A Life of Becoming

After more than five years, I was officially released from my calling today as the Second Counselor in our Bishopric. When I reflect over the years of serving in our ward, I am humbled by how much I have seen the hand of the Lord guiding my life as well as the Bishops that I have had the honor to serve with. For more than six years now, I have answered and recorded the answer to this question in my journal during my weekly review:

“How have I seen the Lord’s hand in my life this week?”

As I look through the past years, I can testify that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are in the details of our life. Their fingerprints are everywhere. I’ve also learned that I can answer that question every day. They are more involved and aware than we know and realize. When we take moments to look for and hear Them, we will see the evidence and activity of Them in our life.

My heart is full of gratitude to my wife and kids who ultimately sacrificed their time with me. Because of their love and support, I was enabled to serve in the capacity that I did. My calling affected them just as much as it did me.

As I thought about what counsel and advice I could give to the new leader taking my place, I remembered what the previous Stake President told me:

Alex, before you can help anybody else… you first need to take care of yourself. How can you expect to help anybody else if you don’t put on your own oxygen mask first? Your priorities should first be you, then your wife, then your kids, then your family, then your job, and then your calling.

I am so grateful for this advice that has blessed me over the years and continues to keep me balanced and my priorities straight. There have been numerous times that I felt that I can’t do this and wanted to give up. Our ward has been through a lot the past five years. We survived an earthquake, global pandemic, and Zoom meetings. There has been civil unrest throughout the world and shortages of food and supplies. Our country and economy is continuing to hurt and suffer. There have also been many adjustments and updates in the Church as the Lord worked through President Nelson in continuing to restore His church. Jesus Christ, through His prophet, helped prepare us for these moments and continual challenges of living in the last days. I am so grateful for home centered, church supported church.

“Help!”

April 15, 2018 was the first time I was asked to conduct Sacrament Meeting. Little did I know that it would also be the busiest and most attended Sacrament Meeting that I would ever conduct in my entire service as a bishopric counselor. There was not only a farewell, but also a homecoming that day too. The overflow accordion doors were opened and we literally had chairs filled with people going all the way back to the stage in our gym!

You can imagine how incredibly nervous I was… especially when we were running late. Not only was I running late, I didn’t have anyone assigned to give the opening and closing prayers. I was scrambling to tie loose ends and make assignments. As I was making assignments, three separate leaders handed me different pieces of paper asking for me to read and make certain announcements. I made my way to my seat on the stand as quickly as I could to hopefully catch my breath. At that exact moment, I felt the Bishop grab my right arm and whisper in my ear, “Alex, I forgot to mention earlier… there is a member that used to live in our ward that recently passed away. Would you mind mentioning that in your announcements?”.

At this point, I didn’t know if I wanted to laugh or start crying by how much was continually being thrown into my lap. Right after scribbling down those details as best as I could, I heard the Stake President to my left ask, “Brother Osmond, what time is it?” I looked at my watch. It was time to start. He lovingly made a fist with his right hand, gently pounded my left knee, and said, “Start”.

I was completely overwhelmed. I took a deep breath, said “Yes sir!”, stood up, and made my way to the pulpit with multiple papers in my hand that I haven’t even finished looking at. I was a complete mess. I said the quickest and most heartfelt, one-worded prayer to heaven… “HELP!”

Ministering of Angels

Something amazing happened when I got to the pulpit. I was completely calm. My heart rate began to slow down and regulate. My mind became clear. I was able to catch my breath and breathe normally. A wave of silence began to flow throughout the crowd. I grabbed the microphone and adjusted it towards my mouth and said firmly with a smile… “Brothers and Sisters, welcome to Sacrament Meeting. My name is Alex Osmond, and I have been asked to conduct this meeting.”

I wanted to start crying, not because I was so nervous and scared… but because I knew I was not alone at the pulpit. I could not see, but I could feel angels surrounding, supporting, and guiding me. When I reflect back on that day, I feel like one of those angels was my Grandpa Pinegar who served as a Bishop for many years. The message and feeling I kept receiving was “You can do this”. And I did! I was able to remember and do all that I have been asked to do. Just how Jesus Christ calmed the storm on the sea for His apostles… I felt as if He calmed the storm of panic in that very moment when I needed most help.

I learned a very important lesson that day… when I am on the Lord’s errand, He will will help me accomplish His work. He just needs me to be willing to serve, to stand up, and have the faith to go and do. I have had numerous experiences and testify that He is in the details of our life and will help bridge the gaps we are unable to bridge. When miracles are required in our life, and they are according to His will and time, He will make them happen. Just like the miracle when Jesus Christ fed 5,000 people, He doesn’t expect us to feed the 5,000. He just asks that we bring Him our best efforts… our loaves and fish. When we do that, He will magnify our efforts in blessing others and accomplishing His work.

I am so grateful for the time and experiences I have had serving in a Bishopric. I have seen the Lord work through the current and past two Bishops in our ward and know that they have been prepared and called by God to serve His children in our ward.

I was asked to take 8-10 minutes in Sacrament Meeting today to share my testimony and concluding thoughts. As I pondered over what I might share, I felt that I should share and testify of three truths that have blessed my life that I hope we never forget.

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Truth #1 – You Are A Child of God

Don’t ever forget who you truly are. The pedigree of your spirit can be written on a single line… YOU are a child of the Most High God. You were put on this earth to do good. You are meant for greatness. Knowing and remembering this fundamental truth will help you overcome any challenge in this life. Study the Young Men and Young Women themes:

I am a beloved son of God, and He has a work for me to do.

With all my heart, might, mind, and strength, I will love God, keep my covenants, and use His priesthood to serve others, beginning in my own home.

As I strive to serve, exercise faith, repent, and improve each day, I will qualify to receive temple blessings and the enduring joy of the gospel.

I will prepare to become a diligent missionary, loyal husband, and loving father by being a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

I will help prepare the world for the Savior’s return by inviting all to come unto Christ and receive the blessings of His Atonement.

Aaronic Priesthood Quorum Theme

I am a beloved daughter of heavenly parents, with a divine nature and eternal destiny.

As a disciple of Jesus Christ, I strive to become like Him. I seek and act upon personal revelation and minister to others in His holy name.

I will stand as a witness of God at all times and in all things and in all places.

As I strive to qualify for exaltation, I cherish the gift of repentance and seek to improve each day. With faith, I will strengthen my home and family, make and keep sacred covenants, and receive the ordinances and blessings of the holy temple.

Young Women Theme

Satan does not want us to know, remember, reflect, and strive to reach the measure of our creation by becoming who we are destined to become. Studying your patriarchal blessing will bless and guide your life. Our rising generation is the hope of Israel. God has a purpose and work for us to fulfill in hastening His work.

When it comes to callings, the most important calling we will ever have is the one we have right now. A calling that we all share is to be the best disciples of Jesus Christ that we can be, and to strengthen our homes, families, and foundations on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. As far as callings in your ward, branch, or stake… I personally feel that Heavenly Father doesn’t care about the title of your calling. What He does care about, is if we are willing to serve and consecrated our time, talents, and efforts to strengthen and build up His kingdom. To lift where we stand.

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Truth #2 – Jesus Christ Is Your Savior and Redeemer

Everything we need to know and do to be happy in this life and the life to come, we learned in Primary… and those things all point to Jesus Christ and going to the temple. Strengthen your testimony and relationship with Jesus Christ. He truly is the only person that can honestly say, “I know exactly how you feel”. He understands. He is always there. Even though I will never be perfect in this life, I can always become worthy through Jesus Christ and His Atonement.

I love what President Russell M. Nelson recently taught in a young adult devotional:

Know the truth about what God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, have offered you.

In short, They have offered you everything! Heavenly Father’s plan for His children allows us to live where and how He lives and ultimately to become more and more like Him. His plan literally makes the richest blessings of all eternity available to us, including the potential for us to become “joint-heirs with Christ”.

God knows all and sees all. In all of eternity, no one will ever know you or care about you more than He does. No one will ever be closer to you than He is. You can pour out your heart to Him and trust Him to send the Holy Ghost and angels to care for you. He demonstrated His ultimate love when He sent His Only Begotten Son to die for you—to be your Savior and your Redeemer!

Through His Atonement, the Lord Jesus Christ overcame the world. Therefore, He is “mighty to… cleanse [you] from all unrighteousness.” He will deliver you from your most excruciating circumstances in His own way and time. As you come unto Him in faith, He will guide, preserve, and protect you. He will heal your broken heart and comfort you in your distress. He will give you access to His power. And He will make the impossible in your life become possible.

Jesus Christ is the only enduring source of hope, peace, and joy for you. Satan can never replicate any of these. And Satan will never help you.

On the other hand, God’s work and His glory is to bring about the “immortality and eternal life of man.” God will do everything He can, short of violating your agency, to help you not miss out on the greatest blessings in all eternity.

God has a special love for each person who makes a covenant with Him in the waters of baptism. And that divine love deepens as additional covenants are made and faithfully kept. Then at the end of mortal life, precious is the reunion of each covenant child with our Heavenly Father.

President Russell M. Nelson, “Choices for Eternity”

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Truth #3 – Decisions Determine Your Destiny

God’s love for us is divine, but it is not unconditional. We are not unconditionally separated from the consequences of sin. President Russell M. Nelson taught

While divine love can be called perfect, infinite, enduring, and universal, it cannot correctly be characterized as unconditional. The word does not appear in the scriptures. On the other hand, many verses affirm that the higher levels of love the Father and the Son feel for each of us—and certain divine blessings stemming from that love—are conditional.

Several forms of conditional expression may be found in the scriptures:

• “If … [certain conditions exist], then … [certain consequences follow].” (The indicators if and then may be written or implied.)
• “Inasmuch as … [certain conditions exist], … [certain consequences follow].”
• “Except … cannot …”
• “Prove … , if … ” For example, a verse pertaining to our creation reveals a prime purpose for our sojourn here in mortality: “We will prove them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them.” Life here is a period of mortal probation. Our thoughts and actions determine whether our mortal probation can merit heavenly approbation.

With scriptural patterns of conditional statements in mind, we note many verses that declare the conditional nature of divine love for us. Examples include:

• “If ye keep my commandments, [then] ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love.”
• “If you keep not my commandments, [then] the love of the Father shall not continue with you.”
• “If a man love me, [then] he will keep my words: and my Father will love him.”
• “I love them that love me; and those that seek me … shall find me.”
• “God is no respecter of persons: But in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted with him.”
• The Lord “loveth those who will have him to be their God.”
• “He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.”

It is equally evident that certain blessings come from a loving Lord only if required conditions are met. Examples include:

• “If thou wilt walk in my ways, to keep my statutes and my commandments, … then I will lengthen thy days.”
• “If thou wilt walk in my statutes, and execute my judgments, and keep all my commandments … ; then will I perform my word with thee.”
• “I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise.”
• “When we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated.”
• “Unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions.”

The Lord declares: “All who will have a blessing at my hands shall abide the law which was appointed for that blessing, and the conditions thereof. …

“And as pertaining to the new and everlasting covenant, it was instituted for the fulness of my glory; and he that receiveth a fulness thereof must and shall abide the law, or he shall be damned, saith the Lord God.

“… The conditions of this law are these: All covenants, contracts, bonds, obligations, oaths, vows, performances, connections, associations, or expectations, that are not made and entered into and sealed … of him who is anointed, … are of no efficacy, virtue, or force in and after the resurrection from the dead.”

Other laws are designed to bless us here in mortality. One such law is tithing: “Bring ye all the tithes into the storehouse … and prove me now herewith, saith the Lord … , if I will not open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it.” Such a blessing is conditional. Those who fail to tithe have no promise.

Again, “all that he requires of you is to keep his commandments; and he has promised … that if ye would keep his commandments ye should prosper in the land; and he never doth vary from that which he hath said; therefore, if ye do keep his commandments he doth bless you and prosper you.”

Why is divine love conditional? Because God loves us and wants us to be happy. “Happiness is the object and design of our existence; and will be the end thereof, if we pursue the path that leads to it; and this path is virtue, uprightness, faithfulness, holiness, and keeping all the commandments of God.”

Russell M. Nelson – “Divine Love”

When we follow the prophet, we are blessed. Follow the prophet. He knows the way. He knows the way because he is led by Jesus Christ, who not only knows the way… but IS the way.

This life really is the time when we get to decide what kind of life we want to live forever. Now is our time “to prepare to meet god” (Alma 34:32). This life is truly a life of becoming. Decisions really do determine our destiny. Satan does not want us to remember who we are, why we are here, and who we have the potential to become. He will do everything in his power to pull us off of the Covenant Path. If he can’t get us to sin, the very next best thing he can do is to get us to waste our time. When it comes to investing our time well, make sure we are always choosing the best things over the good and better things.

Elder Richard G. Scott counseled,

The Spirit has taught me that Satan doesn’t have to tempt us to do bad things—he can accomplish much of his objective by distracting us with many acceptable things, thus keeping us from accomplishing the essential ones. Part of our testing here on earth is to have so many seemingly interesting things to do that we can forget the main purposes for being here.

Satan works very hard so that the essential things won’t happen. In quiet moments when you think about it, you recognize what is critically important in life and what isn’t. Be wise and don’t let good things crowd out those that are essential.

Elder Richard G. Scott, “21 Principles” (pg. 72)

Are there so many fascinating, exciting things to do, or so many challenges pressing upon you, that it is hard to keep focused on that which is essential? When things of the world crowd in, all too often the wrong things are allowed to take highest priority. Then it is easy to forget the fundamental purpose of life. Satan has a powerful tool to use against good people, those who are committed to a worthy, righteous life, who want to do good and intend to make the most of this life. His tool is distraction. He has an extensive array of undeniably good things that are used to keep us from doing the essential ones. Have you noticed that when you begin to focus on something truly important, something of eternal significance, there often come thoughts of other good things to distract you? Satan promotes distraction. He would have good people fill life with“ good things” so there is no room for the“ essential ones.” Have you unconsciously been caught in that trap?

Elder Richard G. Scott, “Finding Peace, Happiness, and Joy” (Chapter 2)

It is so important to make sure we have oil in our lamps and continually strive to strengthen our foundation on Jesus Christ.

And now, my sons, remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation; that when the devil shall send forth his mighty winds, yea, his shafts in the whirlwind, yea, when all his hail and his mighty storm shall beat upon you, it shall have no power over you to drag you down to the gulf of misery and endless wo, because of the rock upon which ye are built, which is a sure foundation, a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.

Helaman 5:12

It’s not if, but when Satan sends forth his storms and attacks on us. Satan only has influence over us when we choose to listen, follow, and believe his lies. When he does show up… tell him to go back to where he came from. Remind him where he is going, and where we are going. As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Cast him out in the sacred and holy name of Jesus Christ.

My Testimony

Never delay a prompting from the Spirit. We have so much more to lose by not following through on a prompting.

Become recommended to the Lord. If you are currently unable to go to the temple, go enjoy the outside of the temple. Listen to how you feel. Let God remind you of who you are, why you are here, and testify to you through the Spirit and by the power of the Holy Ghost that you are a child of the Most High God. Meet with your Bishop and do what you need to do to become worthy. Repentance is a blessing, not a punishment. Jesus Christ died for each of us so that we can repent and become clean. He doesn’t expect us to be perfect… but He does expect our effort to be continually striving to become like Him.

I have faith in and testify that God, our loving and Eternal Heavenly Father; His Son, Jesus Christ; and the Holy Ghost live and are actively involved in our spiritual growth and development.

I have a testimony of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and am continually blessed by His role as my Savior and my Redeemer. It’s a blessing to repent daily and worthily partake of the sacrament weekly.

I have a testimony of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. By the power of the Holy Ghost, I have learned for myself that The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ. Joseph Smith truly was a prophet of God and instrumental in the Lord’s hands.

I know and testify that President Russell M. Nelson has been called of God, is led by Jesus Christ, and is the prophet, seer, and revelator and the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys.

I testify, love, and sustain the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles as prophets, seers, and revelators.

I love and sustain the other General Authorities, local leaders of the church, our Stake Presidency, this Bishopric, and our Ward Council.

Jesus Christ truly understands exactly how you feel. There is Peace In Christ. He gives us hope, when hope is gone. He gives us strength when we can’t go on. He gives us shelter in the storms of life. When there’s no peace on Earth, there is peace in Jesus Christ.

I say and declare these things, with a heart full of gratitude and thanks. In the sacred and holy name of Jesus Christ. Amen.