Below are the quotes that were used in the video.
In this week’s reading, we study the parables of the lost—the lost sheep, coin, and son. The three parables teach that each was lost for a different reason and found differently. It doesn’t matter how they got lost, but it matters that they become discovered. We can help those who may be lost by searching or, as in the case of the lost son - watching and waiting. As we do so, we often can echo the prayer: “Lord, increase my faith.” (Luke 17:5).
Elder Quentin L. Cook: “President Nelson, from his initial address to the members of the Church in January, has exhorted us to prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ by walking the covenant path.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/10/deep-and-lasting-conversion-to-heavenly-father-and-the-lord-jesus-christ?lang=eng)
Keith W. Perkins, chairman of the department of Church History and Doctrine at BYU, said that the JST teaches a truth about the Second Coming "that is found nowhere else in scripture," and "which has not only been ignored by biblical scholars but also has been almost entirely overlooked by Latter-day Saints." JST Luke 12:41-42 refers to Christ's coming in the first, second, and third watches of the night-indicating that although "there will be an actual time when Christ will return to earth again to greet those in the flesh who are so privileged to meet Him in that day," Christ comes "in every watch of the night." In other words, "no preparation that we make for the Second Coming of Christ is in vain, for in effect he comes in every generation." For example, if we die prior to his coming, the joy of our reunion with him "will be just the same as if we were living on the earth when he finally does return in great glory. … With this knowledge may we not worry so much about the day of his coming, but rather about our preparation to meet him regardless of the day." (Marvin K. Gardner, "News of the Church," Ensign, Jan. 1985, 77.)
When there were large rocks near the shore, the lower lights helped the pilots to steer clear of them at night. Lower lights were placed along the shore at even intervals. If a ship was coming into the harbor at night, the pilot would see the evenly spaced lower lights. If there was a gap in the reflection of the lights that meant that there was a large rock between the ship and the entrance to the harbor. The pilots would avoid sailing into these “dark areas,” knowing that the rocks blocked the lights from showing across the waves.
Songwriter Philip Bliss was traveling with the famous evangelist D. L. Moody. While preaching, Mr. Moody told this true story.
One dark stormy night on Lake Erie, the winds were howling and the rain was relentless. The waves rolled like mountains and not a star in the sky could be seen. A ship was rolling with the huge waves and was trying to make its way into Cleveland harbor. At last, the Captain saw the lighthouse for Cleveland harbor, but he could not see the lower lights.
The Captain said to the Pilot, “Is that Cleveland Harbor?”
The Pilot responded, “Yes sir, it is Cleveland Harbor.”
“Where are the lower lights?” the Captain asked.
“They must have gone out, sir.” said the Pilot.
“Can you make it into the harbor without the lower lights?” asked the Captain.
“We must, sir, or we will perish in this storm!” was the Pilot’s reply.
With a strong hand and with a brave heart, the Pilot turned the ship’s wheel toward Cleveland Harbor, but the ship missed the channel and crashed on the rocks. The boat sank and over 200 people lost their lives.
Mr. Moody then made an application from this story: “Brethren, the Master will take care of the great lighthouse of salvation, but it is our job to keep the lower lights burning to guide men safely to Him.”
After hearing Mr. Moody tell this story, Philip Bliss wrote the words and music to the beautiful hymn – Let the Lower Lights Be Burning. (https://enjoyingthejourney.org/hymn-history-let-the-lower-lights-be-burning/)
1.Brightly beams our Father’s mercy
From His lighthouse evermore;
But to us He gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.
2.Dark the night of sin has settled,
Loud the angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore. (Refrain)
3.Trim your feeble lamp, my brother!
Some poor seaman, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor,
In the darkness may be lost. (Refrain)
(Refrain) Let the lower lights be burning!
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.
(HYMN 335 - Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy)
How many people really will make the Celestial Kingdom?
Elder Gibbons: “As you begin to set your priorities in life, remember, the only true security in life is living the commandments. …
“… What a great thing it is to decide once and for all early in life what you will do and what you will not do with regards to honesty, modesty, chastity, the Word of Wisdom, and temple marriage.
“Brothers and sisters, stay on the straight and narrow path. No, stay in the middle of the straight and narrow path. Don’t drift; don’t wander; don’t dabble; be careful.
“… Living the commandments will bring you the happiness that too many look for in other places.” (Elder Gibbons, “Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 103, 104.)
President David O McKay: “Sheep go where grass is. It seems apparent that the sheep in the parable was not lost through willful disobedience or careless neglect; it simply strayed away in search of greener pastures and soon was lost. “I ask you tonight, how did that sheep get lost? He was not rebellious.
“If you follow the comparison, the lamb was seeking its livelihood in a perfectly legitimate manner, but either stupidly, perhaps unconsciously, it followed the enticement of the field, the prospect of better grass until it got out beyond the fold and was lost.
“So we have those in the Church, young men and young women, who wander away from the fold in perfectly legitimate ways. They are seeking success, success in business, success in their professions, and before long they become disinterested in Church and finally disconnected from the fold; they have lost track of what true success is, perhaps stupidly, perhaps unconsciously, in some cases, perhaps willingly. They are blind to what constitutes true success.” (David O. McKay in CR, Apr. 1945, p. 120.)
The Prophet Joseph Smith said that the Savior's words were probably an ironic rebuke that was meant to help the Pharisees and scribes recognize their own need to repent. (see Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 277-78).
President David O McKay: “In this case the thing lost was not in itself responsible. The one who had been trusted with that coin had, through carelessness or neglect, mislaid it or dropped it. There is a difference, and this is the one third, which I think applies to us tonight. Our charge is not only coins, but living souls of children, youth, and adults. They are our charges. . . .
“Someone may be wandering because of the careless remark of a girl of her age in Mutual (and I have in mind a case), and the president of the Mutual lets her go, fails to follow her next Tuesday night and invite her to come. Another may be lost because of the inactivity of the Sunday School teacher, or the indifference of the Sunday School teacher who is satisfied with the fifteen people there that morning, instead of thinking of the fifteen who are wandering because of neglect.” (David O. McKay in CR, Apr. 1945, pp. 121–22.)
Elder Jeffery R. Holland: “You know the conversation they then had. Surely, for this father, the pain over a wayward child who had run from home and wallowed with swine is now compounded with the realization that this older, wiser brother, the younger boy’s childhood hero as older brothers always are, is angry that his brother has come home.
“No, I correct myself. This son is not so much angry that the other has come home as he is angry that his parents are so happy about it. Feeling unappreciated and perhaps more than a little self-pity, this dutiful son—and he is wonderfully dutiful — forgets for a moment that he has never had to know filth or despair, fear or self-loathing. He forgets for a moment that every calf on the ranch is already his and so are all the robes in the closet and every ring in the drawer. He forgets for a moment that his faithfulness has been and always will be rewarded.
“…He feels taken for granted by his father and disenfranchised by his brother, when neither is the case.
“…But God does not work this way. The father in this story does not tantalize his children. He does not mercilessly measure them against their neighbors. He doesn’t even compare them with each other. His gestures of compassion toward one do not require a withdrawal or denial of love for the other. He is divinely generous to both of these sons. Toward both of his children he extends charity.
“I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other. I know that if we will be faithful, there is a perfectly tailored robe of righteousness ready and waiting for everyone, “robes … made … white in the blood of the Lamb.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2002/04/the-other-prodigal?lang=eng)
Elder Orson F. Whitney: “The Prophet Joseph Smith declared—and he never taught a more comforting doctrine—that the eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal, to a loving and forgiving father’s heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain. Pray for your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God” (Conference Report, Apr. 1929, 110).
Elder James E. Talmage: “It was not the steward’s dishonesty that was extolled; his prudence and foresight were commended, however; for while he misapplied his master’s substance, he gave relief to the debtors; and in so doing he did not exceed his legal powers, for he was still steward though he was morally guilty of malfeasance [doing wrong]. The lesson may be summed up in this wise: … Be diligent; for the day in which you can use your earthly riches will soon pass. Take a lesson from even the dishonest and the evil; if they are so prudent as to provide for the only future they think of, how much more should you, who believe in an eternal future, provide therefore!” (Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 464)
Elder Hartman Rector Jr.: “Oh yes, it is possible to repent in the spirit world, although we are given to understand that it is much more difficult to repent there because we will not have our physical bodies to help us ... President Brigham Young said it is a hundred times easier to repent here on the earth than it is in the spirit world. By the same token, if we go there in the right condition, it is a hundred times easier to learn in the spirit world than it is here in this life. (CR, Oct 70, p. 73-74.)
Elder Merrill J. Bateman: “In becoming a whole person, the grateful leper was healed inside as well as on the outside. That day nine lepers were healed skin deep, but only one had the faith to be made whole.” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1995, 16; or Ensign, May 1995, 14).
President Thomas S. Monson: “My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love” (Ensign, Nov. 2010, 87).
President Ezra Taft Benson: “The Prophet Joseph is reported to have said at one time that one of the greatest sins for which the Latter-day Saints would be guilty would be the sin of ingratitude… “President Brigham Young uttered very much the same warning as the Prophet Joseph—that this would be one of our great sins as Latter-day Saints. I do not think this is because we’re less grateful than other people—but we have so much more to be grateful for.”(New Era, Nov 1976, 4).
President Gordon B. Hinckley: “[The fact is] most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. …
“Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.
“The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride” (quoting the words of Jenkins Lloyd Jones, “Big Rock Candy Mountains,” Deseret News, 12 June 1973, A4) (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Mar 1997, 58).
Elder David A. Bednar: “The most meaningful and spiritual prayers I have experienced contained many expressions of thanks and few, if any, requests… As we strive to make our prayers more meaningful, we should remember that “in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments” (D&C 59:21). Let me recommend that periodically you and I offer a prayer in which we only give thanks and express gratitude. Ask for nothing; simply let our souls rejoice and strive to communicate appreciation with all the energy of our hearts” (Ensign, Nov. 2008).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “Decomposition was well under way; death had long since been established as an absolute certainty.
… To the Jews the term of four days had special significance; it was the popular belief among them that by the fourth day the spirit had finally and irrevocably departed from the vicinity of the corpse.” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 1:533).
Teaching Thoughts:
Elder Quentin L. Cook: “President Nelson, from his initial address to the members of the Church in January, has exhorted us to prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ by walking the covenant path.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/10/deep-and-lasting-conversion-to-heavenly-father-and-the-lord-jesus-christ?lang=eng)
Keith W. Perkins, chairman of the department of Church History and Doctrine at BYU, said that the JST teaches a truth about the Second Coming "that is found nowhere else in scripture," and "which has not only been ignored by biblical scholars but also has been almost entirely overlooked by Latter-day Saints." JST Luke 12:41-42 refers to Christ's coming in the first, second, and third watches of the night-indicating that although "there will be an actual time when Christ will return to earth again to greet those in the flesh who are so privileged to meet Him in that day," Christ comes "in every watch of the night." In other words, "no preparation that we make for the Second Coming of Christ is in vain, for in effect he comes in every generation." For example, if we die prior to his coming, the joy of our reunion with him "will be just the same as if we were living on the earth when he finally does return in great glory. … With this knowledge may we not worry so much about the day of his coming, but rather about our preparation to meet him regardless of the day." (Marvin K. Gardner, "News of the Church," Ensign, Jan. 1985, 77.)
When there were large rocks near the shore, the lower lights helped the pilots to steer clear of them at night. Lower lights were placed along the shore at even intervals. If a ship was coming into the harbor at night, the pilot would see the evenly spaced lower lights. If there was a gap in the reflection of the lights that meant that there was a large rock between the ship and the entrance to the harbor. The pilots would avoid sailing into these “dark areas,” knowing that the rocks blocked the lights from showing across the waves.
Songwriter Philip Bliss was traveling with the famous evangelist D. L. Moody. While preaching, Mr. Moody told this true story.
One dark stormy night on Lake Erie, the winds were howling and the rain was relentless. The waves rolled like mountains and not a star in the sky could be seen. A ship was rolling with the huge waves and was trying to make its way into Cleveland harbor. At last, the Captain saw the lighthouse for Cleveland harbor, but he could not see the lower lights.
The Captain said to the Pilot, “Is that Cleveland Harbor?”
The Pilot responded, “Yes sir, it is Cleveland Harbor.”
“Where are the lower lights?” the Captain asked.
“They must have gone out, sir.” said the Pilot.
“Can you make it into the harbor without the lower lights?” asked the Captain.
“We must, sir, or we will perish in this storm!” was the Pilot’s reply.
With a strong hand and with a brave heart, the Pilot turned the ship’s wheel toward Cleveland Harbor, but the ship missed the channel and crashed on the rocks. The boat sank and over 200 people lost their lives.
Mr. Moody then made an application from this story: “Brethren, the Master will take care of the great lighthouse of salvation, but it is our job to keep the lower lights burning to guide men safely to Him.”
After hearing Mr. Moody tell this story, Philip Bliss wrote the words and music to the beautiful hymn – Let the Lower Lights Be Burning. (https://enjoyingthejourney.org/hymn-history-let-the-lower-lights-be-burning/)
1.Brightly beams our Father’s mercy
From His lighthouse evermore;
But to us He gives the keeping
Of the lights along the shore.
2.Dark the night of sin has settled,
Loud the angry billows roar;
Eager eyes are watching, longing,
For the lights along the shore. (Refrain)
3.Trim your feeble lamp, my brother!
Some poor seaman, tempest-tossed,
Trying now to make the harbor,
In the darkness may be lost. (Refrain)
(Refrain) Let the lower lights be burning!
Send a gleam across the wave!
Some poor fainting, struggling seaman
You may rescue, you may save.
(HYMN 335 - Brightly Beams Our Father’s Mercy)
How many people really will make the Celestial Kingdom?
- “An innumerable company” (Section 76:67).
- “Great multitude which no man could number” (Rev 7:7-9).
- “A multitude of nations” (Section 107:55).
- “Thousand thousands” i.e. infinite (Daniel 7:10).
- “Innumerable company of the spirits of the just” (Section 138:12).
- “An innumerable company” in the heavenly Jerusalem (Heb 12:22).
- Children who die before the age of 8 and all those who die without gospel, who would have received it if they had the chance.(Section 137:7-10).
Elder Gibbons: “As you begin to set your priorities in life, remember, the only true security in life is living the commandments. …
“… What a great thing it is to decide once and for all early in life what you will do and what you will not do with regards to honesty, modesty, chastity, the Word of Wisdom, and temple marriage.
“Brothers and sisters, stay on the straight and narrow path. No, stay in the middle of the straight and narrow path. Don’t drift; don’t wander; don’t dabble; be careful.
“… Living the commandments will bring you the happiness that too many look for in other places.” (Elder Gibbons, “Wherefore, Settle This in Your Hearts,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2006, 103, 104.)
President David O McKay: “Sheep go where grass is. It seems apparent that the sheep in the parable was not lost through willful disobedience or careless neglect; it simply strayed away in search of greener pastures and soon was lost. “I ask you tonight, how did that sheep get lost? He was not rebellious.
“If you follow the comparison, the lamb was seeking its livelihood in a perfectly legitimate manner, but either stupidly, perhaps unconsciously, it followed the enticement of the field, the prospect of better grass until it got out beyond the fold and was lost.
“So we have those in the Church, young men and young women, who wander away from the fold in perfectly legitimate ways. They are seeking success, success in business, success in their professions, and before long they become disinterested in Church and finally disconnected from the fold; they have lost track of what true success is, perhaps stupidly, perhaps unconsciously, in some cases, perhaps willingly. They are blind to what constitutes true success.” (David O. McKay in CR, Apr. 1945, p. 120.)
The Prophet Joseph Smith said that the Savior's words were probably an ironic rebuke that was meant to help the Pharisees and scribes recognize their own need to repent. (see Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, sel. Joseph Fielding Smith [1976], 277-78).
President David O McKay: “In this case the thing lost was not in itself responsible. The one who had been trusted with that coin had, through carelessness or neglect, mislaid it or dropped it. There is a difference, and this is the one third, which I think applies to us tonight. Our charge is not only coins, but living souls of children, youth, and adults. They are our charges. . . .
“Someone may be wandering because of the careless remark of a girl of her age in Mutual (and I have in mind a case), and the president of the Mutual lets her go, fails to follow her next Tuesday night and invite her to come. Another may be lost because of the inactivity of the Sunday School teacher, or the indifference of the Sunday School teacher who is satisfied with the fifteen people there that morning, instead of thinking of the fifteen who are wandering because of neglect.” (David O. McKay in CR, Apr. 1945, pp. 121–22.)
Elder Jeffery R. Holland: “You know the conversation they then had. Surely, for this father, the pain over a wayward child who had run from home and wallowed with swine is now compounded with the realization that this older, wiser brother, the younger boy’s childhood hero as older brothers always are, is angry that his brother has come home.
“No, I correct myself. This son is not so much angry that the other has come home as he is angry that his parents are so happy about it. Feeling unappreciated and perhaps more than a little self-pity, this dutiful son—and he is wonderfully dutiful — forgets for a moment that he has never had to know filth or despair, fear or self-loathing. He forgets for a moment that every calf on the ranch is already his and so are all the robes in the closet and every ring in the drawer. He forgets for a moment that his faithfulness has been and always will be rewarded.
“…He feels taken for granted by his father and disenfranchised by his brother, when neither is the case.
“…But God does not work this way. The father in this story does not tantalize his children. He does not mercilessly measure them against their neighbors. He doesn’t even compare them with each other. His gestures of compassion toward one do not require a withdrawal or denial of love for the other. He is divinely generous to both of these sons. Toward both of his children he extends charity.
“I testify that no one of us is less treasured or cherished of God than another. I testify that He loves each of us—insecurities, anxieties, self-image, and all. He doesn’t measure our talents or our looks; He doesn’t measure our professions or our possessions. He cheers on every runner, calling out that the race is against sin, not against each other. I know that if we will be faithful, there is a perfectly tailored robe of righteousness ready and waiting for everyone, “robes … made … white in the blood of the Lamb.” (https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2002/04/the-other-prodigal?lang=eng)
Elder Orson F. Whitney: “The Prophet Joseph Smith declared—and he never taught a more comforting doctrine—that the eternal sealings of faithful parents and the divine promises made to them for valiant service in the Cause of Truth, would save not only themselves, but likewise their posterity. Though some of the sheep may wander, the eye of the Shepherd is upon them, and sooner or later they will feel the tentacles of Divine Providence reaching out after them and drawing them back to the fold. Either in this life or the life to come, they will return. They will have to pay their debt to justice; they will suffer for their sins; and may tread a thorny path; but if it leads them at last, like the penitent Prodigal, to a loving and forgiving father’s heart and home, the painful experience will not have been in vain. Pray for your careless and disobedient children; hold on to them with your faith. Hope on, trust on, till you see the salvation of God” (Conference Report, Apr. 1929, 110).
Elder James E. Talmage: “It was not the steward’s dishonesty that was extolled; his prudence and foresight were commended, however; for while he misapplied his master’s substance, he gave relief to the debtors; and in so doing he did not exceed his legal powers, for he was still steward though he was morally guilty of malfeasance [doing wrong]. The lesson may be summed up in this wise: … Be diligent; for the day in which you can use your earthly riches will soon pass. Take a lesson from even the dishonest and the evil; if they are so prudent as to provide for the only future they think of, how much more should you, who believe in an eternal future, provide therefore!” (Jesus the Christ, 3rd ed. [1916], 464)
Elder Hartman Rector Jr.: “Oh yes, it is possible to repent in the spirit world, although we are given to understand that it is much more difficult to repent there because we will not have our physical bodies to help us ... President Brigham Young said it is a hundred times easier to repent here on the earth than it is in the spirit world. By the same token, if we go there in the right condition, it is a hundred times easier to learn in the spirit world than it is here in this life. (CR, Oct 70, p. 73-74.)
Elder Merrill J. Bateman: “In becoming a whole person, the grateful leper was healed inside as well as on the outside. That day nine lepers were healed skin deep, but only one had the faith to be made whole.” (in Conference Report, Apr. 1995, 16; or Ensign, May 1995, 14).
President Thomas S. Monson: “My brothers and sisters, do we remember to give thanks for the blessings we receive? Sincerely giving thanks not only helps us recognize our blessings, but it also unlocks the doors of heaven and helps us feel God’s love” (Ensign, Nov. 2010, 87).
President Ezra Taft Benson: “The Prophet Joseph is reported to have said at one time that one of the greatest sins for which the Latter-day Saints would be guilty would be the sin of ingratitude… “President Brigham Young uttered very much the same warning as the Prophet Joseph—that this would be one of our great sins as Latter-day Saints. I do not think this is because we’re less grateful than other people—but we have so much more to be grateful for.”(New Era, Nov 1976, 4).
President Gordon B. Hinckley: “[The fact is] most putts don’t drop. Most beef is tough. Most children grow up to be just people. Most successful marriages require a high degree of mutual toleration. Most jobs are more often dull than otherwise. …
“Life is like an old-time rail journey—delays, sidetracks, smoke, dust, cinders and jolts, interspersed only occasionally by beautiful vistas and thrilling bursts of speed.
“The trick is to thank the Lord for letting you have the ride” (quoting the words of Jenkins Lloyd Jones, “Big Rock Candy Mountains,” Deseret News, 12 June 1973, A4) (Gordon B. Hinckley, Ensign, Mar 1997, 58).
Elder David A. Bednar: “The most meaningful and spiritual prayers I have experienced contained many expressions of thanks and few, if any, requests… As we strive to make our prayers more meaningful, we should remember that “in nothing doth man offend God, or against none is his wrath kindled, save those who confess not his hand in all things, and obey not his commandments” (D&C 59:21). Let me recommend that periodically you and I offer a prayer in which we only give thanks and express gratitude. Ask for nothing; simply let our souls rejoice and strive to communicate appreciation with all the energy of our hearts” (Ensign, Nov. 2008).
Elder Bruce R. McConkie: “Decomposition was well under way; death had long since been established as an absolute certainty.
… To the Jews the term of four days had special significance; it was the popular belief among them that by the fourth day the spirit had finally and irrevocably departed from the vicinity of the corpse.” (Doctrinal New Testament Commentary, 3 vols. [1965–73], 1:533).
Teaching Thoughts:
- Using inspired music in your teaching.
- “Lord, increase my faith.”
- Express gratitude.
- Sheep, coins, and sons – it doesn’t matter how they got lost but it matters that they are found. What can we do today to search (or wait) for those who are lost?