Summary: This is clip #2 of this amazing and powerful talk given by M. Russell Ballard. I posted part 1 a couple of days ago. In this clip, he basically says the same thing he said earlier in the talk, about running from those "that claim to know something that the First Presidency or the 12 Apostles of God don't know." He says again to, "run away from them as fast as you can." He also states: "There are people all around the world who are now making the declaration that they are the Christ. Please be careful." He also makes the same exact statement, word for word, that he made back at a BYU-Provo Devotional on November 6, 1994, in the talk entitled "What Came From Kirtland?"(posted here August 12, 2006) This is obviously very important for him to repeat it again, so let me post it again. M. Russell Ballard says again: "You keep your eyes riveted on the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. WE WILL NOT LEAD YOU ASTRAY. WE CANNOT." The difference this time, is that he goes on to explain why that is, that they can't lead us astray and it is beautiful the way he expresses himself. M. Russell Ballard is a very eloquent and blessed speaker, inspired directly by God himself. I think being a direct, living descendant of the beloved Joseph Smith, might be the reason for this. He then discusses a missionary who almost lost his testimony after reading some anti-Mormon literature for the first time. The bottom line, as he explains in this story, is that if you give the Lord equal time and read The Book of Mormon everyday, and nothing else, you will always know the church is true and that Joseph Smith is a Prophet of God. It is also a strong warning to stay away from that evil anti-Mormon doctrine that is all lies and from the Devil himself, the master of all lies. Just reading it once, can cause even "the elect", to be led astray and lose their testimony. The last part of this clip explains that no matter how righteous we are and how focused on Christ we are, that we can still have a lot of problems and difficulties. M. Russell Ballard says: "Does that mean we will not have turmoil or personal problems or sickness or family challenges or employment difficulties? Not at all." However, he does point out: "But it does mean that if our faith is anchored securely in our testimonies of Christ, we will be able to cope with whatever adversity comes our way, and we will be able to do so in a positive, faith-promoting manner. If we keep the eye of faith focused on Christ, we gain a broader view and an eternal perspective, and with that we can understand adversity from within the context of Heavenly Father's eternal plan for all of His children. And we can find comfort in this life in the eternal safety, peace, joy, and security that He promises." So, no matter what has happened or is happening in our lives, whether someone has died or is extremely ill or sick, etc, we can look at the situation in a "positive, faith-promoting manner." We will also understand that it is all "from within the context of Heavenly Father's eternal plan for all of His children." How beautiful to know that Heavenly Father has blessed us all with such trials and pain, in order to help us grow and become better people. No matter how bad things are, they're for our own good in the long run and the eternal perspective of things. This talk was originally given at BYU-Provo, as a devotional Address, on March 12, 1996.
