Guess what?  Anthony has a new talk on CD out: THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT.  Here is a little diddy about it and how you can win a free copy of it:

Although we don’t often use the phrase, “The devil made me do it,” in our daily conversations, Satan has introduced other sayings that trick us into blaming others and avoid taking ownership for our actions.  For example, “That’s just the way I am” or “That makes me mad!” are common sayings that are inconsistent with gospel principles related to agency.  In this engaging and entertaining fireside presentation, Anthony Sweat extends six invitations that help us to stop making excuses, better take control of our lives, and understand how we can use our agency to choose how we act and who we become.

Anthony is giving away THREE FREE COPIES of this new talk on CD.  Here is how you can win:

1) Before Wednesday, post the following phrase below onto your facebook page to share a part of the talk with your facebook friends:

Listen to part of Anthony Sweat’s new talk on CD “THE DEVIL MADE ME DO IT” where he discusses how understanding the doctrine of agency helps us better take control of our actions and our lives (click on the link and scroll to the bottom to play it).

http://deseretbook.com/Devil-Made-Me-Do-Anthony-Sweat/i/5055075

2) Leave a comment on our LDSWHY facebook page that you posted the above phrase on your personal facebook page.

3) We will randomly draw THREE names from those who left comments and contact the winners on Wednesday to send you a free CD.

It used to be that people would argue with each other about which church was the true church (see Joseph Smith History 1:5-8). However, in our day, it is just as common to hear somebody say, “I don’t really think it matters which church you go to. As long as you’re a good person you will go to heaven.” This issue of there being “no true church” can be a difficult one to explain to others.

We’re not totally sure what the best approach is. We’d like to share something that has worked for us and we would love to hear your comments below on what you think would be the most effective thing to say.

First, in Acts 2:47 it says, “And the Lord added to the church daily such as should be saved.” This verse makes it clear that being a part of the church was necessary for salvation. At that time there was just “the church.”

Today we have many Christian churches. Can they all be 100% correct? Obviously not, because they disagree with each other. For example, consider what different churches believe about baptism. Jesus said, “He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). Some churches believe that you should baptize by sprinkling water on people. Others insist on immersion. Some baptize babies, others adults. Because they are at odds with each other, they clearly cannot all be right.

Our point here isn’t to argue about baptism (and hopefully you don’t argue about it with your friends), but simply to use baptism as an illustration to show how different churches teach different things. And since they directly contradict each other, they cannot all be right.

If we can get to the point where we realize that not every church is right, then we can go back to Joseph Smith and see what he did t ofind out which church was true. It all boils down to James 1:5 – “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God.” Sometimes the hard part as humans is realizing that we do lack wisdom!

We know this is an incomplete answer to an important question … Please share your comments below!

When we wrote the books WHY? and HOW? part of what we wanted to do was find ways for people to do hands-on activities that would help them understand the principles we were writing about. We called these  “DO try this at home activities.” We’ve taken eight of these activities and put them together in little (free) e-book. Our hope is that you will be able to do some of these “DO try this at home” activities during Family Home Evening or some other setting. We believe that hands-on learning and experimentation is one of the best ways to learn, and we hope this little e-book will help you do that!

You can link to the book here: DO try this at home!

Since the days of the Savior, the saints have wanted to be prepared for his second coming (see Matthew 24:3).  Most faithful saints look forward to the day of the second coming with anticipation and excitement, but also with a little bit of fear and trepidation—wondering if we are ready or not for his coming.  This week we received a question asking us what we can do to prepare for the second coming.  While there are many things we can do, the scriptures give us a simple answer to know if we are ready or not:

“And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins.

“For they that are wise and have received the truth, and have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide, and have not been deceived–verily I say unto you, they shall not be hewn down and cast into the fire, but shall abide the day” (D&C 45:56-57).

We testify that one day Jesus will return to the earth.  We don’t know when that will be—whether sooner or later—but  we do know that we can be prepared at any time.  The key question to ask ourselves is if we are being influenced by the Holy Ghost and letting him guide our lives.  If we are simply living in harmony with the Spirit of God, then we will be just fine at the second coming.  So, the best thing we can do to be prepared is to do all those things that help us to remain in tune with the Holy Ghost.

We’re please to announce that HOW? the sequel to WHY? will be coming out in the end of September. We’ve been working on it for the past 18 months and are really excited to see it. You’ll notice some changes to our website reflecting this new release, including several excerpts from the book.

We cover questions like:

How can I overcome peer pressure?

How can I stay morally clean?

How can I get more from my scripture study?

And over a 100 more!

If you’d you like, you can see the front and back covers of the book here: HOW-cover.

We hope that this will be a help resource for the youth of the church, and their parents and leaders.

First of all, thank you to all of you who commented/Facebooked, etc. on this entry. I couldn’t believe how many comments there were. Originally I had planned to give away two CDs; thanks to Deseret Book we’ll be giving away five. Those five were randomly selected from the comments on the blog and Facebook page.

I’ve emailed (or Facebooked) the winners — although I must say I don’t like using the word “winner.” In the gospel, we are all winners.

I apologize if you won’t be receiving a CD — many of the comments were all so heartfelt and I wish there were more to give. You can read a lot of the content from the talk, which may be helpful if you are in a trial, here. The CD is also available for purchase or download here.

You CAN do hard things!

This is a very important question. And there are several good answers. We’ve posted some here. And we especially like analogy that Elder Neil L. Andersen uses:

There is no doubt — prophets see more than we do. We are blessed when we follow them. How have you been blessed by following a prophet? Leave a comment and let us know!

We received this question via email this past week. It’s an important one.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland explained that Aaronic Priesthood holders can teach members powerful lessons by wearing white shirts. He said, “May I suggest that wherever possible a white shirt be worn by the deacons, teachers, and priests who handle the sacrament. For sacred ordinances in the Church we often use ceremonial clothing, and a white shirt could be seen as a gentle reminder of the white clothing you wore in the baptismal font and an anticipation of the white shirt you will soon wear into the temple and onto your missions. That simple suggestion is not intended to be pharisaic or formalistic. We do not want deacons or priests in uniforms or unduly concerned about anything but the purity of their lives. But how our young people dress can teach a holy principle to us all, and it certainly can convey sanctity. As President David O. McKay taught, a white shirt contributes to the sacredness of the holy sacrament (see Conference Report, Oct. 1956, p. 89).

Recently, Elder Oaks quoted a portion of the above statement from Elder Holland, again indicating that there is important symbolism that goes along with wearing a white shirt.

Speaking to young single adults, Elder D. Todd Christofferson taught, “It is an affront to God to come into His house, especially on His holy day, not groomed and dressed in the most careful and modest manner that our circumstances permit. Where a poor member from the hills of Peru must ford a river to get to church, the Lord surely will not be offended by the stain of muddy water on his white shirt.

But how can God not be pained at the sight of one who, with all the clothes he needs and more and with easy access to the chapel, nevertheless appears in church in rumpled cargo pants and a T-shirt? Ironically, it has been my experience as I travel around the world that members of the Church with the least means somehow find a way to arrive at Sabbath meetings neatly dressed in clean, nice clothes, the best they have, while those who have more than enough are the ones who may appear in casual, even slovenly clothing.

Some say dress and hair don’t matter—it’s what’s inside that counts. I believe that truly it is what’s inside a person that counts, but that’s what worries me. Casual dress at holy places and events is a message about what is inside a person. It may be pride or rebellion or something else, but at a minimum it says, “I don’t get it. I don’t understand the difference between the sacred and the profane.” In that condition they are easily drawn away from the Lord. They do not appreciate the value of what they have. I worry about them. Unless they can gain some understanding and capture some feeling for sacred things, they are at risk of eventually losing all that matters most. You are Saints of the great latter-day dispensation—look the part.”

Another reason why young men should wear white shirts when officiating in Sacrament ordinances has to do with the principle of non-distraction. Elder Dallin H. Oaks taught, “All who officiate in the sacrament—in preparing, administering, or passing—should be well groomed and modestly dressed, with nothing about their personal appearance that calls special attention to
themselves. In appearance as well as actions, they should avoid distracting anyone present from full attention to the worship and covenant making that is the purpose of this sacred ordinance.”

A black shirt may not be wicked, but it can be distracting, and priesthood holders would obviously not want to distract others from worshiping at the sacrament table.

Recently a seminary student said something similar to the following: “Normally I wear a red shirt to church. But this Sunday I’m going to wear a white shirt so that I can participate in blessing the Sacrament.” This young man recognized that by wearing a white shirt he was marking himself as one who wanted to officiate in the ordinance of the sacrament. When we choose to wear a white shirt to church it may send a signal to others about our desire to administer the sacrament.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on this question too!

Merry Christmas!  We wish you the best this holiday season when we commemorate the birth of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. As great and memorable as his birth was, it would not carry with it the meaning and power had Jesus not completed the infinite atonement and fulfilled his role as the Savior of mankind.  Perhaps the greatest thing we can do this Christmas season is to recognize our need for a redeemer, and access the atonement.  No matter how good we are, we all need the power of the Atonement in our lives. There are several ways that we can feel this power; we will focus on three in our Christmas message: 1. The CLEANSING power of the atonement. 2. The UNDERSTANDING power of the atonement 3. The STRENGTHENING power of the atonement.

The CLEANSING power: Feeling Sanctified from Sin

Perhaps most often when we think of the Atonement we think of the power of Jesus Christ to cleanse us from sin. This is indeed a vital aspect of the Savior’s sacrifice.

Alma testified, “The Son of God suffereth according to the flesh that he might take upon him the sins of his people, that he might blot out their transgressions according to the power of his deliverance” (Alma 7:13).

Amulek further witnessed, “I do know that Christ shall come among the children of men, to take upon him the transgressions of his people, and that he shall atone for the sins of the world; for the Lord God hath spoken it” (Alma 34:8).

People who believe they don’t need the cleansing power of the Atonement need to realize that “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). This is not meant to drag us down or to make anyone feel bad; rather, it is meant to help us all see the need to be redeemed—to be saved.  We need to be humble and realize that even the “best” people need the cleansing power of the Atonement in their lives.

For some of us, we are not worried about believing we need to be cleansed.  We know we need to be cleansed!  The problem is that sometimes we feel that we are past the point of cleansing.  That for some reason, Jesus saves people from sin, but not me.  My sins are too serious, my mistakes too severe, my stain too dark and deep.  We testify that the power of the atonement is infinite (see 2 Nephi 9:7).  If we haven’t committed the unforgivable sin—which the average member cannot—then there is no sin the atonement cannot cover.  There is no hole he cannot mend.  There is no stain he cannot cleanse.  “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool.” (Isaiah 1:18).  Remember, that even great prophets like Alma the Younger and the sons of Mosiah were once “the very vilest of sinners” (Mosiah 28:4), and the Lord redeemed them.  If we come unto him in faith and repent, He can redeem us too, no matter how serious the sin. Of this we testify.

The UNDERSTANDING power: Feeling the Savior’s Empathy for the Challenges We Face

A second way that we can feel the power of the Atonement in our lives comes when we understand that the Savior has felt our every pain. Alma said that the Savior would “go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people” (Alma 7:11, emphasis added). Similarly Isaiah wrote that Christ “hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). If we feel like nobody can understand our situation, we are wrong.  Christ does. As we turn to him in times of trial we can feel of his love and understanding and apply this aspect of the atonement in our lives.

Consider how Anne was able to feel the effects of the Atonement in her life help her overcome a difficult trial she faced (Anne Perkins, “I Felt Broken,” New Era, July 2006, 9).

“I was eight years old when my parents divorced. I remember the day my dad moved out. It seemed like everything I knew about life fell to pieces after that. I was confused, lonely, and sad. It felt like a big part of me had been ripped out…

“I couldn’t understand why my family had to be broken up. I came to believe that I must have been deficient. I figured I wasn’t worthy of an intact family. I thought that if I had had enough faith, God would have put my family back together.

“As I got older, the hole inside me became a deep pit of sadness. I tried to fill it with all sorts of things: relationships, school, rebellion, even too much food. None of those things worked….

“I had nowhere left to turn except to Christ. Night after night I knelt in prayer and asked my Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, to heal my emptiness.

“I cannot point to an exact day when it happened, but little by little Heavenly Father intervened in my life to show me that Christ’s love was healing me. Heavenly Father also let me know He loves me, He knows me, and He wants me to have an eternal family.

“I know, unmistakably now, that my Savior was aware of my pain and sadness. He never gave up on me. I can see now that He strengthened me and carried me through those difficult times. Christ is the only one who can heal our pain. It was Christ who healed my heart.”

Whatever problems, whatever hardships, whatever frustrations, whatever sadness we have had the Savior has experienced it. Why did the Savior do all this? Alma taught that Christ did this “so that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities” (Alma 7:12). Elder Merrill J. Bateman said, “In the garden and on the cross, Jesus saw each of us and not only bore our sins, but also experienced our deepest feelings so that he would know how to comfort and strengthen us” (Ensign, May 1995).

The ENABLING power: Feeling the Strengthening Grace of the Atonement

Some may not realize that there is a power in the Atonement, not only to help us overcome sin, but also to strengthen us to do good, righteous things that we could not accomplish with our own capabilities. Elder David A. Bednar said, “Most of us clearly understand that the atonement is for sinners. I am not so sure, however, that we know and understand that the atonement is also for saints–for good men and women who are obedient and worthy and conscientious and who are striving to become better and serve more faithfully” (“In the Strength of the Lord” http://speeches.byu.edu).

The bible dictionary uses the word “grace” to mean that through the atonement of Christ we can be given “divine means of help or strength… This grace is an enabling power” (BD, p. 697).  The enabling power of the atonement gives us ability beyond our natural capacity.  It was the enabling power of the atonement that gave Nephi the ability to build the boat, that gave Joseph Smith the ability to translate the Book of Mormon, that allowed Peter to walk on water.  It gave strength to the people of Alma so “they could bear up their burdens with ease” (Mosiah 24:15), and helped give Alma the Younger ability to covert the Lamanites so he could, “boast of my God, for in his strength I can do all things” (Alma 26:12). It gives youth courage, missionaries energy, Bishops discernment, mothers wisdom, and grandparents patience.  The atonement not only mends broken branches, it strengthens roots.

Whatever our challenge in life, the enabling power of the atonement can give us strength and ability to face and overcome it if we pray like Alma saying, “O Lord, wilt thou grant unto me that I may have strength.” (Alma 31:31).

No matter who we are or the situation we find ourselves in, the Atonement applies to us. Elder Boyd K. Packer taught, “For some reason, we think the Atonement of Christ applies only at the end of mortal life…It is much more than that.  It is an ever-present power to call upon in everyday life.  When we are…burdened with grief, He can heal us…The Atonement has practical, personal everyday value” (Ensign, May 2001, 23-24).  We hope this Christmas season we will all more readily access the power of the atonement in our life—whether it is the cleansing power, the understanding power, or the strengthening power of the atonement—for Christ’s atonement is the good tidings of great joy we commemorate this upcoming week.