The Book of Brooksby, Chapter 5

CHAPTER 5

Supporting and reinforcing the ones we love will help prepare them for the trials that God knows they will face, as well as give happiness to the one who supports.

1 And now the design of the Nephites was to support their lands, and their houses, and their wives, and their children, that they might preserve them from the hands of their enemies; and also that they might preserve their rights and their privileges, yea, and also their liberty, that they might worship God according to their desires.

2 We manifest our love for Heavenly Father by keeping His commandments and serving His children. Our expressions of love for others may include being kind to them, listening to them, mourning with them, comforting them, serving them, praying for them, sharing the gospel with them, and being their friend.

3 We speak of literacy and education in terms of being prepared for a better occupation, but we cannot underestimate the present pleasure of our reading in the scriptures, Church magazines, and good books of every kind. We teach of emotional strength in terms of family prayer, kind words, and full communication, but we quickly learn how pleasant life can be when it is lived in a courteous and reinforcing atmosphere.

4 There are many of you who feel that you don’t get much support, silent or otherwise. To you in particular I want to give my assurance that there are those who cheer from on high. God created us and loves us. More than anything else, he desires our righteous success now and our safe return to him later. When we feel no other support, we can count on him. To David of old and to us he said, “Wait on the Lord: Be of good courage, and he shall strengthen thy heart” (Ps. 27:14).

5 None of us need one more person bashing or pointing out where we have failed or fallen short. Most of us are already well aware of the areas in which we are weak. What each of us does need is family, friends, employers, and brothers and sisters who support us, who have the patience to teach us, who believe in us, and who believe we’re trying to do the best we can, in spite of our weaknesses. What ever happened to giving each other the benefit of the doubt? What ever happened to hoping that another person would succeed or achieve? What ever happened to rooting for each other? Be one who nurtures and who builds. Be one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart, who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them. Be fair with your competitors, whether in business, athletics, or elsewhere. Don’t get drawn into some of the parlance of our day and try to “win” by intimidation or by undermining someone’s character. Lend a hand to those who are frightened, lonely, or burdened.

6 Yes, we as leaders are on his errand and should give the strictest attention to the personal growth of each individual through teaching correct principles and try to lead that individual to prepare himself for immortality and eternal life. This we should do by example and precept and then be prepared to help and support him in his efforts, but we should let him make his own decisions and govern himself according to the free agency that is his gift.

7 How do we deal with the inevitable moments of fear or “feeble knees”? It is vital that we not face them alone. Always it is helpful and comforting to be able to confide in a loving and trusted friend or relative who empathetically listens to our uncertainties. We often find that our confidant has experienced similar fears, and we may even share in his wise counsel. Life is never easy, and we cannot escape our own case of feeble knees from time to time. It is thus essential that we love and support one another. 

8 Yea, and cry unto God for all thy support; yea, let all thy doings be unto the Lord, and whithersoever thou goest let it be in the Lord; yea, let all thy thoughts be directed unto the Lord; yea, let the affections of thy heart be placed upon the Lord forever.

9 And behold, thou wilt remember the poor, and consecrate of thy properties for their support that which thou hast to impart unto them, with a covenant and a deed which cannot be broken.

10 When difficulties arise, some want to fade into the crowd and become lost and unknown. Any thinking person will realize that there is a wonderful support system available to those who are listed on the records of the Church. There are those who will listen, help, and teach. There will be opportunities to study scriptures, ponder, and pray. Caring people and a caring God want to know where you are.

11 In the turmoil and strife of our society today, many are frustrated, overwhelmed by anxieties and fears. As an individual strives to regain stability and self-confidence, it is vital that friends put their arms around him and assure him that he is not alone, that he can succeed in the struggle to return. Too often we weaken such an individual through thoughtless remarks and failure to understand rather than building with love and sincere concern. 

12 As we support the efforts of those who are trying to work through their challenges, we should be helpful, and will be if we can extend kindness, compassion, patience, and love. It is a sad day when any one of us surrenders to sin or circumstances.

13 What a great blessing to be members of Christ’s church! The scriptures and the gospel provide the insight and help we need to meet our crises. We have leaders who support and bless us emotionally, temporally, and spiritually. Most of all, our Heavenly Father assures and comforts us through the Holy Ghost. It was he who loved us so much that he permitted his Only Begotten Son to suffer unto death for our sins that we might return to him. (See John 3:14–17.) We can trust in God and his Son to help us.

14 Wherefore, honest men and wise men should be sought for diligently, and good men and wise men ye should observe to uphold; otherwise whatsoever is less than these cometh of evil.

15 George McDonald observed that “it is by loving and not by being loved that one can come nearest to the soul of another.” Of course, we all need to be loved, but we must be giving and not always receiving, if we want to have the wholeness of our lives and a reinforced sense of purpose.

16 My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness; and he hath preserved me upon the waters of the great deep.

17 ...I beseech of thee that thou wilt hear my words and learn of me; for I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day.

Younger Elder Brooksby

1-Alma 43:9

2-True to the Faith: Love

3-Welfare Services: The Gospel in Action by Spencer W. Kimball, October 1977 General Conference

4-The Cheering Section by Paul H. Dunn, November 1988 Liahona

5-The Tongue Can Be a Sharp Sword by Marvin J. Ashton, April 1992 General Conference

6-Leading as the Savior Led by N. Eldon Tanner, January 1978 Liahona

7-Strengthen the Feeble Knees by Marvin J. Ashton, October 1991 General Conference

8-Alma 37:36

9-D&C 42:30

10-While They Are Waiting by Marvin J. Ashton, April 1988 General Conference

11-When Men’s Hearts Fail by Royden G. Derrick, April 1988 Liahona

12-While They Are Waiting by Marvin J. Ashton, April 1988 General Conference

13-In Your Time of Crisis by A. LaVar Thornock, May 1989 Liahona

14-D&C 98:10

15-The Abundant Life by Spencer W. Kimball, June 1979 Liahona

16-2 Nephi 4:20

17-Alma 36:3

The Book of Brooksby, Chapter 4

CHAPTER 4

With love of God, when followed with action, comes a love of all mankind and a desire to serve them.

1 And we have known and believed the love that God hath to us. God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God, and God in him. Herein is our love made perfect, that we may have boldness in the day of judgment: because as he is, so are we in this world. There is no fear in love; but perfect love casteth out fear: because fear hath torment. He that feareth is not made perfect in love. We love him, because he first loved us.

2 May I suggest a further requisite in the continuing quest to live happily every hour, every day, every month, and every year of our lives. The golden pathway to happiness is the selfless giving of love--the kind of love that has concern and interest and some measure of charity for every living soul. Love is the direct route to the happiness that would enrich and bless our lives and the lives of others. It means that you show love even to your enemies, “bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you” (Matt. 5:44). In so doing you will be fulfilling the greater commandment to love God Himself and to enjoy His love. You will soar above the ill winds that blow, above the sordid, the self-defeating, and the bitter. You have the promise that “your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you; and that body which is filled with light comprehendeth all things” (D&C 88:67).

3 And this is his commandment, That we should believe on the name of his Son Jesus Christ, and love one another, as he gave us commandment. And he that keepeth his commandments dwelleth in him, and he in him. And hereby we know that he abideth in us, by the Spirit which he hath given us.

4 Seeing ye have purified your souls in obeying the truth through the Spirit unto unfeigned love of the brethren, see that ye love one another with a pure heart fervently:

5 A friend loveth at all times, and a brother is born for adversity.

6 Most people recognize their faults and want very much to improve; in an atmosphere of love, acceptance, and support, they are able to move toward those goals in their lives. But if they are constantly reminded of their negative traits, never receiving positive reinforcement for good behavior, it becomes almost impossible for them to change.

7 Regardless of the procedure we might use in responding to criticism, there is one principle which overshadows all others. That, of course, is love. Criticism may be one of the greatest obstacles to love, but love is also the greatest tool for overcoming criticism. The message of the gospel is that we should not only have love but that we should create love in the hearts of others. We create love by showing it.

8 We all have struggles, but we all can find an extra minute and a half each day to show love to one of God’s children. It just might make all the difference--even to the one we think we don’t have to worry about.

9 A new commandment I give unto you, That ye love one another; as I have loved you, that ye also love one another. By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another.

10 To be an effective leader or teacher, one must show love and actually feel love for the person he is trying to instruct. No power is as motivating as the power of love. Christ loved everyone--the weak, the sinner, the righteous. Sometimes, the ones who need to be loved most are the ones who seem to deserve it the least. Though we may not appreciate or approve of what someone does, we must still show love for the individual.

11 The greatest commandment, to love God, was not given priority at the expense or exclusion of the second commandment, to love our neighbor. I do not think a sincere love of the Savior is possible without a sincere love of mankind. Neither do I believe it is possible to have sincere love and concern for Church members to the exclusion of the rest of God’s children. Compassion knows no political or religious boundaries. We cannot do everything, but still we must do everything we can.

12 ...the Lord God hath given a commandment that all men should have charity, which charity is love. And except they should have charity they were nothing. Wherefore, if they should have charity they would not suffer the laborer in Zion to perish.

13 And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.

14 For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

15 Have you noticed how often Church leaders--from President Thomas S. Monson to the Twelve Apostles to local presidencies, bishoprics, and teachers--express their love for those they serve? This love comes from following the example of the Savior. Serving others is the way we show love for them. Perhaps love and service are one and the same. Truly, they are what distinguish us as disciples of Christ.

16 Behold, I speak unto you, and also to all those who have desires to bring forth and establish this work; and no one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care.

17 May we begin now, this very day, to express love to all of God’s children, whether they be our family members, our friends, mere acquaintances, or total strangers. As we arise each morning, let us determine to respond with love and kindness to whatever might come our way. Beyond comprehension, my brothers and sisters, is the love of God for us. Because of this love, He sent His Son, who loved us enough to give His life for us, that we might have eternal life. As we come to understand this incomparable gift, our hearts will be filled with love for our Eternal Father, for our Savior, and for all mankind. That such may be so is my earnest prayer in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Younger Elder Brooksby

1-1 John 4:16-19

2-Our Search for Happiness by James E. Faust, October 2000 Liahona

3-1 John 3:23-24

4-1 Peter 1:22

5-Proverbs 17:17

6-Bringing Out the Best in Marriage by Val R. Christensen, October 1981 Liahona

7-Handling Criticism in Home Teaching and Other Situations by Dan Workman, February 1983 Liahona

8-Latter-day Saint Voices, February 2014 Liahona

9-John 13:34-35

10-Leading as the Savior Led by N. Eldon Tanner, January 1978 Liahona

11-Infinite Needs and Finite Resources by Glenn L. Pace, March 1995 Liahona

12-2 Nephi 26:30

13-4 Nephi 1:15-16

14-Galatians 5:13

15-As I Have Loved You by Barbara Thompson, July 2011 Liahona

16-D&C 12:7-8

17-Love-the Essence of the Gospel by Thomas S. Monson, April 2014 General Conference

The Book of Brooksby, Chapter 3

CHAPTER 3

To forgive others gives us an opportunity to be forgiven ourselves and opens to us God's kingdom.

1 Forgiveness is a personal attribute, not just an action we undertake when necessary. To have a forgiving heart is to see the world in a different light. It is forsaking the tendency to judge, condemn, exclude, or hate any human soul. A forgiving heart seeks to love and to be patient with imperfection. A forgiving heart understands that we all need the Atonement of Jesus Christ. If we have a forgiving heart, our very nature will be Christlike--kind, patient, long-suffering, and charitable. In its fullest expression, forgiveness is synonymous with charity, the pure love of Christ. It plants and nourishes the seeds of Christlike love in both the giver and the receiver. Those who reject the forgiving heart and choose instead to harbor resentments, bitterness, and revenge see the world as a dark place. They are quick to take offense, always assuming the worst in others’ motives. They feel the pain of human relationships more intensely. They are intolerant of differences between themselves and others. Such persons tend to be lonely because they can find no one to meet their standards. They are often no more forgiving of their own faults than they are of the faults of others. They are sometimes even angry with God and want to blame him for the frustrations of their lives. Joy finds no place in their hearts.

2 Unless we extend forgiveness to others, our lives may be poisoned by anger and hard feelings. Past hurts can magnify as they accumulate, and once-loving relationships can become damaged beyond repair. One of the best ways to teach forgiveness is to practice the principle yourself. Agree with your partner to honestly try to forgive--and forget--past wrongs. Look to the future, not to the past. Once an event is over, you can’t go back in time and change your actions, no matter how badly you might want to. Reviving old hurts can only damage a relationship; it is never a positive step. It’s also important to forgive ourselves for errors we’ve made, and to learn to honestly accept forgiveness from others. Dwelling on mistakes made in the past can affect our behavior to the point we become both physically and mentally ill.

3 We may never forget our mistakes. This is actually a blessing from the Savior; it is a way of reminding us that the experience was painful and that we should not repeat our transgressions, for “unto that soul who sinneth shall the former sins return, saith the Lord your God” (D&C 82:7). But when we are forgiven, our past sins are no longer a part of us. We are free from them. We may have to suffer some of the long-lasting consequences, but we will no longer feel weighed down by guilt or regret.

4 I hope you will not think it simplistic to suggest that it is the “little things” like family prayer and family home evening that are important. Little things like a father helping his children say their nightly prayers and telling them a bedtime story instead of watching TV. Little things like making time in the family schedule for reading the scriptures. Little things like a husband being big enough to say, “Sweetheart, I’m sorry. I should not have said that. I’m going to do better.” Or a mother saying to a child, “I’m sorry I became angry. Please forgive me.” Yes, it is the little things that we do each day and each week that make the difference.

5 If we learn to forgive one another within the family, we will be able to forgive more readily within the Church and within the community. Like many good things, forgiveness begins in the home. We must remember to teach our children that even if others fail to be kind and considerate, we ought to be slow to condemn and very quick to forgive. We need not be tolerant of sin, but we must become tolerant and forgiving of the sinner. Jesus Christ gave his life to reconcile us to God so that through his atonement we can repent and receive forgiveness of our sins. We owe our Savior a great debt. Part of that debt is the obligation we have to forgive one another.

6 It remains only for you and me to both seek and tender that forgiveness--to both repent and to extend charity to others--which enables us to pass through the door the Savior holds open, thus to cross the threshold from this life into exaltation. Today is the day to forgive others their trespasses, secure in the knowledge that the Lord will thus forgive ours. As Luke significantly recorded, “Be ye therefore merciful” (Luke 6:36). Perfection may elude us here, but we can be merciful. And in the end, repenting and forgiving are among God’s chief requirements of us.

7 “Blessed are the merciful, for they shall obtain mercy” (3 Ne. 12:7). Mercy is the quality of soul necessary for forgiveness; those who forgive others will be forgiven of their own offenses. Recognizing our own shortcomings makes it easier to extend mercy to others.

8 For if ye forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you: but if ye forgive not men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses.

9 The spirit must be freed from tethers so strong and feelings never put to rest, so that the lift of life may give buoyancy to the soul. In many families, there are hurt feelings and a reluctance to forgive. It doesn’t really matter what the issue was. It cannot and should not be left to injure. Blame keeps wounds open. Only forgiveness heals. George Herbert, an early 17th-century poet, wrote these lines: “He that cannot forgive others breaks the bridge over which he himself must pass if he would ever reach heaven, for everyone has need of forgiveness.”

10 Let all bitterness, and wrath, and anger, and clamour, and evil speaking, be put away from you, with all malice: and be ye kind one to another, tenderhearted, forgiving one another, even as God for Christ’s sake hath forgiven you.

11 Wherefore, I say unto you, that ye ought to forgive one another; for he that forgiveth not his brother his trespasses standeth condemned before the Lord; for there remaineth in him the greater sin.

12 This is not to say that forgiveness is easy. When someone has hurt us or those we care about, that pain can almost be overwhelming. It can feel as if the pain or the injustice is the most important thing in the world and that we have no choice but to seek vengeance. But Christ, the Prince of Peace, teaches us a better way. It can be very difficult to forgive someone the harm they’ve done us, but when we do, we open ourselves up to a better future. No longer does someone else’s wrongdoing control our course. When we forgive others, it frees us to choose how we will live our own lives. Forgiveness means that problems of the past no longer dictate our destinies, and we can focus on the future with God’s love in our hearts.

13 My brothers and sisters, let us bind up the wounds--oh, the many wounds that have been caused by cutting words, by stubbornly cultivated grievances, by scheming plans to “get even” with those who may have wronged us. We all have a little of this spirit of revenge in us. Fortunately, we all have the power to rise above it, if we will “clothe [ourselves] with the bond of charity, as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace” (D&C 88:125).

14 Brothers and sisters, there is enough heartache and sorrow in this life without our adding to it through our own stubbornness, bitterness, and resentment. We are not perfect. The people around us are not perfect. People do things that annoy, disappoint, and anger. In this mortal life it will always be that way. Nevertheless, we must let go of our grievances. Part of the purpose of mortality is to learn how to let go of such things. That is the Lord’s way. Remember, heaven is filled with those who have this in common: They are forgiven. And they forgive. Lay your burden at the Savior’s feet. Let go of judgment. Allow Christ’s Atonement to change and heal your heart. Love one another. Forgive one another. The merciful will obtain mercy. Of this I testify in the name of the One who loved so well and so completely that He gave His life for us, His friends--in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Younger Elder Brooksby

1-The Forgiving Heart by Roderick J. Linton, June 1998 Liahona

2-Teaching Children about Forgiveness: A Guide for Parents, February 1988 Liahona

3-Questions and Answers, November 1999 Liahona

4-The Temple Is a Family Affair by J. Ballard Washburn, April 1995 General Conference

5-To Forgive Is Divine by Theodore M. Burton, April 1983 General Conference

6-Today by Lance B. Wickman, May 2008 Liahona

7-The Beatitudes: Pathway to the Savior by S. Michael Wilcox, November 1991 Liahona

8-Matthew 6:14-15

9-Hidden Wedges by Thomas S. Monson, July 2002 Liahona

10-Ephesians 4:31-32

11-D&C 64:9

12-Forgiveness Will Change Bitterness to Love by David E. Sorensen, May 2003 Liahona

13-Of You It Is Required to Forgive by Gordon B. Hinkley, November 1991 Liahona

14-The Merciful Obtain Mercy by Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2012 General Conference

The Book of Brooksby, Chapter 2

CHAPTER 2

A commitment is how we decide progress. Our fulfillment of those commitments is a mark of our personal progress.

1 As I think of the blessings God has given us and the many beauties of the gospel of Jesus Christ, I am aware that along the way we are asked to make certain contributions in return, contributions of time or of money or of other resources. These are all valued and all necessary, but they do not constitute our full offering to God. Ultimately, what our Father in Heaven will require of us is more than a contribution; it is a total commitment, a complete devotion, all that we are and all that we can be.

2 And whatsoever ye do, do it heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men; Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

3 And if it seem evil unto you to serve the Lord, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

4 Commitment, as we have observed, is to be an example of goodness. It is to be “anxiously engaged” and “do many things” of our “own free will.” It is not by compulsion, but because of our desire to “bring to pass much righteousness.” Commitment is not confessing, but doing. It is not convenient. It isn’t easy--it’s never easy. It is example leadership. It is a binding, but happy, response to duty. It is at once peaceful yet compelling, for it obligates one to action. It is essential to the good life. It is doing what everyone can do. It is a beautiful principle to observe in action. I know, after many interviews, that many long to become part of the assembly of the blessed. Many times they cry out in the night for help, not knowing where to turn, how to begin. Their eternal spirits seek help. As social beings we need each other. The commitment to reach out to them is a binding invitation from the Savior. When this is done in love, we may help redeem them. It is infinitely more than just confessing Jesus Christ--it is doing what needs to be done.

5 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal life.

6 If you really want to be like the Lord--more than any thing or anyone else--you will remember that your adoration of Jesus is best shown by your emulation of Him. Then you will not allow any other love to become more important than love for your companion, your family, and your Creator. You will govern yourself not by someone else’s set of rules but by revealed principles of truth. Your responsibility to endure is uniquely yours. But you are never alone. I testify that the lifting power of the Lord can be yours if you will “come unto Christ” and “be perfected in him.” You will “deny yourselves of all ungodliness.” And you will “love God with all your might, mind and strength.”

7 Therefore also now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning: And rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil.

8 Remember, a good attitude produces good results, a fair attitude fair results, a poor attitude poor results. We each shape our own life, and the shape of it is determined largely by our attitude. George Bernard Shaw wrote: “People are always blaming their circumstances for what they are. I don’t believe in circumstances. The people who get on in this world are the people who get up and look for the circumstances they want, and, if they can’t find them, make them.”

9 A person’s attitude is perhaps the hardest of all personal attributes to change. If your attitude is right, then your life is made right. If your heart is touched, your mind and way of thinking will change and your life will change for the better accordingly. I believe we must become so immersed in the gospel of Jesus Christ that we become physically as well as mentally more and more like the Lord himself. We must yield our whole hearts to him. What we then do is done not because we are asked to, nor because we are forced to, but because we want to. Neither pressure nor force can be exerted upon us from outside, when what we do is done because it is our own choice and desire. It then makes no difference to us what other men may think, or say, or do. Our hearts being committed wholly to God, what we do is done out of our love for and our trust in him. We then serve God in every way we can because we have been converted, our attitude has been changed and we now desire to become like him both spiritually and physically.

10 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

11 True happiness is not made in getting something. True happiness is becoming something. This can be done by being committed to lofty goals. We cannot become something without commitment.

However, we must realize not all problems of life can be solved at once. A commitment to solve our daily needs and the reaching of immediate lesser goals will bring meaningful successes. Realize that God will judge you by the way you make use of all your possibilities. It is wise and proper to want to make the most of every opportunity, but don’t quit or weep because of failure or disappointments. Break down big commitments into smaller ones that you can handle. Then self-esteem will grow and commitment toward goals of greater magnitude will become possible. The journey of success is long and is dotted with a series of commitments to worthy goals. A person does not become committed to worthwhile goals just by making the declaration or decision. It must be daily progression toward established purposes.

The scriptures say it this way: “For I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them.” (1 Ne. 3:7.) A truly committed person does not falter in the face of adversity. Until one is committed, there is a chance to hesitate, to go off in another direction, or to be ineffective. Members within our ranks who are committed to living the gospel of Jesus Christ will not be affected by the rationale of hecklers.

12 Therefore, sanctify yourselves that your minds become single to God, and the days will come that you shall see him; for he will unveil his face unto you, and it shall be in his own time, and in his own way, and according to his own will.

13 Brothers and sisters, save our dead? we must--such is our commitment. Carry the gospel to every nation, kindred, tongue and people? we must--such is our commitment. Be our brother’s keeper and teach one another? we must--such is our commitment. Learn our individual duty well and teach our families, as we overcome petty weaknesses? we must--for such is our commitment. Yes, it all starts right here with you and me and the commitment or vow that we have made with our Heavenly Father, for he said: “When thou vowest a vow unto God, defer not to pay it; for he hath no pleasure in fools: pay that which thou hast vowed.” (Eccl. 5:4.)

14 Blessed is that servant, whom his lord when he cometh shall find so doing.

15 And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved.

Younger Elder Brooksby

1-Standing As Witnesses of God by Howard W. Hunter, April 1990 General Conference

2-Colossians 3:23-24

3-Joshua 24:15

4-A Personal Commitment by James M. Paramore, April 1979 General Conference

5-2 Nephi 31:20

6-Endure and Be Lifted Up by Russell M. Nelsen, April 1997 General Conference

7-Joel 2:12-13

8-Providing for Our Needs by M. Russell Ballard, April 1981 General Conference

9-The Need for Total Commitment by Theodore M. Burton, October 1973 General Conference

10-Matthew 6:33

11-The Word is Commitment by Marvin J. Ashton, October 1983 General Conference

12-D&C 88:68

13-These Four Things by Robert L. Simpson, April 1976 General Conference

14-Luke 12:43

15-Omni 1:26

The Book of Brooksby, Chapter 1

CHAPTER 1
Remember that while discouragement and darkness have real power, we
have The Lord on our side.

1 We all have troubles, but the �ggerm�h of discouragement, to use
Fitzgerald�fs word, is not in the trouble, it is in us--or to be more
precise, I believe it is in Satan, the prince of darkness, the father
of lies. And he wants us to have it in us. It�fs frequently a small
germ, but it will work and it will grow and it will spread. In fact it
can become almost a habit, a way of living and thinking, and there the
greatest damage is done. Then it takes an increasingly severe toll on
our spirit, for it erodes the deepest religious commitments we can
make--those of faith, and hope, and charity. We turn inward and look
downward, and these greatest of Christlike virtues are damaged or at
the very least impaired.

2 And thus, they go on, living only a shadow of the life they could
have led, never rising to the potential that is their birthright. As
the poet lamented, these are among those unfortunate souls who �gdie
with [most of] their music [still] in them.�h No one likes to fail.
And we particularly don�ft like it when others--especially those we
love--see us fail. We all want to be respected and esteemed. We want
to be champions. But we mortals do not become champions without effort
and discipline or without making mistakes. Brethren, our destiny is
not determined by the number of times we stumble but by the number of
times we rise up, dust ourselves off, and move forward.

3 And be not conformed to this world: but be ye transformed by the
renewing of your mind, that ye may prove what is that good, and
acceptable, and perfect, will of God.

4 A just God has placed us here on the planet earth where we
experience suffering and imperfection all around us. And this life and
estate are necessary because in this life we experience something we
cannot do any other place. The life we had before and the life we will
have hereafter will leave our bodies, spirits, and minds in a more
perfect state. But we did not and will not have the opportunities to
give of ourselves in the same way as we can in this life. What a
simple truth of a gospel principle! As we suffer and serve in this
life, we are fulfilling a very essential part of the gospel plan.

5 Yet in spite of discouragement and adversity, those who are happiest
seem to have a way of learning from difficult times, becoming
stronger, wiser, and happier as a result. Learning to endure times of
disappointment, suffering, and sorrow is part of our on-the-job
training. These experiences, while often difficult to bear at the
time, are precisely the kinds of experiences that stretch our
understanding, build our character, and increase our compassion for
others.

6 All of us sometime, and some of us much of the time, suffer remorse
of conscience from things we did wrong or things left undone. That
feeling of guilt is to the spirit what pain is to the physical body.

7 I am speaking of something more serious, of an affliction so severe
that it significantly restricts a person�fs ability to function fully,
a crater in the mind so deep that no one can responsibly suggest it
would surely go away if those victims would just square their
shoulders and think more positively--though I am a vigorous advocate
of square shoulders and positive thinking! Believe in miracles. I have
seen so many of them come when every other indication would say that
hope was lost. Hope is never lost. If those miracles do not come soon
or fully or seemingly at all, remember the Savior�fs own anguished
example: if the bitter cup does not pass, drink it and be strong,
trusting in happier days ahead. Trust in God. Hold on in His love.
Know that one day the dawn will break brightly and all shadows of
mortality will flee. Though we may feel we are �glike a broken
vessel,�h as the Psalmist says, we must remember, that vessel is in
the hands of the divine potter. Broken minds can be healed just the
way broken bones and broken hearts are healed.

8 For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against
principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of
this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

9 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome
them: for he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are
with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.

10 Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud
of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so
easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set
before us, looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith;
who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising
the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.

11 Behold, I send you out to prove the world, and the laborer is
worthy of his hire. And any man that shall go and preach this gospel
of the kingdom, and fail not to continue faithful in all things, shall
not be weary in mind, neither darkened, neither in body, limb, nor
joint; and a hair of his head shall not fall to the ground unnoticed.
And they shall not go hungry, neither athirst.

12 We are troubled on every side, yet not distressed; we are
perplexed, but not in despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; cast
down, but not destroyed;

13 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.


Younger Elder Brooksby


1-For Times of Trouble by Jeffrey R. Holland, January 1982
2-You Can Do It Now! By Dieter F. Uchtdorf, October 2013 General Conference
3-Romans 12:2
4-We Can�ft Do It Alone by Robert D. Hales, October 1975
5-Come What May, and Love It by Joseph B. Wirthlin, October 2008
General Conference
6-The Touch of the Master�fs Hand by Boyd K. Packer, July 2001
7-Like a Broken Vessel by Jeffrey R. Holland, October 2013 General Conference
8-Ephesians 6:12
9-Revelation 17:14
10-Hebrews 12:1-2
11-D&C 84:79-80
12-2 Corinthians 4:8-9
13-Helaman 5:12