Inspiration

At our last stake conference, I talked about our King Charles Cavalier Spaniel poodle named Fofo, our cute, but very rambunctious puppy. Before having Fofo, we weren’t pet people. In fact we were anti-pet people and spent a lot of time on Google asking dog related questions. We also spent time talking to family about dogs and what they would and wouldn’t be willing to pay to take care of a family pet.  

On December 28, we discovered that Fofo had eaten a chocolate orange. One of the few things we knew about dogs was that chocolate is toxic for dogs. The amount Fofo had eaten was right at the maximum amount to be dangerous. We debated waiting it out to see if Fofo would be okay, but we had worried kids who urged us to take him to the 24-hour vet. So, we took him. When the vet was finished and brought Fofo out, I expected remorse, shame, hanging of the head, but no, Fofo came trotting happily out to meet me, tail wagging, while I paid the $283.67 bill.  

A few days later I was talking to our daughter about the cost of the vet visit and the idea that we have our limits for saving dogs and she said, “Well you can use my college fund to save him because he’s important to me.” At that moment the phrase “ye are bought with a price” popped into my head.  

In 1 Peter 1:18-20 we read, “Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, from your vain conversation received by tradition from your fathers; But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot: Who verily was foreordained before the foundation of the world, but was manifest in these last times for you.” 

The real limits of our love for Fofo haven’t been tested up to this point, but Heavenly Father and His son’s love for each of us has, and we know that our value to them is beyond measure, for how do you actually calculate the value of the precious blood of Christ? 

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf has taught, “This is a paradox of man: compared to God, man is nothing; yet we are everything to God.” While against the backdrop of infinite creation we may appear to be nothing, we have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast. We have the incomprehensible promise of exaltation—worlds without end—within our grasp. And it is God’s great desire to help us reach it. 

In that same talk, Elder Uchtdorf said, “Brothers and sisters, the most powerful Being in the universe is the Father of your spirit. He knows you. He loves you with a perfect love.  God sees you not only as a mortal being on a small planet who lives for a brief season—He sees you as His child. He sees you as the being you are capable and designed to become. He wants you to know that you matter to Him.    

In Doctrine and Covenants 18:10-16 we read, “Remember the worth of souls is great in the sight of God.” The Lord suffered the pain of all men, that all men might repent and come unto Him. It is God’s great desire to help us reach exaltation. And we can only reach exaltation through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and repentance.  

In 1974, President Ezra Taft Benson said “…men and women who turn their lives over to God will find out that he can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace. Whoever will lose his life to God will find he has eternal life.” 

To illustrate what can happen as we turn our lives to God, I want to share a story about Elder Tyler Barnhisel of the Bluffdale Fourth Ward. He was called to serve to serve the Lord in the Ghana Takoradi Mission.  

A few months before his mission he was weightlifting and injured himself.  He thought it was completely healed, but three months into his mission he was in tremendous pain and medical professionals in Ghana and his mission president thought it best for him to come home to get properly diagnosed and to heal. He came home on December 28, 2024, and transferred to be a Service Missionary in the SLC South Mission.  

As a Service Missionary, Elder Barnhisel’s been serving in the temple, teaching immigrants English, and working in the Church’s artwork department. He’s also been recuperating and getting healthy again. After a few weeks of doing that, he told me that he was enjoying his time so much as a service missionary that he would like to spend the rest of his two years doing that. But then a couple of weeks ago he asked to meet with me, and he told me that he had been getting impressions that he needed to go back into the field and be teaching the gospel. We started the process to see if that could happen and recently, we received notification that he will be reassigned as a teaching missionary to the Arizona Phoenix Mission.  He will once again be a teaching missionary crying repentance unto the people, to bring joy to them and himself.  

By turning our lives over to God, He can make a lot more out of our lives than we can on our own. It might not be exactly as we planned it, but in the end, He is building a metaphorical little house into a palace. 

Our greatest worth is Eternal Life, and we can only get there through repentance afforded to us by way of the atonement of Jesus Christ.  I am so grateful for Him and joy that is brought to us by repenting daily as taught by President Nelson. 

“Too many people consider repentance as punishment—something to be avoided except in the most serious circumstances,” President Nelson said. “But this feeling of being penalized is engendered by Satan. He tries to block us from looking to Jesus Christ, who stands with open arms, hoping and willing to heal, forgive, cleanse, strengthen, purify, and sanctify us.” 

May we make the connection between our eternal worth and the price that Christ has paid for us by turning our lives over to God by repenting daily is my prayer in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

Adopted into the Family of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father

President Chris Swank, First Counselor Bluffdale Utah Stake Presidency 

Everyone has a story. Looking at the pictures on this slide, you may be familiar with the publicly known stories of some of these individuals: Kyle Van Noy, Aaron Judge, Simone Biles, Nelson Mandela, John Lennon, Faith Hill, Sarah McLauchlan, Kristin Chenoweth, Steve Jobs, Jeff Bezos, Dave Thomas, Moses, Esther, and Joseph and Julia Murdock Smith.   

What do all these people have in common? All were adopted.  

My Story 

In California, an unmarried young woman counseled with her Bishop and asked for his assistance in finding a good Latter-day Saint family who would be willing to adopt her unborn child. The young woman believed the life she was carrying was precious, and she wanted to allow a righteous family to adopt this baby as their own.  

Through a series of miraculous events, a family within that same Stake who was searching to adopt a child, was identified, and after his birth, that baby was lovingly transferred from the arms of his birth mother to the awaiting arms of his adopted mother. The birth mother prayed that her decision was truly the best for her child–that he would be cared for physically, loved and nourished in the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

I’m sure there were times when she felt lonely, but God hadn’t left her alone. He knew exactly how she was feeling. Afterall, God sent His only Begotten Son to earth, for us. He watched His little baby be born in a stable and grow up being raised by a righteous earthly father. He watched his Son suffer in Gethsemane and die for us on the cross. He ached, just as she did. He knew better than anyone else how badly she hurt. How badly she wanted to know her baby would be okay. 

The birth mother’s prayers were indeed answered. As if he were watched over by a host of Guardian Angels, the boy was taught the gospel by kind and knowledgeable teachers and leaders. He was loved by his adopted parents, siblings, grandparents, and extended family. Always aware that he was adopted, but never treated as though he was any different, he grew in stature and was given many opportunities to develop his faith and testimony.  

As he got older, he would occasionally wonder more and more about his birth mother, father and extended family. Did they miss him? Did they ever think of him? Did he look like them or talk like them? What would his last name have been? Had he run into them, or crossed their paths, and didn’t even know it? All these questions I know first-hand, because by now you have already guessed—that boy was me. 

When I was 24 years old and graduating from BYU I received the story of my Birth Mother, was handed her name on a worn piece of paper, in addition to the hand-knit blanket I was delivered in, and my original birth certificate.  

I couldn’t help but imagine how difficult it would have been for her to be pregnant at the young age of 17. I have so much gratitude when I think of my birth mother, who knew she couldn’t give me the life she desired for me and unselfishly placed me for adoption. I can’t fathom what she might have gone through in those nine months—being watched with judging eyes as her body changed, the teen experiences she missed, knowing that at the end of this labor of motherly love, she would place her child into the arms of another. I am so thankful for her selfless choice, that she did not choose to use her agency in a way that would take away my own. 

Through even more miracles, a series of events led me to contacting and then meeting my birth mother—Cathy, grandfather, grandmother and dozens and dozens of aunts, uncles and cousins. The decades that have passed since have created a special bond between us all (including her husband Travis who has been a well-loved father & grandfather figure in our family). Gratefully, the gospel light burns brightly in all our lives—thanks to a loving Heavenly Father who saw fit to bring us full circle. This is MY story, but what is YOUR story? 

We are All Adopted  

“I am a child of God, and He has sent me here, has given me an earthly home, with parents kind and dear.” So begins the beloved primary song that so many of us have heard a thousand times. But have you ever stopped to think about what that really means? If we have earthly parents, and yet God is our Father, then technically, we’re all adopted. Aren’t we? 

Christ is the only begotten son of God. He selflessly sent his son to be raised on earth. This sacrifice was necessary to make the Atonement possible. We need the Atonement to be able to return to Him. God is the birth father of our spirits, and we are part of a never-ending cycle of adoption in the Plan of Happiness. 

Church members use adoption references every day. We call each other ‘brother’ and ‘sister.’ When we refer to one another as brother and sister, we mean that we are all a part of one eternal family, brothers and sisters in Christ. 

“Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way. Teach me all that I must do to live with him someday.” When we look at the family from an eternal perspective, biology is only a very small part of it. Becoming a part of God’s eternal family is a choice. The Lord promised Abraham “For as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed” (Abraham 2:10). If we choose to accept the Gospel, we are numbered among the literal seed of Abraham—the House of Israel. Most members of the church are not biologically of the House of Israel; we are adopted into it. When we receive our patriarchal blessings, we are told our lineage in the House of Israel. My patriarchal blessing tells me “You are of the tribe of Ephraim. Having the birthright of Israel, Ephraim has an important calling in this dispensation as a leader in carrying out the work of the Lord…” 

And what of earthly adoptions that take place? When talking about life after death, D&C 130:2 says, “And that same sociality which exists among us here will exist among us there, only it will be coupled with eternal glory…”  

For me, this means that things will be largely the same—adoptive families can be sealed together just like any other biological family. I would imagine that birth parents would also have a relationship with the children they placed. But none of the specifics will matter so much. We will simply all be children of God. Earthly adoptions are a microcosm of a much bigger, better form of adoption that will come when we become members of the kingdom of God. 

We refer to Jesus as our older brother because He is, through adoption. Because God was His father, God is our father too. Romans 8:17 reads, “And if children, then heirs; heirs of God, and joint-heirs with Christ; if so be that we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified together.” 

Because Jesus, our brother, atoned for our sins, it is possible for us all to return home to our Heavenly Father. May we always remember that as spirit children of God we came to earth on our own personal journey. We truly are all children of God. That IS Our Story!  

I bear my witness that Jesus is the Christ, the son of the living God: Oh, what joy that sentence gives! In His Holy name, amen. 

Spiritual Nudge for the Cause of Truth

President Ryan Bevan, Second Counselor Bluffdale Utah Stake Presidency (Stake Leadership Session)

We love having the youth in our midst during this Leadership Session, including our Stake Youth Council. They are joy to be with as we council together and plan events within the stake. My wife Sarah and I have also loved being with the youth, during ward conferences as we have discussed our youth theme this year, “Look unto Me in Every Thought Doubt Not Fear Not” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:36). 

Doctrine and Covenants 58: 27-28 reads:    

27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; 

28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. 

I dare say ALL of us are here because of that “nudge” the spirit gives to accelerate the “work of the Lord, in bringing to pass this great and marvelous work. These scripture verses have always had a soft spot in my heart as it reminds me of my father.  

While in my youth, maybe I didn’t always love the “nudge” (of being anxiously engaged), but my Dad lived what he taught and helped me understand what that means.   

He taught by example the importance of ministering. In my youth we lived in Ft Dodge, Iowa and had several families to minister to who lived hours apart and few were active. But my dad was faithful and regular in reaching out and “finding the one.” And because he did, I too have always felt the same sense of duty and love.  

What experiences have you had where the spirit has nudged you to act while you were anxiously engaged?  

To this day I find it a joy when my son Tate and I can visit our ministering families, especially our sweet adopted Grandma, Sister Susan Delong and her daughter Natalie. Sometimes it’s a short message, sacrament in her home, window washing, a goodie or even simply when she asks . . . “what is the zoom link for Stake Conference.” But what feels even more impactful is when we have the opportunity to be on the Lord’s errand, when tragedy struck several months ago, and Susan called us. I felt the Savior sustaining our quick action to pronounce a blessing using the Authority of the Priesthood. There is little more fulfilling, spiritually, than going to help the one! 

Recently, I had the wonderful opportunity to be with some great people while I was in Kansas City, Missouri. During one of the evenings on a ride to dinner we were chatting with Chad Lewis, an associate athletic director at BYU. He talked about “being unapologetic in standing for Jesus Christ” at the university and even within sports. 

His zeal for the cause of truth was profound and it reminded me of a conference address 25 years ago by Elder Robert C. Oaks who shared a story that has always resonated with me about how sweet the gospel is. Elder Oaks said:  

 Consider that you are invited to a friend’s house for breakfast. On the table you see a large pitcher of freshly squeezed orange juice from which your host fills his glass. But he offers you none. Finally, you ask, “Could I have a glass of orange juice?” 

He replies, “Oh, I am sorry. I was afraid you might not like orange juice, and I didn’t want to offend you by offering you something you didn’t desire.” 

Now, that sounds absurd, but it is not too different from the way we hesitate to offer up something far sweeter than orange juice. I have often worried how I would answer some friend about my hesitancy when I meet them beyond the veil. 

Let us “unapologetically” be ANXIOUSLY ENGAGED in sharing and acting on what we know; to those who don’t know, have once known, or those who have recently lost their way.  

President Russell M. Nelson said in October 2022 General Conference, “In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time he returns ‘with power and great glory,’ he will bestow countless privileges, blessings and miracles upon the faithful.”  

Dare I suggest that some of the “greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power” will be in the form of his greatest creations… His children. The gathering of Israel, finding the one, or returning to the covenant path.  We all have an opportunity to participate in His work as we listen out for those spiritual nudges and act on what we feel. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

All youth ages 11-18 are invited to listen to a special devotional on sports, missions, and increasing our talents featuring BYU basketball star, Richie Saunders. Saunders was joined by Southern Utah University basketball player and former BYU player, Tanner Hayhurst, in sharing personal experiences that have helped them come closer to Jesus Christ.

If you need help navigating the questions and pressures of life facing youth today, give this devotional a listen. The Lord has a plan for you and will strengthen you. Watch here.

For those that know our family well, you know that we are not pet people. The only pet we had in the first 27 years of our marriage was a desert tortoise named Crush, who we owned when we lived in California. And the only reason we had him was because he came with the house!  

He was the easiest pet ever. We didn’t have to do anything to care for him. He took care of all of his own needs. He lived in our backyard. He ate the grass and leaves and got water from the sprinklers and rain. He dug a hole in our flowerbed (where he slept) and he even hibernated for months at a time during the winters.  

With that as our pet ownership as a background, when Kristen had the idea to get a puppy, we were in for a big surprise. In late April we got a King Charles Cavalier Spaniel Poodle that we named Fofo, which means cute and fluffy in Portuguese.  

It’s a good thing he’s cute because Fofo is a holy terror. We’re learning that like most puppies, he has got a ton of energy. He loves to chew things, creates messes everywhere, and loves to jump on people.  

Thankfully, Fofo is not a finished product. He is set to go to behavioral training and we’ve got faith that over time he’ll become close to the pet we envisioned before we got him.  

We too are not finished products. These past five months, I’m wondering if this is how our Heavenly Parents must have felt as they’ve sent their spirit children to earth. Brother Brad Wilcox of the Young Men General Presidency captured the thought well when he said, “God loves us as we are, but He also loves us too much to leave us the way we are!”  

From God’s perspective, we are probably all like crazy little puppies that are still learning. But I know that with God’s help and by us putting in the effort to change, we can become something more and we will be all right in the end. Of that I testify, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

During our time in ward conferences, my wife Sarah and I spent the time with President Taylor and Kristen, and with the WONDERFUL YOUTH of the stake. We shared a message about WHO THEY ARE and how they can stand forever in these “last days.” I shared the discussion we were privileged to have with Elder David A. Bednar when he visited with us last December. 

We sat around a table and asked him questions. I asked, “How can we help the youth remain strong through these TRYING TIMES?” 

Elder Bednar Answered, “You’re not going to like my answer. Our youth need to be able to do hard things!” He likened what our youth are asked to do with what the youth living in Helaman’s day lived through.   

TEMPLE RECOMMEND QUESTIONS 

One of my favorite things about being in the Stake Presidency is visiting with the great saints of our stake for temple recommends interviews. I have shared with dozens of you a striking change in my own understanding following updates to temple recommend questions earlier this year. In the statement regarding the Sacred Temple Garment, it says,  “The garment of the holy priesthood reminds us of the veil in the temple, and that veil is symbolic of ‘the Savior’. When you put on your garment, you put on a sacred symbol of Jesus Christ.” 

It’s not only a reminder of the symbols, and covenants, I want the shield and protections God can offer. But I understood this to be MORE. I felt like maybe at times I wore the garment for a checklist of things . . . “good things” but maybe I should be wearing it for a higher purpose.

How are we to do hard things? I would charge that, in this day and age, we may not be sacrificing our homes or walking the plains as the faithful pioneers and early Saints. However, our challenge will be in prioritizing the things that are most spiritual and eternal. Our prophet has asked how are we prioritizing our time in renewing those sacred covenants that will enable us with power in the temple? 

Our challenge may be doing the small things. Seeking the influence of the Holy Ghost, daily scripture study, prayer – those “plain and simple things” that will bring about a great work. 

You can have the blessing of our what our Prophet President Nelson said. “In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation.” President Nelson, April 2024