"And Nothing Shall Offend Them"

"During a perilous period of war, an exchange of letters occurred
between Moroni, the captain of the Nephite armies, and Pahoran, the chief
judge and governor of the land. Moroni, whose army was suffering because of
inadequate support from the government, wrote to Pahoran 'by the way of
condemnation' (Alma 60:2) and harshly accused him of thoughtlessness,
slothfulness, and neglect. Pahoran might easily have resented Moroni and
his message, but he chose not to take offense. Pahoran responded
compassionately and described a rebellion against the government about
which Moroni was not aware. And then he responded, 'Behold, I say unto
you, Moroni, that I do not joy in your great afflictions, yea, it grieves
my soul. . . . And now, in your epistle you have censured me, but it
mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your
heart' (Alma 61:2, 9).

"One of the greatest indicators of our own spiritual maturity is revealed in how we respond to the weaknesses, the inexperience, and the potentially offensive actions of others. A thing, an event, or an expression may be offensive, but you and I can choose not to be offended--and to say with Pahoran, 'it mattereth not.'"
(David A. Bednar, "And Nothing Shall Offend Them," Ensign, Nov. 2006, 91)

Priesthood Power

I have been and will be forever grateful for righteous Priesthood brethren who have blessed my life so many, many times in so many ways. Dan L. Thomas begins the list and each one of our sons: Luke, Will, Haini, Daniel, Mark, James, and Seth follows thereafter.

Daily Gems
Responsibilities and Blessings of the Priesthood
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"There is not a man or boy in this vast congregation tonight who cannot improve his life. And that needs to happen. After all, we hold the priesthood of God. If we are boys who have received the Aaronic Priesthood, we are entitled to the ministering of angels to guide and direct, to bless and protect us. What a remarkable and wonderful thing that is. If we have had conferred upon us the Melchizedek Priesthood, we have been given the keys of the kingdom that carry with them eternal powers. These were spoken of by the Lord when He laid His hands upon the heads of His disciples."

Topics: priesthood, personal growth, guidance
(Gordon B. Hinckley, "Rise Up, O Men of God," Ensign, Nov. 2006, 60)


Daily Gems April 20, 2008
It Mattereth Not

"The Church of Jesus Christ is a church of priests, 'a royal priesthood, an holy nation' (1 Peter 2:9). "The restored Church gives to each home a priesthood holder with the power of God to bless. How many times I have been able to hear the soft, sweet voice of a little child at home say, 'Daddy, could you give me a blessing?' and put my hands upon his or her head in moments of pain and difficulty and pronounce
blessings of comfort and healing and see the power of the priesthood exercise its influence and the next day hear that little voice say, 'Thanks, Daddy, I slept just fine last night.' We don't need to go out looking for someone having that power--it is among us! What a blessings to be able to teach this principle to our children! This is the only church upon the earth which offers such a blessing to families.

"Through this power, I was able to ordain each of my sons to the priesthood and thus give them the power of God to administer His ordinances.

". . . This is . . . why I am a member of this Church: because the power of the priesthood is again upon the earth and has reached even unto our homes.""

Topics: priesthood, blessings, healing, family

(Enrique R. Falabella, "Why Are We Members of the Only True Church?" Ensign, Nov. 2007, 14-15)