From First to Second Counselor

President Packer, speaking on J. Reuben Clark being called to serve as Second Counselor to David O. McKay (April 9, 1951) after serving as First Counselor to Heber J. Grant for 16 years:

When President J. Reuben Clark was called as second counselor in the First Presidency after having served for many years as first counselor, he responded at the Solemn Assembly where the sustaining of the new First Presidency took place: “In the service of the Lord, it is not where you serve but how. In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one takes the place to which one is duly called, which place one neither seeks nor declines” (Conference Report, Apr. 1951, p. 154). The Church had been taught a very valuable lesson in the unwritten order of things.

–Boyd K. Packer, “The Unwritten Order of Things”, 15 October 1996.

President Clark had served as Second Counsellor to Heber J. Grant for about 18 months when President Anthony W. Ivins died. President Clark was then called as First Counsellor and David O. McKay as Second Counsellor. Presidents Clark and McKay served together as counsellors from October 6, 1934 to April 9, 1951, when David O. McKay was sustained as President of the Church after the passing of George Albert Smith. President McKay called Stephen L. Richards to serve as his First Counsellor and President Clark as his Second Counsellor, citing Elder Richards’ seniority in the Quorum of the Twelve as the only reason. (Note that President McKay, as Second Counsellor to Heber J. Grant and George Albert Smith while President Clark was First Counsellor, would have been senior to him in the quorum.)

It’s also notable that J. Reuben Clark served as Second Counsellor to Heber J. Grant for 18 months (from April 6, 1933, until October 6, 1934) before being called as an Apostle. He was ordained October 11, 1934. The Lord will call whom He will call.

President McKay’s remarks, shortly after the First Presidency was reorganized:

Before proceeding further with the exercises of this session, I am prompted to say a word in answer to a question which undoubtedly is in every one of your minds. Particularly to those not members of the Church, and to members of the Church as well, may I call attention to the policy of the Church with regard to choosing of counselors.

A President Names His Counselors

When a President is chosen and sustained (that includes the president of the Aaronic Priesthood who is the Bishop of a Ward, also Presidents of quorums or superintendents or presidents of auxiliaries) it is the practice of the Church to let the president name his counselors.

Anticipating that the Council of the Twelve would grant to me that same privilege, I thoughtfully and prayerfully considered what two men would be most helpful and most contributive to the advancement of the Church. The impression came, I am sure, directly from Him whose Church this is, and who presides over it, that the two counselors whom you have this day approved should be the other members of the quorum of the First Presidency. Both are members of the Council of the Twelve, though counselors might have been chosen from High Priests outside that presiding body.

I chose these two members from the Council of the Twelve—two men with whom I have labored closely for many years, whose worth, whose ability I know. I have been associated with Elder Richards directly in Church affairs and in presiding positions for over thirty years. I have been associated with President Clark in two quorums of the First Presidency for over sixteen years. With these and other facts in mind, the question arose as to the order they should occupy in this new quorum.

Each man I love. Each man is capable in his particular lines, and particularly with respect to the welfare and advancement of the Kingdom of God.

Seniority In The Council Of Twelve

I realized that there would be a question in the minds of some as to which one of the two should be chosen as first counselor. That question resolved itself in my mind first as to the order of precedence, seniority in the Council of the Twelve Apostles. That should make no difference according to the practice of the Church, because members of the Council had heretofore been chosen irrespective of the position a member occupied in the Council of the Twelve. And, as I have already said, high Priests have been chosen even as first counselors who were not members of the Council.

I felt that one guiding principle in this choice would be to follow the seniority in the Council. These two men were sitting in their places in that presiding body in the Church, and I felt impressed that it would be advisable to continue that same seniority in the new quorum of the First Presidency. I repeat, not as an established policy, but because it seemed advisable in view of my close relationship to these two choice leaders.

Two Counselors Coordinate

Now I mention this because we do not want any member in this Church, nor any man or woman listening in to harbor the thought for a moment that there has been any rift between the two counselors who sustained President Smith in the Quorum of the First Presidency, and President Grant for the years that we were together with that inspired leader. Neither should you feel that there is any demotion. President Clark is a wonderful servant. You have had demonstrated here this morning his ability in carrying out details, and he is just that efficient in everything pertaining to the work.

You should understand further, that in the counselorship of the Quorum of the First Presidency these two men are coordinate in authority, in love, and confidence, in freedom to make suggestions, and recommendations, and in their responsibility not only to the Quorum but also to the Lord Jesus Christ and to the people generally.

They are two great men. I love them both, and say God bless them, and give you the assurance that there will be harmony and love and confidence in the Quorum of the First Presidency as you have sustained them today.

J. Reuben Clark’s remarks in their entirety:

My brothers and sisters, I begin by bearing again my testimony that this is the work of the Lord, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, that those who have followed afterward have been his prophets, and that the one whom we have sustained is the ninth in regular succession, as a prophet, seer, and revelator to this Church and to the world.

I know that Jesus is the Christ, the Redeemer of the world. I know that he is the first fruits of the resurrection, and that by and through him we are redeemed from the Fall, and thus able to overcome the results of the Fall and get back into the presence of our Heavenly Father.

I thank President McKay for his kindly words about myself. I thank you for your sustaining votes, and I earnestly pray that I may be the beneficiary of your prayers as time shall go on, and that I may be able to do the things which I am supposed to do with an eye single to the glory of our Heavenly Father.

Pledge Of Devoted Service

In the service of the Lord, it is not where you serve but how. In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, one takes the place to which one is duly called, which place one neither seeks nor declines. I pledge to President McKay and to President Richards the full loyal devoted service to the tasks that may come to me to the full measure of my strength and my abilities, and so far as they will enable me to perform them, however inadequate I may be.

May the Lord help me so to serve, to serve President McKay and President Richards and to serve the Lord, all for the advancement of his work. This I humbly pray in the name of Jesus. Amen.

Gospel Learning and Teaching

Every time we teach a lesson, whether it’s in Gospel Doctrine, Relief Society, our quorum meetings, FHE, one-on-one with a child, or speaking from the pulpit, there are three lessons to consider: the lesson we prepared, the lesson we gave, and the lesson we wish we would have given when we think back on it. Ideally, these three lessons are one and the same.

The Holy Ghost can help us through each of these three phases of the lesson. First, we prayerfully consider the material and the needs of each individual in the class. In the classroom, we create an environment where the Holy Ghost is able to join us and touch the hearts and minds of the members of our class. Afterwards, as we reflect on the lesson, the Holy Ghost can help us to identify what worked well and where we can improve our abilities as a teacher.

The assistance and guidance of the Holy Ghost is so essential to our efforts as a gospel teacher that without Him, “[we] shall not teach.” (D&C 42:14) The degree to which we are able to work with the Holy Ghost depends largely on our preparation as a teacher. Brother David M. McConkie speaks to four principles we can apply in preparing ourselves (not the lesson) to teach:

1. Immerse yourself in the scriptures. We cannot love that which we do not know. Develop a habit of daily scripture study outside of lesson preparation. We have to treasure up the word before we can declare it. Studying the scriptures trains us to hear the Lord’s voice.
2. Apply in your life the things that you learn. We must keep the commandments with all our might, mind, and strength.
3. Seek for heaven's help. No class is so large that we cannot pray for inspiration regarding how to reach each student.
4. Act, without delay, in accordance with the spiritual promptings you receive. We must not be afraid to exercise agency and act. We may feel awkward at first. The sweetest experiences as teachers come when we humble ourselves and follow the Lord's gentle counsel. Experience strengthens our faith and gives us greater courage to act in the future.

To illustrate the importance of studying what the Lord has already revealed before seeking personal guidance, Brother McConkie shared how he had learned that lesson as a newly-called stake president.

Soon after I was called to be a stake president, our stake presidency received training from an Area Seventy. During the training, I asked a question to which he responded, “That is a good question. Let’s turn to the Church Handbook of Instructions for the answer.” We then went to the handbook, and there was the answer to my question. A little later in our training, I asked another question. Once again he responded, “Good question. Let’s turn to the handbook.” I did not venture to ask any more questions. I thought it best to read the handbook.

I have thought since that the Lord could give a similar response to each of us as we go to Him with concerns or questions. He could say, “That’s a good question. If you will review Alma chapter 5 or Doctrine and Covenants section 76, you’ll remember that I have already spoken to you about this.”

Brothers and sisters, it is contrary to the economy of heaven for the Lord to repeat to each of us individually what He has already revealed to us collectively. The scriptures contain the words of Christ. They are the voice of the Lord. Studying the scriptures trains us to hear the Lord’s voice.

I love this testimony he shares at the end:

You must not be afraid to exercise your agency and act upon the thoughts and impressions that the Spirit of the Lord puts into your heart. You may feel awkward at first, but I promise you that the sweetest and most gratifying experiences you will have as a teacher will be when you submit to the will of the Lord and follow the promptings you receive from the Holy Ghost. Your experiences will strengthen your faith and give you greater courage to act in the future.

“Gospel Learning and Teaching” by Brother David M. McConkie, First Counsellor in the Sunday School General Presidency.

Watch | Listen | Read

The Mediator

This was a favorite video we used on my mission to explain the Atonement. I also kept a copy of the text tucked inside the front cover of my scriptures. It’s taken from Elder Packer’s talk in the April 1977 General Conference (aka, the May 1977 Ensign), and it’s included in the Gospel Principles manual in Chapter 12 (pages 63-65).

The parable of Justice and Mercy:

There once was a man who wanted something very much. It seemed more important than anything else in his life. In order for him to have his desire, he incurred a great debt.

He had been warned about going into that much debt, and particularly about his creditor. But it seemed so important for him to do what he wanted to do and to have what he wanted right now. He was sure he could pay for it later.

So he signed a contract. He would pay it off some time along the way. He didn’t worry too much about it, for the due date seemed such a long time away. He had what he wanted now, and that was what seemed important.

The creditor was always somewhere in the back of his mind, and he made token payments now and again, thinking somehow that the day of reckoning really would never come.

But as it always does, the day came, and the contract fell due. The debt had not been fully paid. His creditor appeared and demanded payment in full.

Only then did he realize that his creditor not only had the power to repossess all that he owned, but the power to cast him into prison as well.

“I cannot pay you, for I have not the power to do so,” he confessed.

“Then,” said the creditor, “we will exercise the contract, take your possessions, and you shall go to prison. You agreed to that. It was your choice. You signed the contract, and now it must be enforced.”

“Can you not extend the time or forgive the debt?” the debtor begged. “Arrange some way for me to keep what I have and not go to prison. Surely you believe in mercy? Will you not show mercy?”

The creditor replied, “Mercy is always so one-sided. It would serve only you. If I show mercy to you, it will leave me unpaid. It is justice I demand. Do you believe in justice?”

“I believed in justice when I signed the contract,” the debtor said. “It was on my side then, for I thought it would protect me. I did not need mercy then, nor think I should need it ever. Justice, I thought, would serve both of us equally as well.”

“It is justice that demands that you pay the contract or suffer the penalty,” the creditor replied. “That is the law. You have agreed to it and that is the way it must be. Mercy cannot rob justice.”

There they were: One meting out justice, the other pleading for mercy. Neither could prevail except at the expense of the other.

“If you do not forgive the debt there will be no mercy,” the debtor pleaded.

“If I do, there will be no justice,” was the reply.

Both laws, it seemed, could not be served. They are two eternal ideals that appear to contradict one another. Is there no way for justice to be fully served, and mercy also?

There is a way! The law of justice can be fully satisfied and mercy can be fully extended—but it takes someone else. And so it happened this time.

The debtor had a friend. He came to help. He knew the debtor well. He knew him to be shortsighted. He thought him foolish to have gotten himself into such a predicament. Nevertheless, he wanted to help because he loved him. He stepped between them, faced the creditor, and made this offer.

“I will pay the debt if you will free the debtor from his contract so that he may keep his possessions and not go to prison.”

As the creditor was pondering the offer, the mediator added, “You demanded justice. Though he cannot pay you, I will do so. You will have been justly dealt with and can ask no more. It would not be just.”

And so the creditor agreed.

The mediator turned then to the debtor. “If I pay your debt, will you accept me as your creditor?”

“Oh yes, yes,” cried the debtor. “You save me from prison and show mercy to me.”

“Then,” said the benefactor, “you will pay the debt to me and I will set the terms. It will not be easy, but it will be possible. I will provide a way. You need not go to prison.”

And so it was that the creditor was paid in full. He had been justly dealt with. No contract had been broken. The debtor, in turn, had been extended mercy. Both laws stood fulfilled. Because there was a mediator, justice had claimed its full share, and mercy was fully satisfied.

 

“The Mediator” by Elder Boyd K. Packer April 1977 General Conference Watch | Listen | Read

View / Download ⇣

A Formula for Laying Up Treasures

We have a tendency to create a complete dichotomy between treasures on earth and treasures in heaven. We look at the Sermon on the Mount (“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth… [but] in heaven” – Matthew 6:19-20), the Savior’s counsel to the rich young ruler (“Sell whatsoever thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven” – Mark 10:21), and consider how it’s “easier for a camel to fit through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God” (Mark 10:25), and we conclude that our spirituality is inversely proportional to our bank ledgers. Not so!

The key is expressed in Mark 10:24: “How hard it is for them that trust in riches to enter the kingdom of God” (emphasis mine). It is “the love of money [that] is the root of all evil” (1 Timothy 6:10, emphasis mine) – the problem is giving preeminent priority to the hoarding of worldly goods. The Nephite prophet Jacob explained the importance of placing our trust and love upon the Lord, and letting the worldly riches follow:

But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God.

And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good–to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.

Jacob 2:18-19

I haven’t decided if “ye will seek them” is prophecy or commandment. (Also, note that the list Jacob gives is very similar to the lists in King Benjamin’s address (Mosiah 4:26), the Parable of the Sheep and the Goats (Matt 25:35-36), and “A Poor, Wayfaring Man of Grief” – I love that.)

Just be sure you don’t confuse spiritual and temporal prosperity, as did the friends of Job.

Elder Sill:

I heard somebody say it the other day that we don‘t pay people for what they do in the Church. And I thought how ridiculous can a person be? The fundamental law of the universe says that all labor must be paid for. You can no more do a good thing without some time, in some way, receiving a reward than you can do an evil thing without suffering a penalty.

We often don’t grasp that. We understand the second part – we can’t escape sin without facing punishment – but we ignore the first part. Some go so far as to convolute the two – “No good deed goes unpunished.” We don’t think of good deeds as good – they’re just not bad deeds. We’re not building up spiritual credit, we’re just not digging ourselves further into spiritual debt.

I think there’s a real danger lurking there. It sets up a lot of false opposites. We know that there must needs be opposition in all things, and in order for us to learn from that opposition, we need to understand the opposites. The opposite of Evil isn’t Nothing – it’s Good. The opposite of Sorrow isn’t Nothing – it’s Joy.

Similarly, we think of the Atonement as a power used to seek and grant forgiveness when we have sinned – it takes us from bad to neutral ground. But that's not all it does. Consider Ether 12:27. Christ tells us that as we come to Him in faith and humility, He will “make weak things become strong unto them.” As we seek to overcome our imperfections, we become perfect in Christ. We become Good. The Atonement has power not only to forgive, but to improve – line upon line, precept upon precept, until we become “a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.” (Ephesians 4:13)

Elder Oaks spoke to this in “The Challenge to Become”:

The Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts--what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts--what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.

A parable illustrates this understanding. A wealthy father knew that if he were to bestow his wealth upon a child who had not yet developed the needed wisdom and stature, the inheritance would probably be wasted. The father said to his child:

“All that I have I desire to give you--not only my wealth, but also my position and standing among men. That which I have I can easily give you, but that which I am you must obtain for yourself. You will qualify for your inheritance by learning what I have learned and by living as I have lived. I will give you the laws and principles by which I have acquired my wisdom and stature. Follow my example, mastering as I have mastered, and you will become as I am, and all that I have will be yours.”

Elder Sill expressed it thus:

Now in addition to what we might get out of it, that is, wealth isn’t so much what you have, it’s what you are. We don’t work merely to acquire, we work to become. Success in life isn’t what you can get out of it, it’s what you can become by it.

Many today want the shortcut – they want the end result, without having to put in the work and the labor and the sacrifice necessary to obtain those end results. Consider the parable of the Little Red Hen, here related by Elder Sill:

You remember that the Little Red Hen had a bag of wheat, and she decided to plant the wheat. Now that’s a good idea because wheat is worth more for planting than for any other purpose. If you eat wheat, you get one kernel for one kernel. If you plant wheat, you get a hundred kernels for one kernel. Now the Little Red Hen was a reasonable little red hen and she could see this basis for profit, and so she decided to plant the wheat. But she needed somebody to help her, and so she went around among her friends in the barnyard and said, “Who will help me plant my wheat?”

Well, for some reason, she couldn’t get anybody interested. She pointed out, I’m sure, this possibility of profit, but no one was interested. And so she did it herself. But when the wheat began to grow, she needed somebody to help her care for the wheat, and so again she went around, I suppose thinking that now that they could see this wheat growing and they knew the enterprise was going to be a success that maybe she could get them interested and I supposed again she pointed out this basis for increase, but to her despair, I suppose, nobody was interested. “Not I,” said the pig. “Not I,” said the goose. “Not I,” said the turkey. Nobody wanted to help.

But when the threshing time came, I suppose she reasoned that now that they could see this wheat that was growing, it was going to be successful, again she went around among her friends and again nobody was interested. She did the same thing at the threshing time and the grinding time and the baking time, and couldn’t get help without any result.

But when these cakes had been prepared, she again went around among her friends in the barnyard and said, “Who will help me eat my cakes?” And then she discovered that a wonderful thing had happened. Now, for some unknown reason, everybody wanted to be a part of the project. “I,” said the pig. “I,” said the goose. “I,” said the turkey. Everybody was enthusiastic now.

Now the Lord has a program just like that. He said, “Who will help me prepare to be the leaders in the Church, and in the world? Who will help me put knowledge and enthusiasm and faith into the lives of people? Who will help me give encouragement and understanding to those who need it worst?” Now sometimes we have difficulty in getting those ideas over and “Not I,” said Brother Sill. “Not I,” said Sister Jones. “Not I,” said Brother Smith.

Then, I suppose the Lord is going to some day say, “Who would like to live with me forever in the Celestial Kingdom? Who would like to enjoy the great prestige and honor and great life of a personage that has become even as God?” And then I suppose that we also are going to have a great change of heart. That is, when we stand before God, there isn’t one person in this audience who will not want to be a faithful, devoted, ardent, enthusiastic, industrious member of the church. But we have to make up our mind before that, because by that time, the harvest is over and the summer is past and our souls not saved.

The formula itself is simple: Knowledge, Attitudes, Skills, and Habits. And the Personality of the leader.

It takes work to lay up treasures in heaven, but it can be done. “He that thrusteth in his sickle with his might layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul.” (D&C 4:4, emphasis mine) Just make sure your heart’s in the right place as you labor, and you’ll make it.

“A Formula for Laying Up Treasures” by Elder Sterling W. Sill
BYU Devotional, October 3, 1960

View / Download ⇣

Conference Extras (Release Candidate 2)

Timing is everything.

Just as I was getting ready to publish the Conference Extras (née “Conference LP”) Release Candidate 1, Apple released version 3.0 of the AppleTV software, with support for iTunes Extras. With a couple tweaks, I was able to get RC1 loaded on AppleTV. One problem – it didn’t work very well. The design looked good in iTunes, but was unnavigable on AppleTV. You couldn’t scroll, the background gradient looked like the Target logo, and most importantly – you couldn’t actually play anything. Back to the drawing board.

The new design works on AppleTV and still works in iTunes. Videos will now play full-screen or full-window. The content is still streamed from lds.org, so you’ll need a broadband internet connection. The one caveat is that you’ll need to use the keyboard to navigate in iTunes (arrow keys, enter, and escape). The mouse isn’t supported yet. Why not?

Well, it’s that timing thing. I started out designing this from the ground-up for AppleTV because it seems to be the more finicky platform to target. Adding mouse support was the last thing on the list, and the only thing remaining when Apple released actual documentation for developing iTunes LPs and Extras.

Instead of delaying the next release until I’ve had a chance to incorporate best-practices from the documentation, I figured I’d release it as-is – everything except the mouse support – so you can try it out.

Instructions:

1. Download ConferenceExtras2009Oct-1.0rc2.zip.


2. Double-click the resulting 179th Semiannual General Conference.ite file. iTunes will import the Extras to the Movies section of iTunes.


3. In iTunes, double-click 179th Semiannual General Conference. Use the arrows to navigate, Enter to select, and ESC to exit.

The Purifying Power of Gethsemane

This was Elder Bruce R. McConkie’s final testimony, given in General Conference on April 7, 1985. Elder McConkie passed away 12 days later, on April 19.

I am one of his witnesses, and in a coming day I shall feel the nail marks in his hands and in his feet and shall wet his feet with my tears.

But I shall not know any better then than I know now that he is God’s Almighty Son, that he is our Savior and Redeemer, and that salvation comes in and through his atoning blood and in no other way.

I love the personal foundation of the testimony he shares.

In speaking of these wondrous things I shall use my own words, though you may think they are the words of scripture, words spoken by other Apostles and prophets.

True it is they were first proclaimed by others, but they are now mine, for the Holy Spirit of God has borne witness to me that they are true, and it is now as though the Lord had revealed them to me in the first instance. I have thereby heard his voice and know his word.

This echoes Alma’s witness of how to gain a testimony in Alma 5:45-6: “And how do ye suppose that I know of their surety? … Behold, I have fasted and prayed many days that I might these things of myself.” Alma, who saw an angel (Mosiah 27:11), gained his testimony through prayer and fasting and the witness of the Holy Ghost. Laman and Lemuel saw angels (1 Ne 17:45) but didn’t pray for a witness as Nephi did (1 Ne 11:3).

It’s a beautiful and powerful testimony. Someone has pieced his address together with video from The Lamb of God. They go together quite well.

“The Purifying Power of Gethsemane” by Elder Bruce R. McConkie
April 1985 General Conference

View / Download ⇣

The Atonement Can Clean, Reclaim, and Sanctify Our Lives

Both the regional airport and Freeman Park in Idaho Falls were built on reclaimed landfills.

I have lived in Idaho Falls nearly my whole life. I have contributed a lot of garbage to those landfills over the course of more than 50 years.

What would the city fathers think if on a given day I showed up on one of the runways of the Idaho Falls airport or the middle of one of the grassy fields in Freeman Park with a backhoe and started digging large holes? When they asked me what I was doing, I would respond that I wanted to dig up the old garbage that I had made over the years.

I suspect they would tell me that there was no way to identify my personal garbage, that it had been reclaimed and buried long ago. I'm sure that they would tell me that I had no right to dig up the garbage and that I was destroying something very beautiful and useful that they had made out of my garbage. In short, I don't think they would be very pleased with me. I suppose that they would wonder why anyone would want to destroy something so beautiful and useful in an attempt to dig up old garbage.

That last bit reminds of Elder Holland’s CES fireside back in January. “If something is buried in the past, leave it buried.”

Elder Bowen continues:

Just as the landfill requires dedicated work and attention, laboriously applying layer after layer of fill to reclaim the low-lying ground, our lives also require the same vigilance, continually applying layer after layer of the healing gift of repentance.

Just as the city fathers in Idaho Falls would feel bad about a person trying to dig up his old garbage, our Father in Heaven and His Son, Jesus Christ, feel sorrow when we choose to remain in sin, when the gift of repentance made possible through the Atonement can clean, reclaim, and sanctify our lives.

“The Atonement Can Clean, Reclaim, and Sanctify Our Lives” by Elder Shayne M. Bowen, of the Seventy
October 2006 General Conference

View / Download ⇣