Last updated on October 3rd, 2024 at 01:00 am
General Conference Applied
S3 E22 – Sunday, September 1, 2024 | “Pillars and Rays” by Elder Alexander Dushku; April 2024 General Conference
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Podcast Episode Outline
Introduction
Doctrine: Revelation: “Individuals can receive revelation to help them with their specific needs, responsibilities, and questions and to help strengthen their testimonies. Most revelations to leaders and members of the Church come through impressions and thoughts from the Holy Ghost. The Holy Ghost speaks to the mind and heart in a still, small voice (see D&C 8:2–3). Revelation can also come through visions, dreams, and visitations by angels.”
Principle: The Gift of the Holy Ghost: “The Holy Ghost usually communicates with us quietly. His influence is often referred to as a ‘still small voice’ (see 1 Kings 19:9–12; Helaman 5:30; D&C 85:6). President Boyd K. Packer explained: ‘The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. … While we speak of ‘listening’ to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, ‘I had a feeling …” He continued: ‘This voice of the Spirit speaks gently, prompting you what to do or what to say, or it may caution or warn you’ (in Conference Report, Oct. 1994, 77; or Ensign, Nov. 1994, 60).”
Christlike Attribute: Knowledge: “The Lord counseled, ‘Seek learning, even by study and also by faith’ (Doctrine and Covenants 88:118). During your mission and throughout your life, seek knowledge, especially spiritual knowledge.
“Study the scriptures every day, as well as the words of the living prophets. Through study and prayer, seek help for specific questions, challenges, and opportunities. Look for scripture passages you can use in teaching and in answering questions about the gospel.
“As you study diligently and prayerfully, the Holy Ghost will enlighten your mind. He will teach you and give you understanding. He will help you apply the teachings of the scriptures and latter-day prophets in your life.”
Bio
- “Elder Alexander Dushku was called as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on August 15, 2023. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a stake president.
“Elder Dushku has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Portugal Lisbon Mission, elders quorum president, counselor in a bishopric, high councilor, bishop, and stake president.
“Elder Dushku received a bachelor of arts degree in economics from Brigham Young University in 1990 and a juris doctor degree from Brigham Young University Law School in 1993. He has worked as an attorney for Kirton McConkie since 1996.
“Alexander Dushku was born in Fairfield, California, on November 17, 1966. He married Jennifer Burnham in 1988. They are the parents of eight children.” - This was Elder Dushku’s first general conference address.
What is the speaker inviting me to do, and how might I consider taking action?
Invitations
1: “We must be wary of a spiritual trap. Sometimes faithful Church members become discouraged and even drift away because they haven’t had overwhelming spiritual experiences—because they haven’t experienced their own pillar of light. President Spencer W. Kimball warned, ‘Always expecting the spectacular, many will miss entirely the constant flow of revealed communication.'”
- Beware the spiritual trap of ‘always expecting the spectacular’.
- “That is the Lord’s typical pattern, brothers and sisters. Rather than sending us a pillar of light, the Lord sends us a ray of light, and then another, and another.
“Those rays of light are continuously being poured down upon us. …
“If we have received the gift of the Holy Ghost and are striving to exercise faith, repent, and honor our covenants, then we are worthy to receive these divine rays constantly. In Elder David A. Bednar’s memorable phrase, ‘we are ‘living in revelation.'” -Elder Dushku - Questions:
- In what other areas of life should we anticipate not having ‘overwhelming experiences’?
- 5/5/2024: At some point, our collection of rays of light can be considered to be a pillar of light. This is the same as one more dollar determining whether someone is “rich” or not (“Atomic Habits”).
- “Atomic Habits: An Easy & Proven Way to Build Good Habits & Break Bad Ones” by James Clear: “There is an ancient Greek parable known as the Sorites Paradox which talks about the effect one small action can have when repeated enough times. One formulation of the paradox goes as follows: Can one coin make a person rich? If you give a person a pile of ten coins, you wouldn’t claim that he or she is rich. But what if you add another? And another? And another? At some point, you will have to admit that no one can be rich unless one coin can make him or her so.
“We can say the same about atomic habits. Can one tiny change transform your life? It’s unlikely you would say so. But what if you made another? And another? And another? At some point, you will have to admit that your life was transformed by one small change.
“The holy grail of habit change is not a single 1 percent improvement, but a thousand of them. It’s a bunch of atomic habits stacking up, each one a fundamental unit of the overall system.
“In the beginning, small improvements can often seem meaningless because they get washed away by the weight of the system. Just as one coin won’t make you rich, one positive change like meditating for one minute or reading one page each day is unlikely to deliver a noticeable difference.
“Gradually, though, as you continue to layer small changes on top of one another, the scales of life start to move. Each improvement is like adding a grain of sand to the positive side of the scale, slowly tilting things in your favor. Eventually, if you stick with it, you hit a tipping point.
“Suddenly, it feels easier to stick with good habits. The weight of the system is working for you rather than against you.”
- How do you ‘always expect the spectacular’?
- Do you believe that you can receive a ‘constant flow of revealed communication’?
- Do you know anyone who has ‘drift[ed] away because they haven’t had overwhelming spiritual experiences’?
- Why did Joseph Smith see a pillar of light, but I haven’t?
- If someone asked you right now what important spiritual experiences you’ve had in your life, could you provide specific examples to them?
- “Here are some examples from my own life. They may not be very impressive to some, but they are precious to me.
“I remember being a rowdy teenager at a baptism. As the meeting was about to begin, I felt the Spirit urge me to sit down and be reverent. I sat down and stayed quiet the rest of the meeting.
“Before my mission, I was afraid my testimony wasn’t strong enough. No one in my family had ever served a mission, and I didn’t know if I could do it. I remember studying and praying desperately to receive a more certain witness of Jesus Christ. Then one day, as I pled with Heavenly Father, I felt a powerful sense of light and warmth. And I knew. I just knew.
“I remember being awakened one night years later by a feeling of ‘pure intelligence’ telling me I would be called to serve in the elders quorum. Two weeks later I was called.
“I remember a general conference where a beloved member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke the exact words of testimony I had told a friend I hoped to hear.
“I remember kneeling with hundreds of brethren to pray for a dear friend who lay unconscious on a ventilator in a small, faraway hospital after his heart had stopped. As we united our own hearts to plead for his life, he woke up and pulled the ventilator out of his own throat. He serves today as a stake president.
“And I remember waking up with strong spiritual feelings after a vivid dream of a dear friend and mentor who passed away far too early, leaving an enormous hole in my life. He was smiling and joyful. I knew he was OK.” -Elder Dushku - The Book of Mormon – Master Class: Class 35 – Helaman 1-6: Building on the Rock: [John Hilton III] “Forms of the word remember appear more than 200 times in the Book of Mormon, and the word is used more in the Book of Mormon than any other book of scripture. And it’s used more in Helaman 5 than any other chapter.
“Recently, Dr. Michael Ricks, a former student of mine, now a professor of economics, did an in-depth analysis of what the Book of Mormon tells us to remember. He writes: ‘In total, there are 221 references to remember and its derivatives in the Book of Mormon; 150 of these are directly connected to Jesus Christ.’
“Note this word cloud that visualizes the 250 most common words in the verses where remember is used. Larger and more central words occur with greater frequency. Words like ‘Lord’, ‘God’, ‘Son’, ‘Christ’, and ‘Jesus’ occur with great regularity in these passages, more than words anecdotally associated with remembrance, like ‘words’, ‘commandments’, ‘spoken’, and ‘fathers’. Furthermore, explicit mentions of ‘Jesus’, ‘Christ’, ‘Lord’, and ‘Redeemer’ occur about twice as often in these verses than in the Book of Mormon on average. Clearly, Christ is central.
“Ricks writes: ‘At the heart of the themes of remembering in the Book of Mormon is remembering Jesus Christ. This theme is almost 50% larger than the next most common theme.’
“I think that’s so powerful. It’s not just about remembering in the Book of Mormon, it’s about remembering Jesus Christ.”
- “Here are some examples from my own life. They may not be very impressive to some, but they are precious to me.
- What does a ‘constant flow of revealed communication’ look like to you?
- How might ‘always expecting the spectacular’ cause you to ‘drift away’ from the covenant path?
- When was the last time you wrote down one of your ‘rays of light’?
- Are you seeking for inspiration – ‘rays of light’ – to answer important questions in your life? If not, why not?
- August 25, 2024, Bluffdale Independence Stake Conference: President Justin McIntyre: President Russell M. Nelson has invited us to seek for miracles. We would be wise to seek for and recognize miracles in our lives, most of which will come through constant, seemingly insignificant promptings from the Holy Ghost. As a Bishop, he invited a man who was struggling with his faith to write down all of his lifetime experiences with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. This helped the man to overcome his faith crisis.
- In what other areas of life should we anticipate not having ‘overwhelming experiences’?
2: “Take some time to think about how you experience the light and Spirit of the Lord.”
- Think about how the Holy Ghost speaks to you.
- “Brothers and sisters, I have not seen a pillar of light, but, like you, I have experienced many divine rays. Over the years, I’ve tried to treasure such experiences. I find that as I do, I recognize and remember even more of them. …
“You have had your own experiences—your own light-filled bursts of testimony. As we recognize, remember, and gather these rays ‘together in one,’ something wonderful and powerful begins to happen. ‘Light cleaveth unto light’—’truth embraceth truth.’ The reality and power of one ray of testimony reinforces and combines with another, and then another, and another. Line upon line, precept upon precept, here a ray and there a ray—one small, treasured spiritual moment at a time—there grows up within us a core of light-filled, spiritual experiences. Perhaps no one ray is strong enough or bright enough to constitute a full testimony, but together they can become a light that the darkness of doubt cannot overcome. …
“That means, brothers and sisters, that in time and through ‘great diligence,’ we too can have our own pillar of light—one ray at a time. And in the midst of that pillar, we too will find a loving Heavenly Father calling us by name, pointing us to our Savior, Jesus Christ, and inviting us to ‘Hear Him!'” -Elder Dushku - Questions:
- How does the Holy Ghost speak to you?
- What are a few pivotal experiences you’ve had in your life that have strengthened your testimony?
- “You may have experienced these bursts of light and testimony as ‘peace [spoken] to your mind concerning [a] matter’ that has worried you.
“Or as an impression—a still, small voice—that settled ‘in your mind and in your heart’ and urged you to do something good, such as helping someone.
“Perhaps you’ve been in a class at church—or at a youth camp—and felt a strong desire to follow Jesus Christ and stay faithful. Maybe you even stood and shared a testimony that you hoped was true and then felt it was.
“Or maybe you’ve been praying and felt a joyful assurance that God loves you.
“You may have heard someone bear testimony of Jesus Christ, and it touched your heart and filled you with hope.
“Perhaps you were reading in the Book of Mormon and a verse spoke to your soul, as if God had put it there just for you—and then you realized that He did.
“You may have felt the love of God for others as you served them.
“Or maybe you struggle to feel the Spirit in the moment because of depression or anxiety but have the precious gift and the faith to look back and recognize past ‘tender mercies of the Lord.’
“My point is that there are many ways to receive heavenly rays of testimony. These are just a few, of course. They may not be dramatic, but all of them form part of our testimonies.” -Elder Dushku - “Look for the Light“, Ellen S. Knell, July 2, 2024, BYU Devotional: “The language of the Spirit can also come in an incremental way, and sometimes that process can be a difficult struggle. When our family lived in Hong Kong, my daughter Erica was turning four years old. When I walked into her room on the morning of her birthday, she was wide-awake and lying quietly on her bed. When I got closer, she said to me, ‘Mom, I’m no bigger than yesterday, and my hair is not any longer!’
“My daughter was very distraught because she thought that when she woke up on the morning of her birthday she would instantly be a year bigger. I was trying very hard not to laugh as I explained to her that the growing doesn’t take place all at once—it happens a little bit at a time and is barely noticeable. But Erica was having a hard time grasping the concept of small growing. There have been times in my life when I have had a hard time with that concept too.
“Erica eventually grew into a beautiful and amazing young woman—and, yes, she always had long hair. I clung to that sweet birthday memory when, thirteen years later, our family had to endure losing her when she was killed in a car accident. She was a new university student, like many of you, and had just started taking classes. One day as she was driving on the freeway, she lost control of her car; unfortunately, she had neglected to fasten her seat belt.
“I felt as if a nuclear bomb had gone off in my life. She was my youngest child, and she had been so full of life and potential. How could she be gone? My heart was truly broken. How could I go on living? How could I endure the constant anguish? It made it hard to breathe. It made it hard to do the most basic things. I wanted to stay in bed all day. I wanted the world to stop.
“Erica passed away many years ago. Now, when I look back on that wrenching time of grief when I struggled to feel my Savior’s love, I can find some grace in that terrible experience. A friend of mine said something to me shortly after Erica died. He told me to look for ‘tender mercies’ from our Heavenly Father and promised me that they would come if I would open myself up to receiving them. He was telling me about the rays of light that Elder Dushku spoke about in his conference talk. He was telling me about small learning.
“I listened to him and opened up my broken heart. And those rays of light did come to me as I walked through that dark valley of shadow and death. It took a long time—much longer than I expected—and it was the hardest learning that I have ever done, but eventually I emerged with a knowledge that the Savior understands my sorrows and struggles and that He loves me and my daughter. He brought peace and comfort that soothed my heart and soul. He blessed me with His Spirit and the knowledge that I will be with Erica again. He surrounded me with rays of light that I have learned to recognize and gather into a glorious, brilliant pillar. In the darkness and despair, God’s light and love encircled me.
“After Erica’s death, I found a beautiful poem that she had written years before entitled ‘Hope,’ which centered around finding hope during dark times. The last line of that poem says, ‘Just hang on to the light and don’t let go for anything!’ I believe that was a message for me.” - 3 Nephi 1:9-16 – “[9] Now it came to pass that there was a day set apart by the unbelievers, that all those who believed in those traditions should be put to death except the sign should come to pass, which had been given by Samuel the prophet. [10] Now it came to pass that when Nephi, the son of Nephi, saw this wickedness of his people, his heart was exceedingly sorrowful. [11] And it came to pass that he went out and bowed himself down upon the earth, and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people, yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the tradition of their fathers. [12] And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day; and behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying: [13] Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given, and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfil all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. [14] Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfil all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given. [15] And it came to pass that the words which came unto Nephi were fulfilled, according as they had been spoken; for behold, at the going down of the sun there was no darkness; and the people began to be astonished because there was no darkness when the night came. [16] And there were many, who had not believed the words of the prophets, who fell to the earth and became as if they were dead, for they knew that the great plan of destruction which they had laid for those who believed in the words of the prophets had been frustrated; for the sign which had been given was already at hand.”
- “You may have experienced these bursts of light and testimony as ‘peace [spoken] to your mind concerning [a] matter’ that has worried you.
- Do you know anyone who does a good job of writing down their spiritual experiences, big or small?
- How much do you value inspiration from the Holy Ghost?
- “To Acquire Spiritual Guidance“, Elder Richard G. Scott, October 2009 General Conference: “Now I share an experience that taught me a way to gain spiritual guidance. One Sunday I attended the priesthood meeting of a Spanish branch in Mexico City. I vividly recall how a humble Mexican priesthood leader struggled to communicate the truths of the gospel in his lesson material. I noted the intense desire he had to share those principles he strongly valued with his quorum members. He recognized that they were of great worth to the brethren present. In his manner, there was an evidence of a pure love of the Savior and love of those he taught.
“His sincerity, purity of intent, and love permitted a spiritual strength to envelop the room. I was deeply touched. Then I began to receive personal impressions as an extension of the principles taught by that humble instructor. They were personal and related to my assignments in the area. They came in answer to my prolonged, prayerful efforts to learn.
“As each impression came, I carefully wrote it down. In the process, I was given precious truths that I greatly needed in order to be a more effective servant of the Lord. The details of the communication are sacred and, like a patriarchal blessing, were for my individual benefit. I was given specific directions, instructions, and conditioned promises that have beneficially altered the course of my life.
“Subsequently, I visited the Sunday School class in our ward, where a very well-educated teacher presented his lesson. That experience was in striking contrast to the one enjoyed in the priesthood meeting. It seemed to me that the instructor had purposely chosen obscure references and unusual examples to illustrate the principles of the lesson. I had the distinct impression that this instructor was using the teaching opportunity to impress the class with his vast store of knowledge. At any rate, he certainly did not seem as intent on communicating principles as had the humble priesthood leader.
“In that environment, strong impressions began to flow to me again. I wrote them down. The message included specific counsel on how to become more effective as an instrument in the hands of the Lord. I received such an outpouring of impressions that were so personal that I felt it was not appropriate to record them in the midst of a Sunday School class. I sought a more private location, where I continued to write the feelings that flooded into my mind and heart as faithfully as possible. After each powerful impression was recorded, I pondered the feelings I had received to determine if I had accurately expressed them in writing. As a result, I made a few minor changes to what had been written. Then I studied their meaning and application in my own life.
“Subsequently I prayed, reviewing with the Lord what I thought I had been taught by the Spirit. When a feeling of peace came, I thanked Him for the guidance given. I was then impressed to ask, ‘Was there yet more to be given?’ I received further impressions, and the process of writing down the impressions, pondering, and praying for confirmation was repeated. Again I was prompted to ask, ‘Is there more I should know?’ And there was. When that last, most sacred experience was concluded, I had received some of the most precious, specific, personal direction one could hope to obtain in this life. Had I not responded to the first impressions and recorded them, I would not have received the last, most precious guidance.
“What I have described is not an isolated experience. It embodies several true principles regarding communication from the Lord to His children here on earth. I believe that you can leave the most precious, personal direction of the Spirit unheard because you do not respond to, record, and apply the first promptings that come to you.”
- “To Acquire Spiritual Guidance“, Elder Richard G. Scott, October 2009 General Conference: “Now I share an experience that taught me a way to gain spiritual guidance. One Sunday I attended the priesthood meeting of a Spanish branch in Mexico City. I vividly recall how a humble Mexican priesthood leader struggled to communicate the truths of the gospel in his lesson material. I noted the intense desire he had to share those principles he strongly valued with his quorum members. He recognized that they were of great worth to the brethren present. In his manner, there was an evidence of a pure love of the Savior and love of those he taught.
- How does the Holy Ghost speak to your significant other or to your children?
- How can I tell if a thought I have is my own or if it’s the influence of the Holy Ghost?
- In a Worldwide Youth Broadcast on May 12, 2015, Elder David A. Bednar stated: “All good emanates from Christ [see Moroni 7:12–13, 16]. So if you have a thought to do something good, it’s prompted by the Holy Ghost.”
- Why is patience one of the Christlike attributes in Preach My Gospel chapter six?
- Do you believe that you can receive inspiration for other individuals who matter to you (i.e., both your immediate and your extended family).
- What activities do you engage in to receive spiritual promptings?
- Has President Nelson invited us ‘to think about how we experience the light and Spirit of the Lord’?
Take Action
How will you take action on the invitations extended in this General Conference address?
Conclusion
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Tags
First Vision | Light of Christ | Restoration | Revelation | Testimony
Additional Content
Previous Podcast Episode (“In Support of the Rising Generation” by Brother Michael T. Nelson)
Next Podcast Episode (“Integrity: A Christlike Attribute” by Elder Jack N. Gerard)