Oh Youth of the Noble Birthright....

"For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: Walk as children of light."

Ephesians 5:8

In my calling, I work very closely with the young men and young women of my stake. It has been a privilege to be in their presence and to teach them and be taught by them. I stand in awe of the goodness and glory that is inherent in each of them. Our stake's youth were invited by the General Authorities to participate in a youth panel this last week and report on the work they are doing with indexing and family history work. This panel was recorded and will be broadcast all over the world as instruction and encouragement to strengthen these programs throughout the church. In Sacrament meeting, two of our stake youth indexing coordinators were invited to speak with the high council and report back on the panel and the lessons they had been taught by the General Authorities.  Their testimonies were powerful and encouraging, the Spirit that flooded into the meeting was almost tangible. 

I apologize if it seems I am boasting about these youth. But as I sat in Sacrament meeting today I was overcome with the realization that these youth speakers, sent on assignment from the Stake President, were about 16 years old. The callings they hold as Stake Indexing Coordinators take a lot of time out of their schedules and lives. The testimonies they have developed of the Gospel, of our Savior, and of the Spirit of Elijah are incredible to listen to.

President David O. McKay said, "Our country's most precious possession is not our vast acres of range land supporting flocks and herds; not productive farms; not our forests; not our mines nor oil wells producing fabulous wealth--our country's greatest resource is our children, our young men and women whose characters will largely determine our nation's future." Elder Dallin H. Oaks spoke similarly, "I pray that we will humble ourselves as little children and reach out to protect our little children, for they are the future for us, for our Church, and for our nations." 

I wish our youth could be protected from the attacks Satan is waging against them with fashion, fame, fortune and filth of this world. But perhaps it is because of the strength of the opposition against them that they are so strong in their light and testimonies. As a mission prep instructor I often encourage the youth not to waste any of their preparation time. Indeed there are events in our lives that we must prepare for, missions, marriage, family, work, education, etc. But everyday the choices we make take us closer too or further away from our ultimate goal. I wonder if we remember that from the age of eight we are held accountable for our actions and choices. I wonder if we mistakenly assume the youth don't need our attention and examples until it's time for them to prepare for missions or marriage or college. I would like to be bold in saying that is too late to start, for I can guarantee that Satan has not waited that long in trying to persuade them otherwise. 

During the closing song in Sacrament today, the beautiful blond six year old I get to sit with every Sunday opened her hymn book to page 200 and started singing along to "Christ the Lord Is Risen Today". I had tears in my eyes as I listened to her sweet voice singing:

Lives again our glorious King, Alleluia

Where, O death, is now thy sting, Alleluia

Once he died our souls to save, Alleluia

Where thy victory, O grave, Alleluia

She is six years old and singing a song about the Resurrection. A doctrine she will continue learning about throughout her life in which her testimony will deepen and strengthen until one day she will open her mouth and bear witness of that truth to another. 

Each time I text a certain young women in our mission prep class her response has a scripture as the signature of her text. Curious, I asked her once if that was normal or just a special occasion thing. She replied, "When I study my scriptures I choose one that really makes me feel the Spirit and I keep that one as the signature until another one sticks out to me." Each time she texts me I find myself going to my scriptures to see what scripture touched her. One time the scripture was Alma 57:27 - "Now this was the faith of these of whom I have spoken; they are young, and their minds are firm, and they do put their trust in God continually." She is a shining example of that exact verse. (p.s. her scripture for today was 2 Corinthians 4:17-18)

At the end of mission prep, we usually give a homework assignment to the group. One Sunday I felt impressed that someone in the class would be giving the homework assignment. So as class ended I told them, "the Spirit told me one of you has the homework assignment, so we will wait until the Spirit tells you that you have it." We waited about a minute before one of the young men raised his hand and said, "My favorite scripture is Romans 1:16 - 'For I am not ashamed of the gospel of Christ: for it is the power of God unto salvation to everyone that believeth', I encourage each of us to demonstrate this week that we are not ashamed of this gospel and report back next week on what we did." And so we did just that. The report they gave the following week was inspiring. Truly these youth are not ashamed of this gospel. They have been taught to recognize and follow the promptings of the Spirit.

I was in the car with my best-friend and her kids listening to her 13 year old tell her about a friend she was concerned about. My friend had encouraged her daughter to talk to someone at school about her concerns, which she did. I listened as her daughter showed genuine love and concern for this friend and her well-being. And listened to my friend and she praised and encouraged her daughter for doing something good. One moment that, when continuously added upon, creates and cultivates the character of this noble generation.

These are everyday examples of our youth. They are the strength of us, the church, the work of the gospel and our nations.

In a statement made to a gathering of youth in Southern California, President Benson said, "For nearly six thousand years, God has held you in reserve to make your appearance in the final days before the Second coming. Every previous gospel dispensation has drifted into apostasy, but ours will not. ... God has saved for the final inning some of his strongest children, who will help bear off the kingdom triumphantly. And that is where you come in, for you are the generation that must be prepared to meet your God. ...Make no mistake about it--you are a marked generation. There has never been more expected of the faithful in such a short period of time as there is of us. ...Each day we personally make many decisions that show where our support will go. The final outcome is certain--the forces of righteousness will finally win. What remains to be seen is where each of us personally, now and in the future, will stand in this fight--and how tall we will stand. Will we be true to our last-days, foreordained mission?"

In 3 Nephi 17, we read the incredibly touching account of the Savior praying for the children, "and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. And when he had done this he wept again; And he spake unto the multitude, and said unto them: Behold your little ones. And as they looked to behold they cast their eyes towards heaven, and they saw the heavens open, and they saw angels descending out of heaven as it were in the midst of fire; and they came down and encircled those little ones about, and they were encircled about with fire; and the angels did minister unto them."

A few chapters later (Chapter 26), we read, "and it came to pass that he did teach and minister unto the children of the multitude of whom hath been spoken, and he did loose their tongues, and they did speak unto their fathers great and marvelous things, even greater than he had revealed unto the people; and he loosed their tongues that they could utter. Behold, it came to pass on the morrow that the multitude gathered themselves together, and they both saw and heard these children; yea, even babes did open their mouths and utter marvelous things; and the things which they did utter were forbidden that there should not any man write them."

Angels ministered unto them, the Savior himself ministered unto these children. I know that our Father in Heaven and our Savior are close by our youth. He has sent angel armies round about them to bear them up that they may accomplish the work He has for them to do. We must teach them who they are and who they have always been. We must be more diligent and untiring than the adversary in convincing them of the good they have within. They have the power to teach us marvelous things if we will help them discover that identity.

It is our responsibility to teach this to our youth. To teach them how to let their light shine forth. To let them know that "they that be with us are more than they that be with them." That they will never be alone, that the Lord will be with them. Elder Holland said, "God will send aid to no one more readily than He will send it to a child--and to the parent of a child."

I pray that we will behold our little ones and seek to know what our Father would have us do to better prepare them for the world they will be required to face. That they will be armed to stand as witnesses in all times, in all things and in all places. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.