Tape 14 FLDS
Tape 14 FLDS
Tape 14 FLDS
December 20,1995
Subject: In the Wilderness
A truly pure person feels the spirit of peace tell them these things are true. Uncle Roy taught us
that when the father in the home speaks, the family should obey. If they obey the first time, the spirit
of God will be in the home, but very often when the fathers speaks, a mother or child will speak up
and say, "but can't we do it this way instead?"
It might seem things go just as well when somebody changes it a little, but Uncle Roy says,
when the family changes what the father wants, even just a little, the spirit of God leaves the home.
There might not be a noticeable tragedy yet, but when the family feels like they can change the father's
words, it will keep growing and growing until there might be accidents or harm. This is what we
experience in our families. How beautiful it is when a father can say, "I want this done" and someone
goes and does it without a complaint, without trying to change it.
Many of us have that terrible habit of complaining. The easiest way to lose that keep sweet
feeling is to complain. You must understand the priesthood over you lives by revelation. Your father
says a prayer and asks the Lord to guide him in what he's doing with the family. You need to trust your
family and especially trust the prophet, that when he speaks, you quickly get it done without changing
what should be done. I remind you of these teachings you've heard in meeting, in school, in your
homes, so that you can understand the challenge we have, just like our forefathers had in Moses' time.
The Israelites brought upon themselves a great curse. It was such a terrible curse, it lasted for
over a thousand years. The Lord gave them a chance, the privilege to obey the prophet, but they griped
and complained. Seeing a miracle doesn't change you into a good person. It's obeying and having the
gift of repentance that changes you.
The Lord was angry at the people because when they complained against the prophet, they
were complaining against God. The tribes of Israel wandered for 40 years. They were cursed instead
3 (# 14)
of blessed because of that little easy thing we call complaining. It's a big thing in the Lord's eyes. You
young people remember this lesson. If you ever complain against President Jeffs, you're griping
against God Himself.
The Lord fed the people manna as they traveled in the wilderness. They didn't have to cook
their food or make bread, or plant crops. Their food was given to them, made from a grain called
coriander seed and described as a thin wafer, made with honey also. Once again, they griped against
the prophet because they did not have water. This time, they were ready to stone him to death. The
Lord commanded Moses to strike a rock, and water came out of the rock.
Moses told his faithful servant Joshua, to take men with swords and spears, and fight against
the people of Amalek, while he went to the mountain to pray. He raised his hands to the square, sign of
the priesthood. He held both arms up to the square, and as long as he did so, Joshua won the battle.
When his arms got tired, and he had to rest them, the Amalekites would cause the Israelites to lose the
battle. All day long this battle took place. Two men stood by Moses and held his arms up, and as long
as he kept his arms up, the battle went right. Finally, the Israelites won.
The beautiful lesson of that story is, we are here to help the prophet. Whatever he sets his hand
to do, we go and strengthen his arm. Every day, the people would come and Moses sat and greeted the
people. When they had a gripe against each other, he would decide what to do. He was the only judge,
so his father-in-law suggested he appoint righteous men to be judges. It was here that the Lord
revealed to Moses, The Ten Commandments.
1st: “Thou shalt have no other Gods before me.”
2nd: “Thou shalt not make unto thee, any graven image, or any likeness of anything in
heaven above or in the earth beneath, etc,” You young people, you shouldn't even have the image or
likeness of a fish, animal, a person - those are idols. You shouldn't wear it as jewelry, or have it on
your dresser, or you are breaking the commandment of God.
3rd: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.” The meaning of this is,
you don't use the word God or Lord very often. You don't go around talking those words. You're very
careful. The other meaning is to simply disobey. That is the call for obedience.
4th: “Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.”
5th: “Honor thy father and thy mother that thy days may be long upon the land.” That
means obey your parents.
6th: "Thou shalt not kill."
7th: "Thou shalt not commit adultery."
8th: "Thou shalt not steal."
9th: "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."
10th: "Thou shalt not covet."
These Ten Commandments are part of the celestial law. We must live these today. To break
one, you lose the spirit of God. The reason the Lord wanted the people to come out of Egypt was to
make of them a kingdom of priests. If any evil person were to see God in His Glory, they would burn
up in an instant. At first, Moses taught the people the celestial law - all the gospel just like we have,
but after the tenth time of complaining, he withdrew the law.
4 (# 14)