This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Sunday Morning Session of the October 1981 Conference.
Well! Never let it be said that Bruce R. McConkie was afraid to call things as he saw them:
We know what the future holds and of the wars and plagues and desolations that will soon sweep the earth as a devouring fire.
This is a gloomy day of sorrow and sadness. The heavens gather blackness; men’s hearts are failing them for fear; nations are perplexed and know not where to turn to find peace and security…
There has never been such a dire day as this. Iniquity abounds; …and the revealed word assures us that conditions will get worse, not better, until the coming of the Son of Man.I don't know that I've heard quite that tone in General Conference before, but it certainly got my attention!
Interestingly, this whole session seemed extremely…bold. The apostles didn't mince words, and they left no doubt that this is all serious business, this war against Satan we are engaged in. But I think it caught my attention especially because I've been noticing the war terminology and martial metaphors increasing again in our day. No one is more enthusiastic, loving, and optimistic than President Nelson! And yet he keeps using the war metaphors too. I kind of like it—it reminds me that drifting along, hoping to stay comfortable, is not a viable life plan. (For one of the best posts I've ever read about why this military mental model works for The Church of Jesus Christ, see here.)
So here's William R. Bradford:
You must prepare. You must now make yourselves worthy and available. If you do not, the work will go on without you. It will go on at a slower pace, but it will go on. If you are not part of it, if you do not do your duty, what will happen to you? How will you be sanctified?
If you do not do your duty, those whom you could have taught but did not will eventually have their opportunity to hear the gospel from someone else, but what of you? How will you be sanctified?… To sanctify yourself you must serve others.And Charles Didier:
To desert, defect, give up, resign, surrender, renounce, abdicate, yield, apostatize, withdraw, back out, abandon—each of these words has almost the same meaning. We could find one for every situation in our lives where we might vacillate when facing what is called duty—duty to country, duty to church, duty to family, duty to oneself, duty to God.
To vacillate is to hesitate in choosing a course, to try to move in two different directions at the same time, or to try simply to serve two masters. One of the greatest temptations that man has faced throughout half of history is the temptation to serve himself and to satisfy his own appetites first. This choice can lead to the spirit of desertion. Whoever we are, rich or poor, powerful or humble, faithful or not—all are subject to this temptation.…
Have we made our provisions? Are we preparing ourselves to face one of the greatest temptations: to desert the service of the Lord in moments of doubt or trial, which may lead to other desertions?And David B. Haight:
The Prophet Ezekiel warned: “Ye feed not the flock.
“The diseased have ye not strengthened, neither have ye healed that which was sick, neither have ye bound up that which was broken, neither have ye brought again that which was driven away, neither have ye sought that which was lost.”
None are to be lost, but everyone is to feel the love of the Master through His servants. He knew that to carry the message of the gospel to all nations would require active participation by everyone baptized—not just some, but everyone.And in case you didn't get that the stakes are high in these battles, Elder McConkie brings it home:
Some who are true and faithful will perish along with the wicked and ungodly in the days ahead. But what does it matter whether we live or die once we have found Christ and he has sealed us his?
If we lay down our lives in the cause of truth and righteousness or in defense of our religion, our families, and our free institutions, why should we worry?
We are not hanging on to life with greedy hands, fearful of the future. Once we have accepted the gospel and been reconciled to God through the mediation of Christ, what matters it if we are called to the realms of peace, there to await an inheritance in the resurrection of the just?Goodness. I mean, I'm a fairly peace-loving person. I don't like conflict. I don't like controversy. But even (maybe especially) for a gentle, slightly-timid person like me—there's something to be learned from this bold warfare stuff. This isn't imaginary. This isn't inconsequential. This is real warfare, and we're all enlisted! If it was true 40 years ago, it's true now. And the fight's not over yet!
Other posts in this series:
- In the Darkness of Our Time, Where is Light? by Nathaniel Givens
- Do You Think Gospel-Based Activities Are Boring? by Jan Tolman
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