Youth Sermon

From a talk given in Sacrament Meeting by Matt Jones, age 15.

How the Scriptures Bless my Life

mormon-educationI would like to present my theme by beginning with a quote by President Eyring (of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles). He was speaking, at the time, about how we can feed the Lord’s sheep.

There are two great keys to inviting the Spirit to guide what words we speak as we feed others. They are the daily study of  the scriptures and the prayer of faith. The Holy Ghost will guide what we say if we study and ponder the scriptures every day. The words of the scriptures invite the Holy Spirit. The Lord said it this way: “Seek not to declare my word, but first seek to obtain my word, and then shall your tongue be loosed; then, if you desire, you shall have my Spirit and my word, yea, the power of God unto the convincing of men” (Doctrine and Covenants 11:21). With daily study of the scriptures, we can count on this blessing even in casual conversations or in a class when we may be asked by a teacher to respond to a question.

Scripture study is important to our daily lives and enhances, as President Eyring mentioned, our ability to speak and ponder with assistance from the Spirit more easily throughout the day. In the above quote it does not mention, but implies, morning scripture study to help bring forth the fruits of the Spirit throughout the oncoming day. But evening scripture study is as valuable as the morn. It gives us a chance to see the blessings of Christ’s hand in our lives and to (before we kneel to our King) think about all that He has done for us. And then as we kneel, we can truly thank God for His divine help and blessings that He has so willingly given to us, and which we might not have fully acknowledged.

Scripture teachings are only found in the scriptures and can only be taught by the power of the Spirit. Elder Richard G. Scott said once,

I suggest that you memorize the scriptures that touch your heart and fill your soul with understanding. All doctrine in scripture can benefit us, even though it be given to a specific individual, for God has repeatedly said, “What I say unto one I say unto all.”

Many of us have had an experience where the deep ruts of trials seem to overwhelm us, and we take to our rooms and quiet places and seek the guidance of His words and flip the pages to a page where we may read at random. Surprisingly, we find the comfort and counsel of Him who created us. This can only happen when we are in tune to the Spirit and when we turn to the scriptures.

I had the experience of giving a scriptural thought in opening exercises for a Wednesday night Young Men’s activity. Our activity thereafter was to go and visit a sweet woman in our ward going through a difficult time. As we brought cookies and Hershey’s Kisses, I was instructed by my adult Priesthood companion to share the thought I had shared at the activity only a few minutes ago. I was at first quite unsure of what to do, because I couldn’t decline, nor could I say, “I can’t remember!” I didn’t have my scriptures with me at the time. Then, with the flow of the Spirit, I recounted the scripture passages in almost perfect wording and was also able to bear my testimony of Christ. Afterwards, there was a warming Spirit that left us feeling good about our visit and offer of comfort. This is exactly what Elder Eyring was talking about.

Scripture study is vital to our everyday needs and testimony building. If our faith and testimony begin like a little seed, if we want to have this seed grow into a powerful tree, we must first seek out daily scripture study to give the water to our roots and the oxygen to our leaves. Without this dose of “spiritual water and air,” the ground becomes hard and cracked, and we are unable to spread our roots and gain a strong foundation. I myself am having difficulty finding the time to read my scriptures at any time of the day. At night and in the morning the excuses of being too tired overtake me and decrease my will. But if I decide to do what the Lord would have me do, then everything will fall into place.

Mormon Prophet Gordon B. HinckleyIt’s like the analogy of the jar full of sand and rocks. If I have a jar and put the sand in first, when I try to add pebbles, they won’t fit. But if I put the pebbles in first and the sand in last, they’ll fit perfectly, and I can put the lid on the jar. This analogy equates to our daily use of time. When I put God’s will into my day first, everything else always fits into the jar.

A couple of years ago Prophet and President of the Church, Gordon B. Hinckley, challenged all the members of the Church to read the Book of Mormon all the way through during the year. My family took the challenge. We grabbed our scriptures and began reading. We made it a part of our everyday routine. For me, it was a first-time deal and was very hard. I remember really having to push myself to read, but I read. When I finished, I felt a sense of accomplishment and love from God. The Prophet told us we’d be blessed if we took the challenge, and contention was just not among us any more. We felt peace and love when we were in the company of our dear family members.

The word of God leads us to the fruit of the Tree of Life, and the fruit is the Love of God. In the word of God we can find the power to resist temptation, the power to thwart the work of Satan.

I like the children’s song, “Search, Ponder, and Pray.”  It goes like this:

I love to read the Holy Scriptures,

And every time I do,

I feel the spirit start to grow within my heart–

A testimony that they’re true.

Search, ponder, and pray

Are the things I must do.

The Spirit will guide, and, deep inside,

I’ll know the scriptures are true.

So, prayerfully I’ll read the scriptures

Each day my whole life through.

I’ll come to understand.

I’ll heed the Lord’s command

And live as He would have me do.

Search, ponder, and pray

Are the things that I must do.

The Spirit will guide, and, deep inside,

I’ll know the scriptures are true.

This is my testimony, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

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