Welcome back everyone! I’m going to be upfront with you about something today. This episode is more for me than it is for you.
Just like anyone else with a YouTube channel or a podcast, I look at my stats. I check to see if I have new subscribers, how well my posts are performing on different platforms, and which ones seem to resonate with my audience. I was getting discouraged the other day because my view count just seemed so low. I was disappointed and discouraged.
I’m a marketer by trade, and I had the thought whispered into my brain the other day – “how does it look that you’re a marketer and have so few followers, likes, views, and interactions?” I know how to tell people what they want to hear. I know how to gain followers on social media and influence others. And that thought stung.
But then, as I was watching general conference on Sunday morning, sweet President Eyring addressed my concerns beautifully. I can’t quote him yet because at the time that I’m recording this video, his talk isn’t transcribed and online yet, so instead I went looking for a different talk instead. Leave it to (then) Elder Oaks to address this for me in his bold and direct way.
This talk is from 1989 and it’s called “Alternate Voices.” It’s a bit intense, not gonna lie.
In this talk, he addresses three different types of voices:
- “Some voices speak of the things of the world, providing useful information we need to make our way in mortality.” In other words, helpful voices that provide useful worldly information that will help us navigate our way through life. That’s the only reference he makes to these voices. They’re helpful and useful, but not critical to our eternal salvation.
- “… Voices that speak of God, of his commandments, and of the doctrines, ordinances, and practices of his church.” This group is split into two subgroups:
- “… those who have been called and given divine authority to do so” – in other words, those who have been specifically called to speak of God, his commandments, doctrines, ordinances, and practices, and have been given the authority to speak on those things, and
- “… alternate voices, [who] speak on these subjects without calling or authority.”
To be clear, I am fully aware that I am in that third group. I have not been given a calling to have a YouTube channel or podcast. I do not have authority to speak on behalf of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I am an alternate voice.
As I’m sure you are aware, there are thousands of “alternate voices” out there. Elder Oaks categorizes us for you:
“Some alternate voices are those of well-motivated men and women who are merely trying to serve their brothers and sisters and further the cause of Zion. Their efforts fit within the Lord’s teaching that his servants should not have to be commanded in all things, but ‘should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness.’” He’s quoting D&C 58:27 there at the end.
I like to think I’m in that group of alternate voices. I’m really just trying to help my fellow humans find the simple ways to feel the love of their Savior. And I truly honestly hope that if I stray from that path one of you will tell me!
The next group, Elder Oaks says, “… are pursuing selfish personal interests, such as property, pride, prominence, or power.” To me, those are the people who are likely well-intentioned, but maybe missing the mark just a tad. They’re overly concerned with subscribers, influence, and income.
Another group of voices he explains, “… are the bleatings of lost souls who cannot hear the voice of the Shepherd and trot about trying to find their way without his guidance. Some of these voices call out guidance for others—the lost leading the lost.” This group is loud and they’re getting louder. In my own personal opinion, this group of voices includes those who have left the Church, claiming that they never felt anything or that the culture was too toxic. I want to be careful here not to be dismissive of their experiences. We’ve all experienced different things relative to the culture of our Church. I lived in Utah for a few years during college and had some very negative experiences that would have shaken me had I not already had a strong foundation. I’ve seen some of what they’ve experienced, though I have not been through it myself, and do not mean to be dismissive of it. I group them in here because they aren’t sharing good things like the previous two groups, but they aren’t hateful, spiteful, resentful, or mean – they’re just trying to find their way through it. Vocally. Which is how some of us need to do it.
About the last group, Elder Oaks says, “Some alternate voices are of those whose avowed or secret object is to deceive and devour the flock. The Good Shepherd warned, “Beware of false prophets, which come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravening wolves.” (Quoting both Matthe 7:15 and 3 Nephi 14:15.)
These are the ones that are obviously out to hurt and destroy.
The lines between these groups can seem very blurred, and they really are. I find myself getting caught in that space between the group sincerely out to further the cause of Zion (to use Elder Oaks’ words) and the group that gets excited about subscribers, likes, and shares online. Sometimes even telling myself that I only get excited about it because it shows how many people I’m actually helping.
Because those lines are so blurred, how do we know which alternate voices are ok to listen to?
Of course, Elder Oaks addresses this too. First, he assures us that anything that is officially published or endorsed by the leadership of the Church is trustable. He puts it like this:
“… we have procedures to ensure approved content for materials published in the name of the Church or used for instruction in its classes. These procedures can be somewhat slow and cumbersome, but they have an important benefit. They provide a spiritual quality control that allows members to rely on the truth of what is said. Members who listen to the voice of the Church need not be on guard against being misled. They have no such assurance for what they hear from alternate voices.”
For things that are not officially published or endorsed by the leadership of the Church, we have this:
“As Latter-day Saints consider their personal relationship to various alternate voices, they will be helped by considering the ways we acquire knowledge, especially knowledge of sacred things.
“In modern revelation the Lord has told us to “seek learning … by study and also by faith.” (D&C 109:7.)
“We seek learning by studying the accumulated wisdom of various disciplines and by using the powers of reasoning placed in us by our Creator.
“We should also seek learning by faith in God, the giver of revelation. I believe that many of the great discoveries and achievements in science and the arts have resulted from a God-given revelation. Seekers who have paid the price in perspiration have been magnified by inspiration.”
Seek learning by study and also by faith. Elder Oaks gives a little more on this:
“The correct relationship between study and faith in the receipt of sacred knowledge is illustrated in Oliver Cowdery’s attempt to translate ancient records. He failed because he “took no thought,” but only asked God. (D&C 9:7.) The Lord told him he should have “stud[ied] it out in [his] mind” and then asked if it was right. (D&C 9:8.) Only then would the Lord reveal whether the translation was correct or not. And only on receiving that revelation could the text be written, because “you cannot write that which is sacred save it be given you from me.” (D&C 9:9.) In the acquisition of sacred knowledge, scholarship and reason are not alternatives to revelation. They are a means to an end, and the end is revelation from God.”
In other words, we study it out in scholarly ways – books, trustworthy online resources, things like that. Then we mull it over in our minds and in our hearts. We pay attention to how it makes us feel, and then we ask God. Trust our feelings and verify with our Father in Heaven that what we think and feel is accurate and in accordance with His teachings. And that process is available to all of us for everything we want or need to do in life – professionally, personally – all of it. Also, I know it sounds like a process that could take forever, and in some cases it might be. If you’re trying to learn something you’ve never learned about before, it might take a few days, a few months, or years. But in some cases we will have already done a lot of the studying. You’ll be able to fall back on your foundation and the things you’ve already learned and know to be true. You may already know how the Holy Ghost speaks to you too so you’ll recognize the response when you hear or feel it. That process could then only take a few minutes or even a few seconds.
Elder Oaks closes with this last little bit, which I loved reading. Back in 1989 he was looking forward to it and I think today he is living in it.
“I long for the day prophesied by Isaiah when “the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord.” (Isa. 11:9; 2 Ne. 21:9.) In an inspired utterance, the Prophet Joseph Smith described the Lord’s “pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.” (D&C 121:33.) This will not happen for those whose “hearts are set so much upon the things of this world, and aspire to the honors of men.” (D&C 121:35.) Those who fail to learn and use “principles of righteousness” (D&C 121:36) will be left to themselves to kick against those in authority, “to persecute the saints, and to fight against God” (D&C 121:38). In contrast, the Lord makes this great promise to the faithful:
“The doctrine of the priesthood shall distil upon thy soul as the dews from heaven.
“The Holy Ghost shall be thy constant companion, and thy scepter an unchanging scepter of righteousness and truth; and thy dominion shall be an everlasting dominion, and without compulsory means it shall flow unto thee forever and ever.” (D&C 121:45–46.)”
Also, I’m not sure if you hear President Eyring’s talk during the Sunday morning session or Elder Cook’s during the Sunday afternoon session, but they were extremely applicable to this topic too. Go check them out!
Before we close up this episode, I also want to be sure and point out that one of the things that Presidents Kimball and Nelson both encouraged us to do was to have our voices be heard. Elder Oaks is not suggesting that we silently obey – in fact, I believe he’s saying the opposite and telling us what kinds of voices to have. We need to make sure that our voice is the right kind of voice and not one that will drag others down or through the same mess that we’ve had to endure.
Please, use your voice. Make it heard. Raise your hand in your quorums and classes. Ask questions you may not have answers for and answer those for which you do. The voices being used by Satan are loud. He does that on purpose to drown out the Holy Spirit. We don’t need to make ours louder, just more powerful, and when we’re sharing the gospel in its purity and being sure to share doctrine as we have it, our voices will be more powerful. We can make the change we want to see in the world, but it will not happen silently.
Keep learning, keep growing, keep speaking up (or start), and be of good cheer. Our Savior loves you. Until next time.
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