library about any topic we choose. Or we can visit the Internet, where a world of information is right at our fingertips. Formal education may be designed for the young, but the young at heart can enjoy a lifetime of learning. And when we leave this life, though our earthly goods will be left behind, the knowledge we have gained will be ours forever. Program #4101

Senior Church Leader Appeals to Media to Make Distinction

Mormon Media Observer: The 'perfect storm' goes global

Mormon Media Observer: The 'perfect storm' goes global

By Joel Campbell
Published: Tuesday, Apr. 15, 2008

While most American Latter-day Saints have known what it feels like to be scrutinized by the U.S. news media during the past few years -- recently referred to by Dr. Richard L. Bushman as a "perfect storm" of LDS-oriented stories and media interest -- what has been the media perception on the international stage.

New research shows that the "perfect storm" wasn't isolated. It also went global.

During the past three years, there has been a steady increase in coverage of Mormons and the LDS Church in international media sources culminating in record coverage during the first three months of 2008. The reasons: Mitt Romney, the death of President Gordon B. Hinckley and the calling of a new First Presidency.
The findings, shared recently at the LDS International Society meeting at BYU, showed that more than 1,300 references to the word “Mormon” were found between January and March 2008 in non-U.S. newspapers and wire services. In non-English language news sources there were 750, up from just 50 three years earlier. In those two categories the number of news stories referencing the church has grown steadily since the beginning of 2006.

The research was based on a review of default categories used by the database provider Lexis-Nexis Academic.

According to Dr. Bushman, the Mormon media story in the United States read like this: before Mitt Romney announced his candidacy at the Henry Ford Museum in Dearborn, Mich., in February 2007, Mormonism’s “perfect storm” had already started during the 2002 Winter Olympic Games in Salt Lake City and began a crescendo during 2005 with the 200th birthday of Joseph Smith. It picked up fury through the landmark PBS series, “The Mormons,” in 2007, and Romney’s nearly one-year official run for the presidency in a religious and political maelstrom.

Themes in the international coverage of the past three years mostly parallel the U.S. experience, except there was little coverage of the Joseph Smith 200th anniversary, and “The Mormons” and the HBO series on polygamy, “Big Love,” started airing in international markets only this past year. Both caused confusion and inaccuracies.

During the Romney campaign, the themes in the U.S. media were also much more developed and varied when compared to those found in the foreign press coverage. Among the U.S. media, including both opinion and news stories, themes included “religion shouldn’t matter,” “LDS are good people,” “bigotry” along with “negative opinion polls,” “unorthodox beliefs and practices,” “secular and atheist voices” and “anti-Mormon voices from other faith groups.”

The U.S. media also widely used non-LDS sources to define LDS Church beliefs and frequently used the “Mormon vs. Evangelical” frame to define the Romney’s religion.

The foreign press discourse was less sophisticated, with U.S.-based correspondents often parroting the coverage of their U.S. counterparts, particularly using the Evangelical-Mormon frame. There was little attempt to use original sources in their coverage from either inside or outside the church. Click on these links to see an example from South Africa and Spain (Note: you can use translate.google.com to view some of the non-English articles mentioned in this article in a rough translation).

Here are a few examples of themes and coverage of the LDS Church (some already seen in earlier columns):

* A positive story about the LDS Church in Slovakia, "Young Men in White Shirts," where the story was localized, including references to LDS history in that nation.
* A BBC reporter finds that Mormons are not so bad after all.
* A reporter for The Press in Christchurch, New Zealand interviewed local members in March 2007 to bring home the story of the LDS Church. Here’s the lead of the story: "Nicola Mills has greeted a journalist's fact-finding mission to her Mormon household with the kind of response it deserves: humour. You don't expect self- deprecation. Mormons are meant to be 19 and ardent, riding a 10-speed into a southerly to bring a message of hope to the doomed. They are supposed to be secretive, although how covert can a church be when it comes knocking on your front door? They are said to be clannish and a little too fond of making money. All those old suspicions are once again being aired in the United States as a result of a Mormon's bid for the Republican presidential nomination. . . It's a long way from Washington to the house in north New Brighton, but Mills and her family know the nature of what Romney is up against."
* An Oxford professor says the church is based upon "moronish wisdom," while a Times of London columnist takes religionists to task for alienating Mormons.

Here are some examples of continuing stereotypes, myths and inaccuracies:

* "I had to learn that the New Jerusalem was in Kansas," a French reporter for Paris-based Le Monde incorrectly said in an interview on Public Radio International.
* "The FLDS Church, like the Mormon Church, practices polygamy.” -- columnist in the Manila Standard (Philippines)
* "Obscure cult” -- Sueddeutsche Zeitung (Munich, Germany)
* The “mistrusted” church now has 13 million members across the world, but is “secretive in its practices: non-members are banned from services.” -- Agence France Press
* Missionaries use "dubious methods" --Berlin Morgenpost (Germany).

Some other headlines and themes:

* "Mormon women tortured children to instill discipline" -- A story about two women in England who whipped children and made them eat chilies. What if they had been Anglican would readers had know their religious affiliation?
* "Mormons rally behind blonde Bec." A story about an LDS member on Australia’s version of “Big Brother.”
* LDS rugby stars continue to make headlines in both New Zealand and Australia

At the end of the perfect storm, some of the negativity of the foreign media was turned on its head with the passing of President Gordon B. Hinckley and installation of a new First Presidency. See the LDS Church's Newsroom for a collection of these tributes to President Hinckley. The coverage was marked by positive coverage of President Hinckley and his faith. Common themes included growth of the church, growth in temples, missionary work, openness, communicator, a world traveler, vibrancy and “prophet of the people.”


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Copyright © 2008 Deseret News Publishing Company

Apostle urges BYU-Idaho graduates to make their influence felt in the digital world

April 11, 2008


More than 1,400 Brigham Young University-Idaho graduates were urged to make their influence felt in the digital world in an address given by Elder M. Russell Ballard, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, at winter commencement exercises held Friday, April 11.



"Your experience here is not the end of your quest for knowledge," Elder Ballard told the graduates. "We are blessed as Latter-day Saints to view the acquisition of knowledge from an eternal perspective... Of all the things you have learned at this institution and during your life so far, the most important is that you know the gospel of Jesus Christ has been restored to the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith and you know that the Church is true. Your knowledge and testimony of this will always be your foundation and your polar star throughout your life."



Elder Ballard told the graduates their strength and knowledge is needed in a world torn between good and evil. The evidence of this battle is apparent in popular media, including the Internet. "While there is so very much good, informative information on the Internet, one of Satan's most seductive efforts is the increasingly present pornography appearing in all kinds of media," he said.



Along with the terrible effects of pornography, the Internet and other media are often used to spread falsehoods, Elder Ballard said. "Every month there are 60 billion searches for information on the Internet. Many are seeking information about the Church; and while some are finding the truth, others find anti-Mormon sites that mislead them and defame the Church," Elder Ballard said.



With all the falsehoods and misconceptions about the Church found online, Elder Ballard urged the graduates to use their knowledge and testimony of the gospel to influence seekers of truth. "Today I want to encourage you to reach out to others in the world to help change the perception and even the hearts of millions of our Heavenly Father's children by correcting misunderstandings by sharing with them the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ," he said.



Elder Ballard suggested that graduates join in conversations on the Internet to share the gospel and to explain the message of the Restoration in simple, clear terms. As they participate in these new media, Elder Ballard continued, the graduates should remember first and foremost that they are followers of the Savior Jesus Christ.



"You will leave here today and begin a lifetime of service to the Lord and His Church. May the Lord bless you with mature, powerful testimonies that you may bless many lives as you have influence on the individuals you come in contact with in helping them receive all the light and truth the gospel offers them," Elder Ballard said.



Kim B. Clark, president of BYU-Idaho, also spoke to the graduates, urging them to live as disciples of Jesus Christ by standing fast, standing up, and standing together. "In the years ahead we will live in a world of increasing turmoil, growing temptation, and gathering wickedness," President Clark said. "Some of what challenges us will be very subtle; some will be very direct and immediate. But no matter the challenge, the disciples of the Savior will be steadfast and immovable in their commitment to Him."



After reviewing with them the principles of righteous living and faithful service in the Church, President Clark left the graduates with a challenge: "When you leave here today, please take the Spirit of Ricks with you. Please take BYU-Idaho and what it means and what it stands for with you. I hope and pray that wherever you go, whatever you do, you will act in such a way that people around you will see in you the principles, the purposes, and the spirit of BYU-Idaho."



A total of 1,411 BYU-Idaho students received diplomas at April commencement. Of those, 529 are males and 882 are females. The university awarded 1,238 bachelor's degrees and 174 associate degrees. About half the graduates, 626, are married, and 609 served as missionaries for the Church.