I gave this talk in the Sunday Morning Session of the December 2015 Provo West Stake Conference. The opinions expressed herein are my own and not necessarily those of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.



A Tale of Two Rivers
For nearly 16 years, we have lived along the Provo River. Like many of you, we have enjoyed walking and biking along the river trail. One other activity that my kids and I have enjoyed in the past is canoeing in the river. At times when the river flow slows in the summer, we have launched our canoe near the end of the trail by the lake and canoed upstream.

We would try to go as far upstream as possible, dodging fallen logs, cob webs, and other debris while blazing the natural obstacle course. That time of year, the water is very stagnant with a film on it and a somewhat unpleasant odor. The bugs also seem extra thick. The one thing I wouldn’t do that time of year, is swim in the river at this spot and I definitely would not drink the water.

Contrast that to my experience on the opposite end of the Provo River. I have been to the headwaters of the Provo River along the Mirror Lake Highway in the Western Uintah Mountains several times. At the end of August, my son Andrew and I took the Mirror Lake Highway home from a cross country road trip where we stopped at many church history sites and endured the flat expanse of the great plains and Wyoming desert. We stopped at the stunning Upper Provo River Falls. It felt so good to see our beautiful mountains again and the pristine river. I would never hesitate to drink from the water at the falls. Even in late August, this water is clear and moving fast at the same time the opposite end of the river is stagnating.

So if I blindfolded you and took you to these two spots, would you even think it was the same river? What makes the difference? At the headwaters, the river is constantly renewed by rain and snow pack. However, in the summer in order to conserve water in the Jordanelle and Dear Creek reservoirs, the flow of water is severely restricted from the dams leading to the stagnant water near the lake.

Living Water
Rivers and clean and filthy waters are used as symbols in the scriptures.
Nephi learned the meaning of the river and the fountain in his Father’s dream as found in 1 Nephi 12:
“And the angel spake unto me, saying: Behold the fountain of filthy water which thy father saw; yea, even the river of which he spake; and the depths thereof are the depths of hell.”

Contrast this to the Savior’s interaction with the Samaritan women at the well as found in John 4:
“ Whosoever drinketh of this water shall thirst again: But whosoever drinketh of the water that I shall give him shall never thirst; but the water that I shall give him shall be in him a well of water springing up into everlasting life.”

So if we were to compare our spiritual health at this time to the Provo River which end would it most resemble? The clean flowing waters at the head or the stagnant waters at the end? Have our testimonies begun to stagnate? The stagnation is caused by a lack of water flow from the dams. What are the dams that are preventing our spiritual water from flowing?

Alma asked an important question of his people shortly after he resigned from being Chief Judge to focus on his spiritual duties as High Priest of the church as found in Alma 5:
“And now behold, I ask of you, my brethren of the church, have ye spiritually been born of God? Have ye received his image in your countenances? Have ye experienced this mighty change in your hearts? Do ye exercise faith in the redemption of him who created you?”

Once we gain a testimony and feel the spirit then we are done and can “coast to the end” right? No, I’m afraid not. For those that answered yes to Alma’s first question about being born of God, he asks a follow-up question:
“And now behold, I say unto you, my brethren, if ye have experienced a change of heart, and if ye have felt to sing the song of redeeming love, I would ask, can ye feel so now?”

Brothers and sisters, can you feel so now or has that feeling waned somewhat? Is your testimony vibrant or diminished? Let’s discuss what it means to be born of Born of God. Jesus taught this simply in his discussion with Nicodemus as found in John 3:
“Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God. Nicodemus saith unto him, How can a man be born when he is old? can he enter the second time into his mother's womb, and be born? Jesus answered, Verily, verily, I say unto thee, Except a man be born of water and [of] the Spirit, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.”

We know what it means to be born of the water. By a show of hands, how many of you have been baptized?
What does it mean to be born of the spirit? Does this happen when hands are laid on our head at our confirmation?

Elder Bruce R. McConkie stated that “mere compliance with the formality of the ordinance of baptism does not mean that a person has been born again. No one can be born again without baptism, but the immersion in water and the laying on of hands to confer the Holy Ghost do not of themselves guarantee that a person has been or will be born again. The new birth takes place only for those who actually enjoy the gift or companionship of the Holy Ghost, only for those who are fully converted, who have given themselves without restraint to the Lord.” (Mormon Doctrine)

Sixty-two years ago, President David O. McKay declared the great peril of the 20th century when he said: “The peril of this century is spiritual apathy. As the body requires sunlight, good food, proper exercise, and rest, so the spirit of man requires the sunlight of the Holy Spirit; proper exercise of the spiritual functions; avoiding of evils that affect spiritual health, which are more ravaging in their effects than typhoid fever, pneumonia, or other diseases that attack the body” (Gospel Ideals [1953], 360). I submit that spiritual apathy might also be the peril of the 21st century.

So according to President McKay there are two types of things that maintain and improve our spiritual health:

• Number one is proper exercise of spiritual functions
• and number two is avoiding the evils that affect spiritual health

Criticizing our Church Leaders
Let’s first discuss avoiding the evils that affect spiritual health. What are the significant evils that diminish our spiritual health? I believe the first evil for us to avoid is speaking critically of our general and local leaders. The leaders in the church aren’t perfect but they have been called of God to preside and we need to offer our sustaining support.

President David O. McKay said:“It is a little dangerous for us to go out of our own sphere and try unauthoritatively to direct the efforts of a brother. You remember the case of Uzzah who stretched forth his hand to steady the ark [of the covenant in the Old Testament]. (See I Chron. 13:7–10.) He seemed justified, when the oxen stumbled, in putting forth his hand to steady that symbol of the covenant. We today think his punishment [of death] was very severe. Be that as it may, the incident conveys a lesson of life. Let us look around us and see how quickly men who attempt unauthoritatively to steady the ark die spiritually. Their souls become embittered, their minds distorted, their judgments faulty, and their spirits depressed. Such is the pitiable condition of men who, neglecting their own responsibilities, spend their time in finding fault with others.” (McKay, Gospel Ideals, p. 258.)

Elder Dallin H. Oaks has said: “Evil speaking of the Lord’s anointed is in a class by itself. It is one thing to depreciate a person who exercises corporate power or even government power. It is quite another thing to criticize or depreciate a person for the performance of an office to which he or she has been called of God. It does not matter that the criticism is true.”

So if we have been guilty of openly criticizing our church leaders to our family or others what can we do? We can discontinue the practice and pray for them in their office. This doesn’t mean that we can’t have honest questions or concerns but we need to prayerfully petition the Lord for insight and understanding in those circumstances and give our leaders the benefit of the doubt.

With the recent policy clarification from the First Presidency on children of same sex couples, I had some concerns about certain situations that I didn’t feel were adequately addressed in the policy and could limit the opportunities for some faithful latter-day saint youth. The First Presidency came out with a follow-up letter that made those things clear and resolved my concerns.

Also, if you have a concern with something a local leader did that affects you or your family, then go to them in a spirit of humility and express your concern. Also, if there is a matter concerning a bishop or Stake President and one of your children, give the priesthood leader the benefit of the doubt. In many cases, you may not have a complete picture of the problem and your pressure may make the situation worse rather than help your child complete the repentance process in the Savior’s timeframe.

Unrepentant Sin
I believe the second evil for us to avoid is the spiral of unrepentant sin. Unrepentant sin is an obvious thing that will diminish our spiritual health. The Lord in D&C 121 warns of the result:
“When we undertake to cover our sins, or to gratify our pride, our vain ambition, or to exercise control or dominion or compulsion upon the souls of the children of men, in any degree of unrighteousness, behold, the heavens withdraw themselves; the Spirit of the Lord is grieved; and when it is withdrawn, Amen to the priesthood or the authority of that man. Behold, ere he is aware, he is left unto himself, to kick against the pricks, to persecute the saints, and to fight against God.”

The antidote for sin is repentance. The Lord promises us in D&C 58 “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.” Your bishop and the Stake President stand ready to help with the repentance process for serious unresolved sin.

Addictions
I want to call out a special class of unresolved sins and that is addictions like pornography, alcohol, or drugs. These can be particularly devastating to spiritual health. In an Ensign article, Benjamin Erwin of LDS Family Services shared the following: “Usually I find that those who struggle with addictions are warriors with tenacity, courage, and a strong desire to be clean. They win far more battles than they lose as they march toward recovery.This may be hard for some to comprehend—if people are so strong, why is overcoming addiction so difficult? Addiction is often misunderstood, and some believe that if a person would simply choose to recover or work harder at stopping, he or she would be able to. But the nature of addiction—and all sin, for that matter—is such that we cannot heal ourselves from it. The children of Israel could not heal themselves from the bites of the fiery serpents, and we cannot simply wish or even work addiction away. We must find our hope of healing in Christ.” (Overcoming Addiction through the Atonement, Benjamin R. Erwin, LDS Family Services, Ensign, September 2012)

The church has a great addiction recovery program, along with bishops, stake presidents, and professional counselors that can aid in the journey to a Christ-centered recovery.

Spiritual Exercises
Now let’s transition to a discussion of what President McKay said is the proper exercise of spiritual functions.

Personal Prayer
Our first spiritual exercise is regularly communicating with our Father in Heaven in meaningful personal prayer.
President Heber J. Grant said, “The minute a man stops supplicating God for his spirit and direction, just so soon he starts out to become a stranger to him and his works. When men stop praying for God’s spirit, they place confidence in their own unaided reason, and they gradually lose the spirit of God.” (Improvement Era, Aug. 1944, p. 481.)

Scripture Study
Our second spiritual exercise is regularly studying the scriptures and the words of our modern prophets and apostles. President Spencer W. Kimball has said: “I find that when I get casual in my relationships with divinity and when it seems that no divine ear is listening and no divine voice is speaking, that I am far, far away. If I immerse myself in the scriptures the distance narrows and the spirituality returns. I find myself loving more intensely those whom I must love with all my heart and mind and strength, and loving them more, I find it easier to abide their counsel.”

The Sacrament
Our third spiritual exercise is regularly attending our Sunday Worship Services with a focus on making the sacrament meaningful. Sister Cheryl Esplin of the General Primary Presidency shared the following in October 2014 general conference: “The sacrament becomes a spiritually strengthening experience when we listen to the sacrament prayers and recommit to our covenants. To do this, we must be willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ. Speaking of this promise, President Henry B. Eyring taught: ‘That means we must see ourselves as His. We will put Him first in our lives. We will want what He wants rather than what we want or what the world teaches us to want.’ …

Sister Esplin continues “as we partake of the sacrament, we witness to God that we will remember His Son always, not just during the brief sacrament ordinance. This means that we will constantly look to the Savior’s example and teachings to guide our thoughts, our choices, and our acts. … The sacrament prayer also reminds us that we must 'keep his commandments' … The sacrament gives us an opportunity for introspection and an opportunity to turn our heart and will to God. Obedience to the commandments brings the power of the gospel into our lives and greater peace and spirituality.”

I am grateful for the special time each week I have partake of the sacrament. In a busy stressful life, I can count on that time to feel a deep sense of peace.

Temple Attendance
Our fourth spiritual exercise is regularly attending the temple. President Benson explained: “In the peace of [the temple], sometimes we find solutions to the serious problems of life. Under the influence of the Spirit, sometimes pure knowledge flows to us there. Temples are places of personal revelation. When I have been weighted down by a problem or a difficulty, I have gone to the house of the Lord with a prayer in my heart for answers. These answers have come in clear and unmistakable ways” (Ensign, Aug. 1985, p. 8).

I have found this peace in the temple and am exciting for the opportunities we have for spiritual renewal with the dedication of the new Provo City Center Temple.

Service to Others
Our fifth spiritual exercise is service to others. Service to others can making us more Christ-like and help us forget our problems. President Monson is probably one of the best examples of simple Christ-like service to others. He shared the following about service:
"I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish—and in effect save their lives.I am confident it is the intention of each member of the Church to serve and to help those in need. At baptism we covenanted to ‘bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light’ (Mosiah 18:8).” (Lose Yourself in Service, By President Thomas S. Monson, August 2015 New Era)

What a great time of year this is for us to reach out in Christ-like service to others. Teaching our children how to serve and creating opportunities for them to serve will last a lifetime.

Spiritual Health
Brother and Sisters, it will become increasingly difficult for us to straddle the fence spiritually. We need to be in top spiritual health to be able to withstand the challenges of our day. May our spiritual health be like the headwaters of the Provo River—clean, vibrant, and flowing. May we do all that we can to avoid the evils that diminish our spiritual health and regularly exercise our spiritual functions is my prayer. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.