A talk given to Vanuatu youth

Verily I say unto you all:  Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for (this nation).  (D&C 115:5)

This scripture is for you.  It was put in the Doctrine and Covenants for you.  You are going to change this country.  Your parents can’t do it.  There is not enough time left for your children to do it.

Do you have a light inside you?

Yes!!

And I am going to turn it on!

Before you came to earth you were a spirit.  You had no body.  A spirit is a brilliant thing.  It has light within itself.  It shines.  Joseph Smith said that if you could see a spirit you would see a being that you’d feel like falling down and worshiping.

Do you feel like falling down and worshiping Grem?  No?  That’s because he has this body.  It hides his brilliance.

Grem was very anxious to get this body.  He was very anxious to leave heaven and to go on his mission to earth.  He was probably nervous, too, and a little scared.  What if he failed?  He had made covenants.  What if he forgot to keep them?  He made covenants with the Lord.  He also made covenants with some people who would be his parents and his grandparents.  He made covenants with some people who would be his children.

How do I know that?  It’s because of this scripture:

Behold, I will reveal unto you the Priesthood, by the hand of Elijah the prophet, before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the Lord.

And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers.

If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.  (D&C 2:1-3).

What were the promises?  When were they made?  They were made in the pre-earth existence.  They were promises that said to your grandparents, “If you will go first, and prepare the way—if you will go when the gospel of Jesus Christ is not available—I will come later.  I will find the gospel, I will make covenants, I will get the Priesthood, and I will make sure that you are baptized and sealed in the temple.”

Your grandfathers said, “Thank you.  We go now.  Our lives will be hard, but we will go because we know that you will keep your word.  We are depending on you.”

And then it was your turn.

Your children said, “Thank you.  You go now.  We’ll be praying for you.  We’ll stay close.  We’ll help you.  Thank you for making it possible for us to come to earth.  Please don’t forget us.  Please teach us when we get there.  Please make it possible for us to be together forever.”

And then you became a baby in a land where the gospel of Jesus Christ had just been introduced.  Because you were special, because you were faithful in the pre-earth existence, and because you had made sacred covenants, the gospel came to you.  You are the first members of the Church in this land.  Light has come into your life, and it is your duty to turn on the light for this nation.

When I was a boy I was not a member of the Church.  I thought I could see, but my girl friend gave me a Book of Mormon.  As I read it I could feel light coming into my head.  I loved that feeling.  All I wanted to do was read that book because of the light that it brought into my life.

At my home in the United States it is very cold right now.  There is snow on the ground.  Because it is so cold, our kitchen must be inside our tight house where we can stay warm.  A door leads from the kitchen into my bedroom.  In the night when everything is dark I can come out of my bedroom, reach around the corner, flip a switch, and a light comes on.  It is only one bulb, but I can see.  I walk around the corner, flip another switch, and two more lights come on.  The room becomes very light, and much brighter.

I walk across the room, flip another switch, and two more lights come on.  The room becomes even brighter.  If I had other lights and more switches, I could keep making the room brighter and brighter.

That is like my mind before I found the Book of Mormon and before I received the Holy Ghost.  I thought I could see before the Holy Ghost came into my life, but I only had one bulb burning.  My head was filled with darkness.

Do you remember king Lamoni in the Book of Mormon?  He thought he was wise.  He thought he could see.  But Ammon taught him the gospel, and “he began to cry unto the Lord, saying:  O Lord, have mercy…upon me, and my people.

“And now, when he had said this, he fell unto the earth, as if he were dead.”  (Alma 18:41-42).

Lamoni’s servants thought he was dead.  They carried him in to the queen and laid him on a bed.  He lay there for two days and two nights, and then the queen sent for Ammon.  She said:

I would that ye should go in and see my husband, for he has been laid upon his bed for the space of two days and two nights; and some say that he is not dead, but others say that he is dead and that he stinketh, and that he ought to be placed in the sepulcher; but as for myself, to me he doth not stink.

Now, this was what Ammon desired, for he knew that king Lamoni was under the power of God; he knew that the dark veil of unbelief was being cast away from his mind, and the light which did light up his mind, which was the light of the glory of God, which was a marvelous light of his goodness—yea, this light had infused such joy into his soul, the cloud of darkness having been dispelled, and that the light of everlasting life was lit up in his soul , yea, he knew that this had overcome his natural frame, and he was carried away in God—  (Alma 19:5-6).

I understand that verse because light replaced the darkness in my head, too.

So here is a commandment especially for you.  The Lord says, “Arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for (this nation).”

No one else can do it.  Your parents can’t do it.  There isn’t enough time left for your children to do it.  It is all up to you.  Your grandparents can’t be baptized and be sealed in the temple unless you do it.  You can’t and won’t do it unless you’re worthy.  The special children that were supposed to be yours can’t and won’t come to you unless you’re worthy and marry the right person.

You won’t be worthy unless you “Arise and shine forth.”  You must turn on the lights.

I worry because many of you are operating on only one bulb.  You’re like I was.  You think you see, but your head is filled with darkness.  I’m going to tell you how to turn on the lights.  I’m going to tell you how to “Arise and shine forth.”

When you came to earth and received your magnificent body, God gave you a gift.  He placed within your body the ability to make other bodies for others of His spirit children who are still waiting to come to earth.  This is a great and sacred gift.  He has made it possible for you to be co-creators with Him.  Every one of those spirits has the right to come to earth to a home where there is both a mother and a father who will love them and teach them.

This ability to be co-creators with our Father in Heaven is a power.  It is a power and a gift given to almost all of Father’s children.  With that gift come responsibilities to use that power properly.  It is only to be used between a man and a woman who are properly married.  Any other use of that power upsets the plan, and brings confusion.  Those who use the power properly will have the gift through all eternity.  Those who misuse the gift will have the gift taken away.  Because of the power that is in you to make bodies for Heavenly Father’s children, you will one day hold a little baby in your arms that is made in your image.  Heavenly Father will send little boys and little girls to you to be taught and trained and to be yours forever.

Do you see why it is so important to keep yourself worthy?  Do you see why it is so important for you to protect this power—this sacred gift?

Some of you have already used this gift improperly.  You have broken the covenant you make every Sunday to always remember Him.  In the sacrament prayer it says that we promise to “always remember him, and (will) keep his commandments which he (has) given (us), that (we) may always have his Spirit to be with (us).”  (Moroni 4:3).  You broke your part of the covenant, so the Lord took His Spirit away.  You turned off the lights.  Some of you only have one bulb burning.

Some of you go to church each Sunday, and week after week you let the sacrament pass you by without taking it.  What are you thinking?  What are you saying?  Are you telling the Lord, “I’m not ready to repent?”  Are you saying, “I’m not ready to keep the commandments?”

The Lord says, “When you’re ready to repent, when you’re ready to return to Me, the Spirit is ready to return to you.”  He is ready to send light back into your life.  He wants you to be happy.  It is impossible for you to be happy as long as you’re sinning.

How do you repent if you’ve been guilty of abusing the procreative power?

Number one, you stop it now!

Number two, you ask the Lord’s forgiveness.

Number three, go talk to your branch president, (or if you’re an elder, talk to President Mahit).  The president holds the keys to your church membership.  He will tell you what you need to do.  He may tell you to not take the sacrament for a period of time until you have demonstrated to the Lord that you really, truly have repented, and that you are going to keep His commandments.

You and the branch president, or you and the mission president, will know when it is time for you to take the sacrament again.  You will feel good to know that you are once again worthy to take those sacred emblems.  You will feel good to know that you are capable of keeping the commandments and that the Lord approves of you.  Lights will come on in your mind.  You will be happy.  You will meet and marry the person that you were supposed to marry.  You will be able to release and use those sacred procreative powers that you were given.  You will shine.  You will be a light to this nation.  You will be an example of how good this life can be.