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When I was eight, two cousins and I were sent to a nearby
town to get groceries for the next 15 days.
Looking back, I am amazed at how much confidence my
grandmother and my aunt and uncle had in us.
The morning skies were bright and shiny as we departed in
our small caravan of three horses.
In the middle of the prairie, we had a brilliant idea that
we should dismount and play marbles.
So we did for a long time.
We were so absorbed in our game that we did not see the
"signs of the times" above our heads as dark
clouds covered the sky.
By the time we realized what was happening, we didn't even
have time to mount our horses.
The heavy rain was hitting us so hard, and the hail was
hitting our faces, that we could not think of other
things but to unsaddle the horses, take covers under the
saddle blanket.
Horseless, wet, and cold, we continued our journey, now
trying to move as fast as we could.
As we approached our destination, we saw that the
wide street that entered the town had flooded and was like
a river heading toward us.
Now our only choice was to drop our covers and climb to
the barbed-wire fence that surrounded the town.
It was late at night when, tired and sore and soaked, we
sought shelter in the first home we saw entering the town.
The good family there dried us off, fed us delicious bean
burritos, and then put us to bed in a room of our own.
Soon we discovered that the room had a flat dirt floor.
So we had another brilliant idea.
We drew a circle in the floor and continued our marble game
until we collapsed to the floor in sleep.
As children, we were just thinking about ourselves.
We never thought about the loved ones who were
desperately searching for us back home.
If we had, we would never have delayed our journey in such a
useless pursuit.
And if we had been wiser, we would have looked at the sky,
spotted the clouds forming, and accelerated our pace to
stay ahead of the storm.
Now that I have a little more experience, I always remind
myself: don't forget to look up.
My experience with my cousins taught me to pay attention to
the signs of our times.
We live in the stormy, perilous days that Paul
described: "Men shall be lovers of their own selves,
... disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy, ... false
accusers, incontinent, ... lovers of pleasures more than
lovers of God."
Speaking of these times, Elder Dallin H. Oaks said: "We need
to make both temporal and spiritual preparation.
...
Most likely to be neglected is the one [that's the]
less visible and more difficult--the spiritual." In
other words, don't neglect to look up.
Given the urgent need for spiritual preparation in a
time of such peril, I want to extend a word of warning about
one very strong sign of the times.
My professional life put me on the forefront of technology,
so I recognize the value it has, especially in
communication.
So much information of man is now at our fingertips, but the
Internet is also full of much that is filthy and misleading.
Technology has augmented our freedom of speech, but it also
gives an unqualified blogger false credibility based on the
number of viewers.
This is why now, more than ever, we must remember this
eternal principle: "By their fruits ye shall know them."
In particular, I caution you not to view filthy images or
give your attention to the false accusers of Christ and
the Prophet Joseph Smith.
Both actions create the same effect: the loss of the Holy
Ghost and His protecting, sustaining power.
Vice and unhappiness always follow.
My dear brothers and sisters, if you ever come across
anything that causes you to question your testimony of the
gospel, I plead with you to look up.
Look to the source of all wisdom and truth.
Nourish your faith and testimony
with the word of God.
There are those in the world who seek to undermine your
faith by mixing lies with half-truths.
This is why it is absolutely critical that you remain
constant, worthy of the Spirit.
The companionship of the Holy Ghost is not just a pleasant
convenience.
It is essential to your spiritual survival.
If you will not treasure up the words of Christ and listen
closely to the promptings of the
Spirit, you will be deceived.
We must do these things.
Jesus Christ, who was perfect, and Joseph Smith, who admitted
that he was not, were both killed by the false accusers
who could not accept their testimony.
How can we know that their testimony is true--that Jesus
Christ is the Son of God and Joseph
Smith is a true prophet?
"By their fruits ye shall know them." Can good fruit grow
from a bad tree?
I know for myself that my Redeemer has forgiven my sins
and freed me of my personal yoke, bringing me to a state
of happiness that I did not know existed.
And I know for myself that Joseph Smith was a prophet
because I have applied the simple promise in the Book of
Mormon: "Ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of
Christ." In simple words: look up.
There are some who might suggest that you must have
physical evidence in order to believe in the restoration of
Christ or the veracity of His restored gospel.
To them I quote the words of Alma to Korihor, who was
trying to persuade others not to believe: "Thou hast had
signs enough; will ye tempt your God?
Will ye say, Show unto me a sign, when ye have the
testimony of all of these thy brethren, and also all the
holy prophets?
The scriptures are laid before thee."
You and I are living evidence of the
redemption of the Savior.
We are living evidence of the ministry of the Prophet Joseph
and the faithfulness of those early Saints who remained
strong in their testimony.
The Church of Jesus Christ has now expanded all over the
world, and it's growing like never before--embraced, as in
the times of Christ, by humble people who do not need to see
and touch to believe.
No one knows when the Lord will come again.
But the perilous times are now upon us.
Today is the time to look to the source of truth and ensure
that our testimonies are strong.
Now, returning to my account with my dear cousins: They and
I woke in the morning to a bright sun
and a beautiful sky.
A man knocked on the door, looking for
the three lost boys.
He put us on horses, and we started back home through the
same prairie.
I will never forget what we saw on our way home--a
multitude of people who had been searching for us
throughout the night, their tractors and trucks
stuck in the mud.
They had found a saddle here and a horse there.
When they saw us returning home, I could feel their
relief and their love.
At the entrance to town, many people were waiting for us.
And in the front of them all were my loving grandmother and
my uncle and aunt.
They embraced us and cried, overjoyed that they had found
their lost children.
What a great reminder this is to me that our loving Heavenly
Father is mindful of us.
He is anxiously awaiting our return home.
Yes, there are signs of storms forming all around us.
Let us look up and prepare ourselves.
There is safety in a strong testimony.
Let us cherish and strengthen our testimonies every day.
I know we can live together as families for eternity, that
our loving Heavenly Father is waiting for us, His children,
with His arms extended.
I know that Jesus Christ, our Rescuer, lives.
And as with Peter, no flesh and blood has revealed it to
me, but my Father who is in heaven.
In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.