Lamentations of Jeremiah: Beware Of Bondage

Elder Quentin L. Cook

Of the Quorum of the Twelve

During the years before the destruction of Jerusalem; the messages the Lord gave to Jeremiah are haunting.   He said, “…My people have changed their glory for that which doth not profit…they have forsaken me the fountain of living waters, and hewed…out…broken cisterns, that can hold no water.” Speaking of the calamities to come upon the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Lord lamented, “For [them] the harvest is past, the summer is ended, and [they] are not saved.”   

God intended that men and women would be free to make choices between good and evil. When evil choices become the dominant characteristic of a culture or nation, there are serious consequences both in this life and the life to come.  People can become enslaved or put themselves in bondage not only to harmful, addictive …

To My Grandchildren 

President Henry B. Eyring 

First Counselor in the First Presidency

Heavenly Father has perfect foresight, knows each of us, and knows our future. He knows what difficulties we will pass through. He sent His Son to suffer that He would know how to succor us in all our trials. 

We know that Heavenly Father has spirit children in this world who sometimes choose sin and great unhappiness. That is why He sent His Firstborn to be our Redeemer, the greatest act of love in all creation. That is why we must expect that it will take the help of God and time to polish us, to prepare us for eternal life, to live with our Father.  

Life in families will …

Recently we enjoyed the privilege of listening to the counsel of the prophets at General Conference, counsel that the Savior himself has directed the prophets to give. Why, then, do men put on a suit and tie, travel to a stake center to hear the words of a prophet and then blatantly refuse to follow the prophet’s counsel? Why would a woman set aside all her activities for an entire weekend in April and October, listen to eight hours of revelatory messages, and claim the messages didn’t apply to her?

Men and women, wanting to see themselves as believing and obedient Latter-day Saints often seek the prophets’ counsel, and then justify disobedience with the rationalization they are the “exception to the rule.”

I imagine every single admonition given at Conference this weekend was heard by someone who considered himself the “exception to the rule.”

“I know tithing is required by …

Give or take. These are modest estimates, and the numbers will only increase from here. I don’t make a report of them to make myself a martyr or to seek congratulations. I’m sure your numbers are similar if not higher. I whipped out my calculator today only to reflect a little and impart a lesson or two I’ve learn somewhere between 1 and 22,812.

If anyone had shown me these haunting numbers when I first started this job of wife and mother, I’m sure I would’ve needed a lot more coaxing to go through with it. Thankfully, no one did and I dove right in, head first, delighted at the prospect of making homemade stews in crock pots and getting to buy those teeny tiny diapers the size of men’s wallets. (I still revel in buying size one …

For twenty years, from 1980 to 2000, the Monday following general conferences I headed to the Church Office Building in downtown Salt Lake City to help proofread or index conference addresses for publication in the Ensign and Liahona. Because the May and November conference issues had to be ready for printing in two weeks, the Ensign staff needed extra eyes and hands. A small cadre of proofreaders came together every six months, and I was fortunate to be part of this group.

I gained many things through this experience, such as learning how a magazine is readied for publication, why magazine pages need to be proofed numerous times, and how to index. The association with many wonderful full-time editors and “seasonal” workers developed into caring friendships. I enjoyed working for two weeks, then “retiring” for six months, especially since my children were young during this time period.

During this process, …

Pondering is an interesting journey as it allows your mind to go many places. Look at the 138^th Section of the Doctrine and Covenants as President Joseph F. Smith records a vision given him. He said in verse 1, “I sat in my room pondering over the scriptures” and in verse 11, “As I pondered over these things which are written, the eyes of my understanding were opened….” There is something wonderful that can happen when we sit alone and ponder challenges, questions, problems, and a myriad of other thoughts. Most of us have experienced the eyes of our understanding being opened and clear new thoughts or approaches come as a result of our quietly pondering for answers.

One day while reviewing the many roads we have traveled, the thought came, “What will it be like to face the Lord at the bar of justice?” “What will He Ask?” …

You’ve probably heard some of the most-frequently-told pioneer stories dozens of times until you may even stop listening when they are repeated because you know them by heart. Perhaps, in that repeating, those stories have lost their impact. Or maybe you never felt you could relate to them because those stories never really connected with you.

Larry Nielson art

But it is through stories that we daily relate to each other and to God.

What if you’re trying to tell your story to an unengaged listener? Then that story must to be told well enough to bring the listener along on the journey. Just ask the folks at Timpanogos Storytelling Festival, the largest gathering of storytellers in the entire west. They should know. Their festival attracts some of the best storytellers in the country and they were kind enough to invite us to come share our special brand of storytelling …

when it just gets to be too much.…

The large, white envelope now displayed on the mantelpiece in the crowded family room of the Wright home looks ordinary enough, like any other piece of mail. But there’s good reason for the crowd and the excitement its arrival has caused: this envelope contains the location where its addressee, Sister Allison Wright, will spend 18 months of her life teaching others about God and Jesus Christ.

“It just depends on where the Lord needs me,” says Alli, as she’s been called since around age four. “It will definitely take faith, but I’m excited to see where I get called. I can’t wait.”

Just a year ago, Alli was an 18-year-old senior at a Utah high school, busy with activities like cross country, choir and student government. She’d thought about serving a mission for her church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but it was a decision she planned …

I went through the drive-thru of Kneaders yesterday, a sort of bakery and sandwich shop that I only recently discovered you can get on the go. I ordered a Panini and though I’ve never been a huge fan of them, it came with a side of potato chips. I do have to say in all fairness that as potato chips go, Kneaders’ vaguely parmesan incarnation is not too bad.

The chips made me think of a previous visit to the restaurant when I sat with two good friends at an outside table as we watched the sun setting. We three talked about life and our dreams and perhaps one day sitting watching a sunset in L.A. where we would all be making movies. (In actuality, the other two have since relocated instead to New York City and I’m to follow closely after).

I remember that evening not just because it …