If President
Monson asked each family to all build an ark, in specific dimensions which the
church will send out. How many of you would build an Ark?
I hope and believe that most, if not all of you would, or at
least start building one. However It would be doing something none of us have
done before, so I am positive, many trials would follow. I have built a raft
before, and I am proud to say that it could carry 2 people! ... who were knee
deep in the water. So I can’t imagine building an Ark, it would take a ton of
time and effort to learn how to work wood, so that it is water tight, and put
it together in the right dimensions. It took Noah 120 years. Also it would be
expensive to buy all the tools, and wood needed for an ark. And just think what
our non-member friends and the press would think of us. It would be a field
day. They would think we were another crazy religion like the religion that
believed in the rapture was going to happen in 2012. Our friends may point out
that we are about a mile above sea level, no flood could possibly reach all of
us. It honestly would be embarrassing. But if it could save us and our family, it
would be worth it, wouldn't it?
I find it interesting that the scriptures have many stories
where god asks a man to build a boat, like Nephi, the Brother of Jared, and
Noah. Yet we know that if God wanted, these men of great faith could walk on
water as Peter did, or be swallowed by a whale, and spit out at the right
place, or just transported. So why does god have them build a boat?
It was character building, and taught those skills, and that
there is a balance on what their role is, and God’s role. Yet would like to
propose to you that the main reason was for the salvation of their families. For
example Laman and Lemuel definitely wouldn't have had the faith to walk on
water, or have any miracles happen for them. Who knows about Noah’s children,
or the original Jaredites, but likely, many of them didn't have faith to move
mountains, and couldn't have made it to their destination with their families, if
it were not for the boats.
We know that the Lord won’t flood the earth with water again. So
the prophet won’t ask us to build boats. But the earth is being flooded with
pornography, drugs, false ideals and views of the family and many other filthy
things, things that kill people spiritually. However I know that there are
literally specific things we can 1) do, 2) build and 3) make so that we can be
safe with our families.
First
as Noah did, we need to listen and obey god, and his prophets no matter what. As
I said I believe most of you would build an Ark if the prophet asked you to,
but how many of you have had your personal self-interview as Elder Ballard, a
prophet, asked us specifically to do a month ago in our area conference. How
many of you are participating in sweeping the earth with a flood of gospel messages,
as Elder Bednar, a prophet of the Lord has asked us to do in order to not just
stay above the flood of filth, but to battle it. He said
“My
beloved brothers and sisters, what has been accomplished thus far in this
dispensation communicating gospel messages through social media channels is a
good beginning—but only a small trickle. I now extend to you the invitation to
help transform the trickle into a flood. Beginning at this place on this day, I
exhort you to sweep the earth with messages filled with righteousness and
truth—messages that are authentic, edifying, and praiseworthy—and literally to
sweep the earth as with a flood.” End
quote.
This gospel flood has some similarities and
differences to that of Noah’s. Some similarities are they come from the same
infinite source, they both will be purging the world of wickedness, and they
both were forecast by prophets. But the differences I find to be more powerful,
it is not a flood of water, but of the fire of the spirit and the light of
Christ. , for he is the light of the world, and people will see clearer
when his influence is in their lives. This flood is
no flash flood, it is controlled, and organized and instead of bringing death
to a living world, it will bring living water from an infinite source to a
world dying of thirst for it. This flood is to bring
people unto Christ and help them partake of his atonement. As we participate in
this flood, we to cannot help but be touched by it and its power, and be
changed. I
believe that by doing what is asked, we to will be saving souls, those of
friends, those of family, and even ourselves.
For
D&C 62:3 says “Nevertheless,
ye are blessed,,,, for the testimony which
ye have borne is recorded in
heaven for the angels to look upon; and they rejoice over you, and your sins are
forgiven you. By bearing our testimonies, we can be forgiven. What a promise. That is why a prophet
has asked us to flood the earth with messages of the gospel. How much easier is
that than building an ark? I hope that we are not Namen like, and because of
the easiness of the way, fail to do that which is asked.
After doing that which the lord has commanded, we must, as Noah
did, build our faith in Christ and his atonement. Noah definitely encountered numerous
trials, but stuck to what he was called to, and was faithful to building his
ark, and his faith along with it, for 120 years before finally he was rewarded
for his faith. What faith and patience he had. We to, will meet many trials and
obstacles in our lives before the manifestation of truth comes, and we are
rewarded for our faith. Noah was so obedient and faithful, that he became
Christ like, and is a symbol of Christ in the scriptures. It was necessary for
any living creature who wished to be saved to come “unto Noah into the ark” (Genesis
7:9, 15). Just as it is necessary for us to go unto Christ if we want
to be saved from Satan’s flood. So be patient with yourselves, god, and others,
and keep your faith, but don’t just keep it, build it, for your reward will
come.
Lastly, after doing what the Lord commands, building our faith,
we must, like Noah did, make covenants to the saving of our family.
In the Genesis, the world has become so
evil that god wants to destroy it, and it is gloomy, but then verse 8 comes up
where it says “But Noah found grace in the eyes of the Lord.”
And in verse 18 it says “But with thee will I
establish my covenant; and thou shalt come into the ark, thou, and thy sons, and thy wife,
and thy sons’ wives with thee.”
If
there is one place on earth that has not been covered by the flood of filth, it
is the Temple. The temple is
a place of safety and covenants, which protect us
from the storm off life, and raises us above our natural state. As Noah’s Ark
did for him and his family.
When Noah’s family finally boarded the ark, he sealed the door and did not
open it again until the rains ceased and the ground dried, close to a year
later. When they emerged, they emerged into a new world. I love that the door
to the evil world was sealed shut, and Noah was literally sealed with his
family inside the ark, thus Ark of the Covenant mentioned in verse 18. I know
that as we make covenants with the lord, and build our testimonies, the
crowning moment will be when we are sealed together with our spouse and our
posterity for time and all eternity. At that point, we must leave behind the
filth of the world and go forth in faith on a higher plane. From Noah’s story,
we know the floods of life will eventually settle, and you and your family, together,
will see the beauty of the gospel in your life, of this new world, just like the
rainbow that crossed the sky for Noah and his family.
I have a less active sister, who has lost a lot of faith, but I
believe because of my parents doing what the Lord commanded, building their
testimonies, and the covenants my parents have made, she will be safe and in
our eternal family, even if she doesn't return to the church in this life. I am
so grateful for my parent’s covenants, and the safety, security and peace that
they bring to me and my family, even when life is hard.
That is why my favorite hymn
is “lead kindly light, which ends saying “lead thou me on, over more and craige
and torrent (flood) till the night is gone” Here the author admits there are
floods, and trials in life, yet goes on to say “but with the morn, those angel
faces smile, which I have loved long since and lost a while.” Which I take to mean
returning to heaven, and seeing loved ones who died early, or were lost
spiritually, or lost to us in any other way. They will be there waiting, and
smiling. In this I believe. I believe that it the work of salvation is brought
about by us obeying the lord, building faith, and making covenants. Yet, in the
end, it wasn't Noah that saved his family, it was God. I know that only through
Christ’s, and his atonement we can be saved with our families. I don’t know if
I deserve it, but I to have found grace in the eyes of the lord, and for this I
am eternally grateful. Especially during this holiday season. In the name of
Jesus Christ, my savior amen.
