ELDER WEBER'S SACRAMENT TALK

THE BEST DEFENSE

Hello, brothers and sisters. Though you are all probably aware by now, my name is Elder Weber, and I and my companion Elder Buchanan are the full-time missionaries in this area. I'm from South Jordan, Utah--Go Miners!--have lived there for twelve years, and have been serving my mission for nine-and-a-half months. Though this mission has been a little rough for me, I love my calling as a servant of the Lord, and am happy to serve you here in the Coal Creek Ward for as long as He sees fit to keep me here.

Today I have been asked to talk about the spirituality of our homes, and the over-all strength of our families. In the ancient scriptures, the prophets proclaimed that our days--the last days--would be a time of terror, chaos, and complete and utter confusion throughout all the world. In more modern script, the Lord has even claimed our days to be a time when, "[men] seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walkers in his own way...in the likeness of the world." (Doctrine and Covenants 1:16)

I don't believe that I'm the first to whole-heartedly agree with the prophets on this account, nor do I think that I'll be the last. Even now, we can simply turn on the television and see the terror, chaos, and confusion that has been foretold since the ancient times. There is no doubt about it--these are the last days, and the Adversary and his followers know it, and are already making their last stands to take as many souls as possible with them. The war is nearing its climactic end, and they want to go down in a blaze of glory--or, in their case, inglory.

Thankfully, we have not been left on our own in this battle. Since the beginning of time on this Earth--and perhaps more so now than ever before--the Lord has been there beside us, our constant captain, giving us comfort and knowledge so we can press forward against the forces of the Adversary. And what he has revealed to us, time and time again, are the secret battle plans and tactics of Satan in this seemingly endless war we are all enlisted in. If we learn what they are, if we need the Lord's counsel, we will be victorious.

The tactics that the Adversary employs are all aimed at dissolving the family unit. The actual sins involved in enacting that tactic honestly don't matter--every immoral and self-harming sin created was made with the sole purpose of destroying the family. In times of war, it really doesn't matter exactly what weapon is used to defeat the enemy--all that matters is having a weapon that can kill your phone before they can kill you. The same can be said for this war we are in now, and the tactics the Adversary employs.

With this knowledge in our hearts, we can best prepare and defend ourselves from the enemy. Now, the only question is, how do we do that? From my personal experiences in my own family, and from the words of the profits over the years, I've found that our defensive tactics against the adversary boil down to three simple elements--in-home spiritual education, family bonding time, and openly-expressed temple importance.

First) In-Home Spiritual Education

When the Lord you visited the Nephites and the Lamanites in the Book of Mormon, One of the many great and marvelous things he taught them was this, "Pray in your families unto the Father...that your wives and your children may be blessed." (3 Nephi 18:21) however, I doubt that prayer it was the only thing that Christ wanted them, and us, to do in their families that would bless them and their lives. Repeatedly, the prophets--modern and ancient--have preached that the most important place to learn spiritual principles is in the home.

For some of you, this may be fairly easy, as you have grown up with the Gospel always around you, and feel fairly confident that teaching at least the basics will be fine. Many of you, however, may not have the same opinions on this. You may be a convert of only a few years starting to really grasp the knowledge of the truth, a less active or in active member becoming committed to church for the first time in your life, or an active member who just doesn't have the gift of knowledge and wisdom others seem too.

From my knowledge, and experience, I've seen in my own family that spiritual experiences and teachings in the home don't need to be formal or organized things. For me, some of the most profound and spiritual moments in my life were when I was just relaxing out in the sun with my mom or dad, talking about life and it's struggles. Nearly every situation I was placed in, my parents had been placed in before as well. Through discussion of their personal experiences, and simple, genuine bearing of testimony of gospel principles at work in their life at that time, I received more spiritual help than had I been listening to the Sermon on the Mount.

Parents, open your mouths. Don't be afraid to share what you know with your children--in many ways, what they are going through may be similar to what experiences you have had. Your knowledge and experience can help them in more ways than you may now know. And children, listen to your parents--though it seems doubtful, they really do know best in the end.

Second) Family Bonding Time

"A new commandment I give you, that you love one another; as I have loved you, love one another." (John 13:34) With those few words, Christ's entire mission--his entire life--was easily explained. We were to love each other with that hallowed and unconditional love Christ loves all of us with. This message of love is even more important when it is added to the threats in the family unit brought on by the Adversary.

with the evils in the world around us, Satan hopes to draw us away from our families and place our trust--our love--into something conditional, finite, and self-inflicting. That's all sin really is--80s traction that lures us away from the safety of our loved ones until we are lost and alone, easy targets for his forces. If the Adversary can succeed in drawing us away from our families, we will quickly fall into his grasp, believing that we can't trust ourselves, can't look to our families for help, can't get back up and start over.

It is because of this that love in the family is so important, and showing and expressing that love often. The adversaries powers are greatly weekend when we have a strong bond within our family and friends that keeps us from feeling completely alone--and, therefore, completely susceptible to sin. Showing this love doesn't have to be a planned thing, either.

If you noticed, I chose to say "family bonding time" for this, rather than "family home evening". While it is important to have that one evening a week set apart for family time, it's even more important to find those random spare moments to sit down and have fun playing Settlers of Catan or Uno, or going out for a spur-of-the-moment hike or bike ride. It was those random moments, not the plant ones, that I've seen help my family, as well as others, bond and grow strong and powerful he over the years.

Third) Openly-Expressed Temple Importance

The last, and perhaps most important, element I found for a strong and spiritual family is their devotion to the temple and the covenants made there. Going along with the war-theme, a soldier is less dedicated to his service if he doesn't know or understand what the end goal is. The same is true in families. A family that is united in the importance of the temple is one that will work together as valorously as possible to succeed in the war against sin.

How does one express this importance of the temple, though? Something so sacred and so hallowed as the temple of our Lord, what can we say that can really express it's full gravity? Sometimes, words might not be needed. Having a painting of the temple hanging on the wall can be A constant reminder of that goal. Teaching a child to sing "I Love To See the Temple" will fill them with a feeling of eagerness to actually go to the temple and see what lies within those pearly white balls. I know that song did so for me and my sisters often over the years.

Perhaps that one example that will speak louder than anything else, though, is your own. Parents, if you take time out of your life to go to the temple and make and keep those sacred covenants, both for yourself and for others who didn't have the chance, you will be living the example that you want your children to follow. You will be showing them the importance that the temple has both for you and for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Your love for the temple and for your God will help your children realize just what is so important about the building that they all long to enter into.

In closing, I'd like to bare my testimony. I realize that these times are hard. These are the last days. But even though they might be filled with chaos, confusion, and terror, the prophets have also said that these days will be days filled with glory, days in a dispensation unlike any other before it. Satan's forces might be strong, but if we keep our family stronger, if we make them a place of spiritual growth and understanding, we have the promise that Satan's forces will have no power over us, and we will stand firm and strong until the day that our savior comes. I know this to be true.

In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, Amen.