Faith in the Elk Grove Stake

Nephi taught his people to have unshaken faith, relying on the merits of Jesus Christ to save us. In 2 Nephi 31:20, he says: “Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.”

I am grateful this evening to have the opportunity to speak concerning the faith of the members of the Elk Grove Stake because I can testify that in this stake is found unshaken faith, a steadfastness in Christ. While pitfalls and traps abound, we can find safety and comfort in the fellowship of a mature and faithful stake.

I remember, as an eight-year-old, sitting next to my father in stake conference in June of 1969. Elder Ezra Taft Benson, accompanied by our regional representative, Elder David B. Haight, had come to divide the Sacramento Stake. I was young, but I remember feeling that it was an important occasion. The Sacramento South Stake was created with six wards, the Sacramento First, Second, Fifth, and Sixth Wards and the Elk Grove and Florin Wards. Twelve years, to the month, later, I had the opportunity to attend the creation of another stake with Ezra Taft Benson, then president of the Quorum of the Twelve, as I served as his interpreter for the creation of the first stake in Italy.

The Sacramento South Stake was renamed the Elk Grove Stake in 1992 and has grown so much that about eight wards have been split off to return to the Sacramento Stake. Parts of just three wards from the new Sacramento South Stake remain as the Elk Grove Stake -- part of the old Sacramento Sixth Ward, part of the old Florin Ward, and part of the old Elk Grove Ward. If you look at our stake area, you know that much of that growth has come from the growth of our community and members moving in, but some of the most significant growth has come through convert baptisms.

One example of conversion and the support of a faithful wife took place in the 1980’s. Elvira had been a member of the church since she was young, but her husband, Manuel, was not a member. Manuel was supportive of his wife’s involvement in the church. He would help set up tables for Relief Society, and he even agreed with Elvira that they should have family prayers. He took his turn at praying, and Elvira saw a side of her husband that she had not seen before. Manuel went to church fiestas and was amazed that the members could have such a good time without drinking. As Elvira’s faith and testimony grew, she fasted and prayed for her husband. When Elvira was ready to receive her endowment in the temple, the wise branch president began meeting with Manuel to give him the temple preparation lessons, even though Manuel was not a member. Manuel drove Elvira to the temple and waited outside while she went in. When she came out, he could see a difference in her, a glow. Until then, Manuel had not seen the need for the gospel in his own life, but his wife’s faith helped to soften his heart. Finally, Manuel was baptized. Just a few months after his baptism, he was ordained to the Melchizedek Priesthood and, one year after his baptism, he went with Elvira to the temple, where they were sealed for time and all eternity. The members of our stake who are listening to a Spanish translation of this address probably already know I am talking about Bishop and Sister Anguiano of the Sacramento 10th Ward. The faith of our members in nurturing those who are converted has built strength into our stake, and the faith of our converts has fortified us.

Currently, we have 49 members of our stake serving as full-time missionaries in many parts of the world or called and waiting to leave. We have three senior couples, eight young sisters, and 41 young elders. Together they represent about 1.2 percent of our stake’s membership. To put that into perspective, if 1.2 percent of the current membership of the church worldwide were serving missions, that would be more than 156,000 full-time LDS missionaries. That is three times the number now serving.

Remember the Book of Mormon account of Helaman's two thousand stripling warriors and how the teachings of their mothers gave them strength and faith. Alma 56:47-48: “Now they never had fought, yet they did not fear death; and they did think more upon the liberty of their fathers than they did upon their lives; yea, they had been taught by their mothers, that if they did not doubt, God would deliver them. And they rehearsed unto me the words of their mothers, saying: We do not doubt our mothers knew it.”

These marvelous mothers taught them to put on the whole armor of God, to place their trust in the Lord, and to doubt not. By so doing, not one of these young men was lost. In like manner, the mothers and fathers in the Elk Grove Stake have instilled in their children faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Many of these children have gone into the world as full-time missionaries, hundreds of them, with influence and good works around the world. Many of the children of the Elk Grove Stake have stayed or returned to raise their families here.

In August 2005, President Gordon B. Hinckley challenged us to read the Book of Mormon before the end of the year. He promised us “an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.” Many of us obeyed because we are an obedient people, and we were greatly blessed. I saw many members carrying their scriptures, and not just to church. The Book of Mormon was used in talks and in teaching, more than ever. The faith shown in following the words of the prophet resulted in greater faith and enhanced blessings.

You may know that our stake patriarch, Brother Hamer Parsons, has been critically ill. Two months ago, he had surgery on his brain, and his recovery has been difficult. Last month, he was in intensive care, close to death. We asked the members of the stake to remember him in their fasting and prayers. Before long, Brother Parsons began to improve and now is in rehabilitation. We are encouraged by his progress and anxious to have him back in our midst.

In Doctrine and Covenants 42:48, the Lord said: “[H]e that hath faith in me to be healed, and is not appointed unto death, shall be healed.” We have experienced much healing, even prolongation of life, through faith and prayers. We have also experienced times when the Lord has taken our members home, even in what seemed to us an untimely fashion. We have faith that, as Alma said, in Alma 40:11: “[T]he spirits of all men, as soon as they are departed from this mortal body, yea, the spirits of all men, whether they be good or evil, are taken home to that God who gave them life.”

The faith of the Elk Grove Stake is a strength and a protection to all of us. May we continue forward with the obedience of Nephi, the wisdom of Alma, with the nurturing of the mothers of the Lamanite stripling warriors, and the faith of our fathers and mothers, that we may become a Zion people, a true bastion of faith.

Prophecies of Joseph of Egypt

2 Nephi 3:6-21
with quotation marks and additional, bracketed indentifiers

terms:
Joseph of Egypt
The Descendants of Joseph of Egypt
through Manasseh, mainly: Lehi, Nephites, Lamanites
through Ephraim: Joseph Smith, many LDS
The Children of Israel
The Fathers: Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob
The Abrahamic Covenant - Abraham 2:9-11
Moses and Aaron

6 For Joseph [of Egypt] truly testified, saying:

“A seer [Joseph Smith] shall the Lord my God raise up, who shall be a choice seer unto the fruit of my loins [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt].”

7 Yea, Joseph [of Egypt] truly said:

“Thus saith the Lord unto me:

“‘A choice seer [Joseph Smith] will I [the Lord] raise up out of the fruit of thy loins [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt]; and he [Joseph Smith] shall be esteemed highly among the fruit of thy loins. And unto him [Joseph Smith] will I [the Lord] give commandment that he shall do a work for the fruit of thy loins, his [Joseph Smith’s] brethren, which shall be of great worth unto them [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt], even to the bringing of them to the knowledge of the covenants [the Abrahamic Covenant] which I [the Lord] have made with thy fathers [Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob].

8 “‘And I [the Lord] will give unto him [Joseph Smith] a commandment that he shall do none other work, save the work which I shall command him. And I will make him great in mine eyes; for he shall do my work.

9 “‘And he [Joseph Smith] shall be great like unto Moses, whom I [the Lord] have said I would raise up unto you [Joseph of Egypt], to deliver my people, O house of Israel.

10 “‘And Moses will I [the Lord] raise up, to deliver thy people [the children of Israel] out of the land of Egypt.

11 “‘But a seer [Joseph Smith] will I raise up out of the fruit of thy loins [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt]; and unto him [Joseph Smith] will I [the Lord] give power to bring forth my word unto the seed of thy loins—and not to the bringing forth my word only,’ saith the Lord, ‘but to the convincing them of my word, which shall have already gone forth among them.

12 “‘Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt] shall write [the Book of Mormon]; and the fruit of the loins of Judah [the Jews] shall write [the Bible]; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt], and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers [Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, etc] in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants,’ saith the Lord.

13 “‘And out of weakness he [Joseph Smith] shall be made strong, in that day when my work shall commence among all my people, unto the restoring thee, O house of Israel,’ saith the Lord.”

14 And thus prophesied Joseph [of Egypt], saying:

“Behold, that seer [Joseph Smith] will the Lord bless; and they that seek to destroy him shall be confounded; for this promise, which I [Joseph of Egypt] have obtained of the Lord, of the fruit of my loins [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt], shall be fulfilled. Behold, I [Joseph of Egypt] am sure of the fulfilling of this promise;

15 “And his [Joseph Smith’s] name shall be called after me [Joseph of Egypt]; and it shall be after the name of his father [Joseph Smith, Sr.]. And he [Joseph Smith] shall be like unto me [Joseph of Egypt]; for the thing, which the Lord shall bring forth by his [Joseph Smith’s] hand, by the power of the Lord shall bring my people [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt] unto salvation.”

16 Yea, thus prophesied Joseph [of Egypt]:

“I am sure of this thing, even as I am sure of the promise of Moses; for the Lord hath said unto me, I will preserve thy seed forever.

17 “And the Lord hath said:

“‘I will raise up a Moses; and I [the Lord] will give power unto him [Moses] in a rod; and I will give judgment unto him in writing. Yet I will not loose his tongue, that he shall speak much, for I will not make him mighty in speaking. But I will write unto him my law, by the finger of mine own hand; and I will make a spokesman for him [Aaron].’

18 “And the Lord said unto me also:

“‘I [the Lord] will raise up unto the fruit of thy loins [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt]; and I will make for him a spokesman [Joseph Smith]. And I [the Lord], behold, I will give unto him [Joseph Smith] that he shall write the writing of the fruit of thy loins [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt], unto the fruit of thy loins; and the spokesman of thy loins [Joseph Smith] shall declare it.

19 “‘And the words which he [Joseph Smith] shall write shall be the words which are expedient in my [the Lord’s] wisdom should go forth unto the fruit of thy loins [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt]. And it shall be as if the fruit of thy loins [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt] had cried unto them [subsequent descendants of Joseph of Egypt] from the dust; for I know their faith.

20 “‘And they [the descendants of Joseph of Egypt] shall cry from the dust; yea, even repentance unto their brethren [subsequent descendants of Joseph of Egypt], even after many generations have gone by them. And it shall come to pass that their cry shall go, even according to the simpleness of their words.

21 “‘Because of their faith [the faith of the descendants of Joseph of Egypt] their words shall proceed forth out of my [the Lord’s] mouth unto their brethren who are the fruit of thy loins [subsequent descendants]; and the weakness of their words will I make strong in their faith, unto the remembering of my covenant which I made unto thy fathers [the Abrahamic covenant].’”