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Elder Uchtdorf asked the men of the church: ”Are we as priesthood holders living below our privileges when it comes to the sacred power, gifts, and blessings that are our opportunity and right as bearers of God’s priesthood?” Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April Priesthood Meeting 2011
I hope all members of the church took notice of Elder Uchtdorf’s concerns about the men of the church. He is telling the men of the church that we’re not experiencing all the sacred powers that God wants us to have. He went on to say:
“Brethren, we are faced with a choice. We can be satisfied with a diminished experience as priesthood bearers and settle for experiences far below our privileges. Or we can partake of an abundant feast of spiritual opportunity and universal priesthood blessings.”
Think about the implications of his statement. It draws my mind to the parable of the Ten Virgins.
Living below the spiritual possibilities the Lord has for his followers isn’t just a problem for the men.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell used the image of a fruit ladened-tree to illustrate how both men and women of the church live below their privileges:
“Happily, many of us have already picked and been greatly nourished by the low-hanging fruit from the gospel tree. Yet, on the higher branches, much fruit still remains, unreached for and unplucked.” Neal Maxwell; Whom the Lord Loveth P 7-8.
I associate the low hanging fruit with the basic activity in the church many active members enjoy. I believe, this level of commitment is settling for sacred power and gifts far below our privilege. The abundant feast of spiritual opportunity is found in the unplucked fruit on the higher branches. The low hanging fruit is nourishing, meeting our basic needs, while the fruit on the higher branches is where the abundant feast of sacred powers and gifts are obtained.
Each church member has a choice to make. We can be satisfied with diminished sacred experiences, thus living far below our privilege. Or we can exercise faith and reach for the fruit representing an abundant feast of sacred experiences. Unless you exercise faith, you leave the Lord powerless to bless you as he desires.
The Book of Mormon provides the answers to what the higher hanging fruit is and how to pluck it. The choice before each of us is are we interested in reaching for the higher hanging fruit?
What I Hope to Accomplish
I hope this book will motivate those who read it to reach for the higher hanging fruit. I have reached forth, plucked some of the higher hanging fruit, and experienced part of the feast. I continue to reach for more. The purpose of this book is to define the way church members can live up to their privileges and obtain the sacred powers, gifts and blessings that are available to them.
Sacred Experiences
In order to write a book with the goal of inspiring LDS church members to reach for the higher hanging fruit requires more than having an understanding of gospel principles, I believe it requires having sacred experiences as well, otherwise it is just an academic exercise.
Sharing sacred experiences is an important part of the Lord’s way to increase faith in his followers. The Book of Mormon illustrates this principle: consider the example Alma and the four sons of Mosiah as they often testified of sacred experiences to open the hearts of those they taught.
Sacred experiences need to be shared, but done so in meekness always remembering, “that which cometh from above is sacred, and must be spoken with care, and by constraint of the Spirit…” (D&C 63:64). I hope that what I’ve written will measure up to that inspired counsel in the eyes of my readers, and more importantly, in the eyes of the Lord.
Having said that, I’m concerned that some readers will get the idea that they should have the same experiences as I relate. I don’t think it works that way. The message of the scriptures and this book is to point out the path the Lord would have us travel.
