"Sacred Scriptures—the Foundations of Faith"

Last updated on December 29th, 2024 at 09:03 am

General Conference Applied

S4 E9 – Thursday, December 19, 2024 | “Sacred Scriptures—the Foundations of Faith” by Elder Quentin L. Cook; October 2024 General Conference

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Introduction

Any address that starts off by talking about the importance of books is something that immediately catches my attention!

“Books: The Original Handheld Device”:

“My wife, Mary, and I recently saw a T-shirt with the picture of a book and a message on the front which read, ‘Books: The Original Handheld Device.’

“I thought about this interesting message and how significant handheld devices of all kinds have become. Upon further contemplation, I realized that any device or even one equipped with artificial intelligence will never be as important or significant as the spiritual guidance that comes from divine revelation.

“Whether handheld or digital, the Holy Bible and the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ provide spiritual guidance and teaching from Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world. We treasure these books for their profound role in documenting God’s direction to ancient prophets and people and the guidance they provide for our own personal lives.

“Combined with the teachings of living prophets, these sacred scriptures provide doctrinal direction for us in today’s world. These scriptures are most powerful when they give instruction, correction, comfort, and consolation to individuals and families who seek guidance from the Lord.

“The scriptures, combined with spiritual inspiration from the Holy Spirit, continue to be the primary source that facilitates the conversion of those who have broken hearts and contrite spirits and desire to follow Jesus Christ. The scriptures help build a foundation that can withstand the adversary’s constant efforts to undermine faith.” -Elder Cook
“Four Thousand Weeks: Time Management for Mortals” by Oliver Burkeman: “People complain that they no longer have time to read, but the reality, as the novelist Tim Parks has pointed out, is rarely that they literally can’t locate an empty half hour in the course of the day. What they mean is that when they do find a morsel of time and use it to try to read, they find they’re too impatient to give themselves over to the task. ‘It is not simply that one is interrupted,’ writes Parks, ‘it is that one is actually inclined to interruption. It’s not so much that we’re too busy or too distractible, but that we’re unwilling to accept the truth that reading is the sort of activity that largely operates according to its own schedule. You can’t hurry it very much before the experience begins to lose its meaning. It refuses to consent, you might say, to our desire to exert control over how our time unfolds. In other words, and in common with far more aspects of reality that we’re comfortable acknowledging, reading something properly just takes the time it takes.'”

Bio

“Quentin L. Cook was sustained as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on October 6, 2007. Called as a General Authority in April 1996, he served in the Second Quorum, the First Quorum, and the Presidency of the Seventy.

“Quentin L. Cook married Mary Gaddie on November 30, 1962. They are the parents of three children and have eleven grandchildren.

“He is a native of Logan, Utah, received a bachelor’s degree in political science from Utah State University, with honors, and a Doctor of Jurisprudence from Stanford University. Utah State University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Laws degree.

“He has served the Church as a full-time missionary in the British Mission and as a bishop, stake president in the San Francisco California Stake, Regional Representative, and Area Authority in the North America West Area.

“Elder Cook previously served in the Area Presidency in the Philippines, as president of the Pacific Islands and the North America Northwest Areas, and as Executive Director of the Missionary Department.

“At the time of his call to be a General Authority of the Church, he was vice chairman of Sutter Health System. He had previously served as president and chief executive officer of a California healthcare system. Prior to that, he was a business lawyer and managing partner of a San Francisco Bay Area law firm. He also served on the governing boards of a number of civic and business-related corporations.”
This was Elder Cook’s 37th general conference address. Here are his five most recent addresses:
- “Be One with Christ” – April 2024 General Conference
- “Be Peaceable Followers of Christ” – October 2023 General Conference
- “Safely Gathered Home” – April 2023 General Conference
- “Be True to God and His Work” – October 2022 General Conference
- “Conversion to the Will of God” – April 2022 General Conference

What is the speaker inviting me to do, and how might I consider taking action?

Invitations

1: “Both long-term members and those newly studying the gospel need to be intentional about what they view.”

Each of us needs to be intentional about what we are viewing.
Christlike Attribute: “I am clean and pure in heart. (Psalm 24:3–4)” (Virtue)
“Do not entertain immoral, dishonest, or unrighteous material. If you do, algorithms can lead you down a path that destroys faith and impairs your eternal progression. You can be acted upon positively or negatively. Seek righteousness and avoid dark internet rabbit holes and doomscrolling. Fill your life with positive, righteous ideas; be joyful; have fun but avoid foolishness. There is a difference. The thirteenth article of faith is a marvelous guide.” -Elder Cook
“Things as They Really Are 2.0“, Elder David A. Bednar, Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults, Sunday, November 3, 2024: “Always remember that an AI companion is only a mathematical algorithm. It does not like you. It does not care about you. It does not really know if you exist or not. To repeat, it is a set of computer equations that will treat you as an object to be acted upon, if you let it. Please, do not let this technology entice you to become an object.” (See General Conference Applied S4 E7)
Action:
1. I will study the Life Help – Media Safety resource on the Church’s website and dedicate one family home evening to preparing a plan with my family for healthy technology use.

2: “Immerse yourself regularly in the Book of Mormon, which will draw the Spirit into your life and help you discern truth from error. My counsel for those who have in any way deviated from the covenant path is to return to the sacred scriptures, prophetic guidance, religious observance in the home, and the music of faith.”

Immerse ourselves in the words of ancient and modern prophets, embracing a home-centered, Church-supported approach to gospel observance.
Christlike Attribute: “I study the scriptures daily. (2 Timothy 3:16–17)” (Knowledge)
“When I was a young bishop, two marvelous sister missionaries were teaching the William Edward Mussman family. The father, a very capable lawyer, was general counsel of a major corporation. His devoted wife, Janet, was helping the family strive to live a more Christlike life.

“Their exceptional son and daughter, both in their early 20s, were also being taught. All four had received the lessons and were attending church. The sister missionaries had emphasized reading the Book of Mormon and praying for a testimony of that sacred scripture. Remarkably, the family prayerfully read the entire Book of Mormon in a short time.

“The stake missionaries, both of whom were prior ward Relief Society presidents, accompanied them to sacrament meetings.

“As the family was nearing baptism, they received a barrage of literature critical of the Church. This was before the internet, but the material filled a large cardboard box.

“The sister missionaries invited me as a recently called 34-year-old bishop to help answer the questions being raised. When we gathered in their living room, the large box of pamphlets critical of the Church was in the middle of the room. I had prayerfully approached this assignment. During the opening prayer, the Spirit whispered to me, ‘He already knows it is true.’ This was important. The sisters believed that the rest of the family already had a testimony. They were unsure about the father.

“I immediately informed him that the Spirit had prompted me that he already had a testimony. ‘Was that true?’ He looked at me intently and said that the Spirit had confirmed the truth of the Book of Mormon and the Church to him.

“I then asked whether it would be necessary to review the pamphlets, if they already had a spiritual confirmation.

“The father replied that it would not be necessary. The rest of the family concurred with his answer.

“He said he did have a significant question: One reason they had received so much literature opposing the Church was that they were members of another faith. In addition, he had made a large pledge to help build a new chapel for that faith. He informed me that the sister missionaries had taught him about the importance of tithing, which he gratefully accepted, but he wondered if it would be wrong to also honor the pledge he had previously made. I assured him that payment of the pledge would be both honorable and appropriate.

“The entire family was baptized. One year later they were sealed as a family in the Oakland California Temple. I was privileged to be present. The son completed law school, passed the California Bar Exam, and immediately served a faithful mission in Japan. I have watched over the years as the succeeding generations have remained faithful to the gospel. I was privileged to officiate at the sealing of one of the granddaughters. …

“We cannot underestimate the significance of sacred scriptures both in conversions and in remaining faithful in the gospel. …

“To know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God, we need to read, ponder, and pray about it and then act according to its precepts. The prophet Moroni promised that God will reveal the truth of the book to us as we pray with a sincere heart, with real intent, and with faith in Christ. Studying the Book of Mormon is essential for enduring conversion.” -Elder Cook
followHim Podcast – Moroni 10 – Dr. Anthony Sweat: [Dr. Anthony Sweat] “If I’m not being clear enough or if Moroni is not being clear enough, let me just try to say it in my own words. Sometimes we do a disservice when we say, ‘Get The Book of Mormon, pray about it, and then pay attention to how you feel.’

“That is one thing we should do. However, that’s not what Moroni is telling us to do here. Moroni is saying, ‘Get The Book of Mormon, ponder these stories, how merciful God’s been. Let that rest in your heart. Ask God if that’s not true.’ And one of the ways you’re going to know it’s true is that he’s going to manifest to you through the gifts of the Spirit certain things in your life that … point you to Christ.

“Instead of asking, how do I feel? Ask, did this point me to Christ? Did this help me to understand the Savior, His teachings, His ministry, His mercy, His grace better? Did it make me love God? And then the second thing we should start to ask is, and did I start to have certain gifts of the Spirit manifest in my life as I read this book?

“Now we can go into those gifts, but there are things like, have I been filled with knowledge? Have I been filled with wisdom? Have I started to see miracles in my life? Have I started to speak with the tongue of angels? I can speak and understand truth? Have I seen healing come to my soul or my mind or my body through these words? That is a broader way of getting a witness of the truthfulness of these things. Then I prayed about it and I got a really powerful spiritual experience.

“Now, I want to be very clear here, I’m not undercutting that. There have been too many countless saints and friends of the Church and people who have read these potent words, who have kneeled down and like Parley P. Pratt, overnight, they have been so filled with spiritual experiences that they know the book’s true. There seems to be a broader thing that he’s teaching here, that he’s saying, ‘As you’re pondering and reading these things, pay attention to the fruits that are produced in your life, not just a feeling.’ We can’t reduce the Holy Ghost down to feeling.

“I often give what I like to call the tripod of truth, which the Holy Ghost will speak to our mind and our heart as section eight verse two and three says, but it also produces a certain fruit in our life, mind, heart and fruit. By fruit I mean things that are good, more Christ-like and more kind and more merciful and charitable and loving. We have more divine experiences in our life, more revelations and miracles and gifts and he seems to be saying, when you see these things manifest in your life, you’re going to know that what I’ve taught you in this book about the mercy of God is true.”
Actions:
1. I have read the Book of Mormon many times, but I have never read the Book of Mormon specifically looking for precepts. In 2025, I will read the entire Book of Mormon with a focus on identifying and then abiding by its precepts. (See General Conference Applied S4 E8)
2. Start Each Day with the Prophet’s Words: Church News Podcast Episode 205: Celebrating President Nelson’s century of service ahead of his birthday: [President Camille N. Johnson] “I’ve had the opportunity to look into the eyes of our Prophet, who I know to be the Lord’s mouthpiece on the earth today, and feel the love of my Savior through him. What I wish for all of my sisters around the world is to have an experience feeling the love of our Savior through the words of our Prophet. And while I realize that I have been uniquely blessed to be physically present with him, all of us have an opportunity to have that experience as we listen to and study his words.
  
  “You know, President Nelson has given 112 conference talks. I’ve studied all of them. I’ve made it a personal habit to listen to President Nelson every morning before I leave for the day. It’s made a remarkable difference in my life. I leave the house more joyful and more optimistic because he is. It sets my resolve more firmly on the covenant path. I think celestial. I think I’m a better peacemaker. When I listen to President Nelson’s words each morning, it stills me for the challenges of the day.
  
  “And so I invite my sisters, my brothers and sisters and friends of all faiths, to listen to President Nelson, to study his words. I trust that as you do, you will feel the love of our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is clearly one of his primary roles as our Prophet to invite the Savior, Jesus Christ, into our lives as he witnesses of His reality.”
3. In the same family home evening where we prepare a plan for healthy technology use, we will also identify the following: 1) One way that we will more consistently hold a weekly family home evening in 2024; 2) One way that we can better utilize sacred music in our home in 2024.

Take Action

How will you take action on the invitations extended in this General Conference address?

Conclusion

As we conclude this episode, I have some important information. Show notes for this and all other episodes can be found on my website, mitchellryanpeterson.com. On my website, you will also find my weekly What? Eye. Read. 💡 newsletter.

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