Press Forward and Be Steadfast

We've a gift for our journey
And it helps us be steadfast
God's aware of all our yearning
Unto Him our eyes are cast

Let us not look back with longing
But, press forward full of faith
We can see where we are going
As towards Him, we turn our face

Though resistance blows more fiercely
We shall gain experience
Our goal does not come simply
But, we quest for excellence

There's a light that's shining brightly
In our eyes for all to see
May we be strong and mighty
As Moroni- may we be

He had perfect understanding
He was also firm in faith
May we rise to each new landing
As each steep hill we embrace

Alma 48:11-13
11 And Moroni was a strong and a mighty man;
he was a man of a perfect understanding;
yea, a man that did not delight in bloodshed;
a man whose soul did joy in the liberty
and the freedom of his country,
and his brethren from bondage and slavery;
12 Yea, a man whose heart did swell
with thanksgiving to his God,
for the many privileges and blessings
which he bestowed upon his people;
a man who did labor exceedingly
for the welfare and safety of his people.
13 Yea, and he was a man who was firm
in the faith of Christ, and he had sworn
with an oath to defend his people, his rights,
and his country, and his religion,
even to the loss of his blood.

Elaine S. Dalton,
“Press Forward and Be Steadfast,”
Ensign, May 2003, 105

What a Joy to Have a Prophet

What a joy to have a prophet
We are privileged to be taught
May his words to us now uplift
May we follow as we ought

Here the joy is universal
As we're spirits of our God
Now the gospel's in dispersal
May we sing hymns to our God

We've been blessed by pioneer Saints
They showed courage through the years
Following the prophet with faith
We feel kinship with their tears

Our Lord's redeemed every human
And His work has been unfurled
Now the gospel's reaching to them
By those around all this world

God speaks with a perfect clear voice
Through His watchmen on the towers
He calms fears and our hearts rejoice
As we're blessed with love He showers

There's a balm in Gilead assured
As we become diligent
Through the prophet, we are encouraged
May we do as we've been sent

May we learn wisdom and order
And find within given strength
Peace will be a lovely border
When we've the Lord close at length

2 Nephi 31:3
3 For my soul delighteth in plainness;
for after this manner doth the Lord God
work among the children of men.
For the Lord God giveth light unto the
understanding; for he speaketh unto men
according to their language, unto their understanding

Mosiah 4:27
27 And see that all these things are done
in wisdom and order; for it is not requisite
that a man should run faster than he has
strength. And again, it is expedient
that he should be diligent,
that thereby he might win the prize;
therefore, all things must be done in order.


Dieter F. Uchtdorf,
“Heeding the Voice of the Prophets,”
Liahona, Jul 2008, 2–5

The Bar is Rising

Continually, the bar is rising
For the missionaries prepared to serve
Surprisingly, there's no downsizing
As we've plenty and they show great verve

The message can not be memorized
As from the scriptures the truths will come
And a testimony must burn bright
So it can be shared with that special one

And may they see through your example
How to humbly pray and know for themselves
Then nothing can weaken or trample
The plant grown where one continually delves

Sanctify Yourselves

Brethren, Be clean
Who are the Lord's vessels
Be sanctified
And ready to act
There is a war
And where you stand is crucial
As we need you
With your priesthood intact

Priesthood bearers,
With emblems of God's power
Flee temptations
And follow righteousness
Come some moment
Unknown 'til that hour
We need your hands
For you've power to bless

Please don't leisure
To where there's diversions
Wrestle with God
As did brother Enos
Engage yourselves
In the clean excursions
There's much to face
As the world's against us

Do not adopt
Neutral ground to battle
The force afield
Knows each square inch taken
They rush headlong
May your faith not rattle
You've the Lord's power
We shall not be forsaken

Be strong, be clean
And revere your priesthood
Prepare, and bless
And pass the sacrament
In your labors
May you choose what is good
As physicians
May you go where you are sent


Jeffrey R. Holland,
“‘Sanctify Yourselves’,”
Ensign, Nov 2000, 38–40

Joshua 3:5
5 And Joshua said unto the people,
Sanctify yourselves:
for to morrow the Lord will do
wonders among you.

To Cleave

Along the coasts of Judea near to Jordan
The people came to be with Christ and resort
And, as He was wont, He taught them again
From the Pharisees' questions, He asked a report

They asked, "what of a spouse that is put away?"
He answered them by asking what Moses did
"He wrote bills of divorcement," one did say
Then, Jesus responded with words purely candid..

"In the beginning, God made male and female
Then, when a man leave his father and mother
He should cleave to his wife with all that entails
That, they twain shall become one flesh joined together"

He added that "no man should put them asunder
But, because of hardness of hearts- there's a bill"
What happens then? One is given to wonder
A higher law of marriage, would He instill?

As later, amongst the disciples, he explained
That a man who puts away his wife for another
Or a wife who puts away her husband for another
Commits adultery- what then?... is unexplained

In the Latter-Days, the truth has been restored
We've learned how precious a marriage really is
As we receive the counsel of the Lord
We can be eternal families and be His

As the husband learns to provide and preside
And bear the priesthood to bless and to serve God
So, too the wife heeds the spirit for her guide
To rear up children upon a righteous sod

The institution of marriage is brilliant
Though Satan would to confuse with disruption
A couples love can be proved resilient
As they look to each other for resumption

Are there situations meriting divorce?
As doubts lead to mistrust and then contention
When intimacy's broken, is there recourse?
Perhaps, if both hearts swell in distension
And seek tender mercy at its truest source

There is a promise to those who have been sealed
May they return to the temple oft to pray
There, contention can be balmed as well as healed
Where the break becomes strong to cleave a new way

Mark 10
6 But from the beginning of the creation
God made them male and female.
7 For this cause shall a man leave his
father and mother, and cleave to his wife.
8 And they twain shall be one flesh:
so then they are no more twain, but one flesh.
9 What therefore God hath joined together,
let not man put asunder.

cleave- come or be in close contact with;
stick or hold together and resist separation;
a powerful action word meaning to adhere closely

Her View of Life Had Now Become Marred

A child has so much to investigate
When we've an answer, we should not hesitate
And when there's a question about faith
A parent can pray for the right thing to say

A window opens and lightens the mind
And a new discovery one can now find...
Here's an example from my dinner meal
When my daughter confessed how she did feel

Her view of life had now become marred
She asked why life had to be so hard?
How can I, a parent, on this shed light-
And provide God's viewpoint to give her insight?

I drew the gravitational pull
Through prayer, this object lesson became my tool
I showed tugging from two great forces
That do shift us unto opposing courses

One is as black as the darkest night
From what's dim we progress to the brightest bright
We move in stages t'wards either one
And light increases like the stars, moon, and sun

We can each become Christ's disciple
And lead others to light through our example
But as one converts unto what's bright
Satan will jerk back to tempt, frighten, and fight

Thus, each and every investigator
Needs to be warned of this instigator
Satan holds a great chain in his hand
Desiring to capture poor souls who can't withstand

When darkness surrounds to devour
We can pray it depart through heavenly power
As we journey towards an increase
We grow in strength for we've not moved with ease

When we're baptized, we sacrifice
Our sins- of which Satan would to us entice
This is the first level on our path
Towards all that Heavenly Father hath

The path to the Father has been perfectly paved
Through the works of the Son and His grace we are saved
I can picture the Savior running t'wards me
In His eagerness to shine His light for me

As He calls me, there's more He does teach
And, I've His splendid light more within my reach
He's there waiting till our day is through
With sanctification, after all we do

In Christ, we can become perfected
And from Satan's grasp we can be protected
The Holy Ghost is our special guide
T'wards spiritual muscles where the light resides

Our whole bodies can be filled with light
As with singleness we keep God in our sight
We can't substitute our Father's love
We're either being pulled below or more above

A member starts with light like the moon
With phases of reflected light in bloom
As it is borrowed- the tests will come
We need our own access to the brightest sun

This comes through our temple endowment
We’ve passed through the orbit where we circumvent
And we vow to show dedication
Through a life of service and consecration

In this bright light we see each weakness
To motivate us and not move us to bleakness
As we learn from more and more mistakes
Our heart's softened to do whatever it takes

Oh, that we could love as our Lord does
To feel sorrow and empathize just because
Both are but two sides of the same coin
Where a depth of love for people and Christ join

When we've this much light, we are God's friends
Not as servants but followers to the ends
Like still waters, His peace will run deep
And, we'll sense that "glorious thought, I am with Thee!"

Bruce C. Hafen
A Disciple's Journey
Devotional Address
5 February 2008

To Let Go

To let go is to sense
And not live in pretense
I've my own faults to see
My own set of shortcomings

To let go is to do
To conquer and subdue
And when I would to seethe
I will relax and just breathe

To let go is to tell
What will set me to dwell
For when I would to fret
I will ask "have I prayed yet?"

To let go is to stand
With dignity at hand
When others need rescue
My support is not askew

To let go is to hear
With a listening ear
It's a need I can address
I'll offer prayers and fear less

To let go is to know
We've each areas to grow
To let go is to trust
We've each a path to Jesus

To let go is much more
There's so much to live for
There's hope for those who thirst
With God's help, as He's put first