← followHIM
Loading summary
Transcript86 lines
- [00:00]
Hank Smith
Coming up in this episode on Follow Him.
- [00:04]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
Our wallets were really thin. We didn't have much money. We just had a lot on our plate. We were both working full time and Christmas was coming. You just want to buy the right present and you want to have Christmas and it's your first Christmas. I honestly do not remember what I got Derek, but I will never forget what he gave me.
- [00:27]
Hank Smith
Merry Christmas from Follow Him. My name is Hank Smith and I am your host. I am here with my matchless co host, John. By the way, John, you are the best co host I've ever had on Follow Him. You are matchless.
- [00:45]
John
Of all the things you've ever said to me, Hank, that's one of them. Yeah, that is John.
- [00:53]
Hank Smith
Merry Christmas. Tell me about Christmas in the by the way home. Tell me what comes to mind.
- [00:58]
John
You remember how when Samuel the Lamanite prophesied and there was the death of Christ on the other side of the planet, they could feel the vapor of darkness. I feel like on the opposite end with Christmas, it's almost a palpable feeling in the air. There's this joy of Christ in the air and you can almost feel it. That's what I think of now in my old age is just, can you feel that Christmas spirit everywhere?
- [01:23]
Hank Smith
I love that. John we are privileged today to have with us President Bonnie H. Cordon. John, she had the title of president earlier when she was in the General Young Women's. Now she's president again. President Corden again out at Southern Virginia University. President Corden, thank you for taking time for us. Thank you for being here.
- [01:48]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
It's wonderful to be here. I'm just honored to be with both of you.
- [01:53]
Hank Smith
We are excited. We've been looking forward to this for a long time. Sister Corden, if it's okay, I'm going to call you Bonnie for our episode. Would that be okay?
- [02:01]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
I think that'd be a great idea.
- [02:03]
Hank Smith
Bonnie, tell us about Christmas and what you want to do today. Where do we want to go?
- [02:09]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
How do you have Christmas without Christ? I love the fact that for this Christmas study, we get to talk a little bit about the living Christmas. I'm hoping to hear from you. What does Christmas and what does Christ look like in your world? And maybe walk through some of the things that help us to understand him a little bit better through our. Our time together.
- [02:31]
Hank Smith
I may be incriminating myself here, but I think it's every year that I get to the new year and think I could have focused on Christ more. Seems to happen to Me every January. You'd think that I'd improve and maybe I do a little bit every year. John, I'm sure all of our listeners know President Corden, but let's give a bio anyway.
- [02:52]
John
Yes, I'd love to. President Bonnie H. Cordon. She was the young Women General President 2018-2023. You were navigating that during COVID which must have been fascinating. Then in October of 2023, became the President of Southern Virginia University, the Knights. Did I get that right? We are the Knights and there's a founding family of the Knights that are out there at Southern Virginia University. She grew up on an 80 acre farm in Idaho Falls. The best talks I've ever heard in my life start with, I was raised on a farm. To her father as Harold G. Hillam and her mother, Carol Rasmussen. Bonnie also served as a full time missionary in Portugal, Lisbon Mission, and then later served with her husband Derek as president of Brazil Curitiba mission from 2010 to 2013. She's currently coming to us from Southern Virginia University. So we're so glad you joined us.
- [03:57]
Hank Smith
John, I've talked about this before, but I have a very, very special place in my heart for Southern Virginia University. The Knight family. I've known them my entire life. I spent time out there back in the 1900s when the school was just opening. John, you talked about the feeling of Christmas, that you feel it in the air. Same thing at svu. You can feel it when you walk around campus.
- [04:22]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
There's a feeling, there's a great gathering going on.
- [04:26]
John
Yeah. Hank, I have to add on a personal note, one time, I don't remember when it was, maybe after a Christmas concert at the conference center or something, I ran into President Corden and mentioned I had a daughter serving a mission in Tahiti. And the next thing I knew, my daughter Natalie tells me she got this beautiful email from the president of the Young Women, what that meant to her. A few years ago, I got a picture of my son who served in the Charleston of West Virginia mission and served at svu. I thank you for keeping in touch. That meant so much to me and to my children as well. Thank you.
- [05:10]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
Well, we're grateful that the by the way, children are changing the world from Tahiti to Buena Vista. That's pretty good.
- [05:16]
John
That's a good stretch.
- [05:18]
Hank Smith
John, I never told you. I don't think that my nephew Braxton, who I just adore, served out there as well. It's a special place. It really is. And it's not Buena Vista.
- [05:29]
John
It's Buena Vista. Yeah.
- [05:31]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
Yeah. I had a niece that served in this mission. She served on the campus of Buena Vista, knew a lot more about it than I did long, long ago. It is neat to see, in fact, our missionaries that walk on the campus now. I think what a great mission you have. They just had two baptisms, one on Saturday and one on Sunday. And it's just remarkable to see the gathering. The young adults are the ones that are gathering each other as they teach each other what the Savior looks like on a college campus.
- [06:01]
Hank Smith
Wow, that's wonderful. President Corden, if you don't mind, there's people listening who think, what is Southern Virginia University? Can you give us a brief summary of what it is and how it came to be?
- [06:14]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
Southern Virginia University is private. It's a private university. As far as its mission, young people that come to the campus are primarily members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints because the mission is based on the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. So it's not owned by the church, but is private. And it's remarkable to be in classrooms where you have a professor speak, bilingual. He can speak chemistry in Christ, philosophy and faith. It's remarkable to watch these young people come. They have great abilities to communicate, to think critically. And I thought, now why is it. Why is it that you're developing such soft skills that are so transferable? And I realize this because they get to study in a Socratic type of learning where it's a smaller, more tailored education. People know your name, the professor knows you as you walk into class. They know whether you're there or not. But more than anything, they get to hear your perspective and your understanding. So it really is a remarkable space to learn. It's been fun to walk the halls and to hear the stories of these young adults.
- [07:27]
Hank Smith
I'll tell you, John, I work BYU in Provo, and we have a beautiful campus. But if you go to svu, go about the middle of October, you'll think you're in the celestial kingdom. You might be. Yeah.
- [07:42]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
Yeah, you might be. I think that's what the celestial kingdom will look like when we have a football game. Our stadium just looks over the Blue Ridge Mountains. And I have to remember, look down, watch the game, don't look at all of the beautiful parts of the campus. It's remarkable.
- [07:58]
Hank Smith
If you have a high school senior in your home, it might be time to take a look at svu. Edu. Let's jump into the Come follow me lesson for this week. I'm going to read through The Come follow me manual. And then, Bonnie, let's hand it over to you. We can walk through the living Christ, we can talk about Christmas. Let's do what you want to do. Here's how the Come follow me manual starts. The prophet Joseph Smith declared, the fundamental principles of our religion are the testimony of the apostles and prophets concerning Jesus Christ. That he died, was buried, and rose again the third day and ascended into heaven, and all other things which pertain to our religion are only appendages to it. Over 160 years later, this statement inspired the First Presidency in Quorum of the Twelve Apostles to publish the living the testimony of the apostles in honor of the 2000th anniversary of the Savior's birthday. As Latter Day Saints, we rejoice in the blessing of continuing revelation through modern prophets and apostles. We are thankful for their inspired words of counsel, warning and encouragement. But most of all, we are blessed by their powerful testimonies of Jesus Christ at Christmas time, of course, and throughout the year. These are more than just stirring words of skilled writers or public speakers or insights from scripture experts. They are the words of God's chosen, called and authorized special witnesses of the name of Christ. Christ in all the world. How wonderful. Bonnie, what do you want to do today? Where should we start?
- [09:31]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
Well, when you just bring up the living Christ in such power, we might want to start there. As I looked at it, even the first line just makes me pause. It says, as we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennium ago. It's interesting. I was in the cafeteria at Southern Virginia University, and I read into a few of the students and I said, tell me what you know about the living Christ. The document, the living Christ. They all had some great insights, but then they realized that it was written before they were even born. All of a sudden I thought, oh, I'm kind of old. I said, when were you born? And you know, it was 2003, 2007. It was fun to hear what it meant to them. But as we started with as we commemorate the birth of Jesus Christ two millennials ago, I said, tell me about your Christmas traditions. And it was fun to see how they commemorate. What does commemorate look like to them? And what does it look like in their home? I guess I would ask you, Hank and John, what does commemorate look like to you? As the prophet so boldly declared, what does it look like to us? To commemorate the birth of the Savior.
- [10:40]
John
I have to give a shout out to my wife Kimberly, who brought home a really beautiful nativity scene once from Costco. It's beautiful. It's tall. Then my mother in law had this idea of putting a spread of Christmas lights underneath and putting kind of a cloth over it and the Nativity scene on top of it. We want that to rival the beauty of the Christmas tree. To make that the part of the room that you see when you come in is that Nativity scene. That's one of the things that I really appreciate my wife and my in laws teaching me is make that the focal point when you walk into the room. Not the stuff under the tree, but that that glowing Nativity scene.
- [11:32]
Hank Smith
In the Bible dictionary under the heading of miracles, it says that miracles are the natural result of. Of the Messiah's presence. I read that once and I think it was around Christmas time that I read it. I thought there are more miracles this time of year. There's more hearts softened, there's more relationships healed. People are kinder, they give more, they donate more, they're more generous. It hit me that it's probably because we have his name up. We have his name up in our homes and in stores and just his name indicates his presence. If you watch the moment we start taking those signs down, we put them in the closet and we put our Nativity sets away, we kind of lose that sense of power that comes from his presence. I always look forward to that. And then the other one is spending time with my children and my wife, being able to sit by the Christmas tree and enjoy their goodness. We don't have a perfect family. I don't want anyone out there going, oh, I wish I could enjoy my children. It's stressful and busy, but there are some calm, quiet moments where you can just enjoy your family.
- [12:46]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
I love Christmas. Christmas for me is very traditional. One of the things that we do, and a lot of families do this is do the Nativity play. I have been part of the Nativity play since the first Christmas of my birth. My parents did the Nativity play and at nine months old, I was baby Jesus, according to my mother. Then the second year, apparently I was baby Jesus again at 18 months. And mom said that we used to practice and I would toddle over, get in the little wicker basket, lay down quietly and shut my eyes. My sister at that time, I guess was merry. As far back as I can remember, I was always that Christmas Eve. I was always Mary. We did that typical costumes that never changed. I always had a white crochet shawl that was around my. Either around my head in the pictures or around my shoulders. My brothers wore bathrobes. We had angels with tinsels. Shepherds were carrying wrapping paper tubes as their staffs. It was charmingly chaotic and very much homemade. For me, my biggest moment, right after the narrator read those very familiar words. And she brought forth her firstborn son and wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger. So that was my cue. And I would take my big breath. And I still remember being nervous. I had to sing the solo. Away in the manger My little voice. Away in the manger no crib for a bed the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head and it was anything but polished. It was messy, but every year it was interesting. There was something sacred that settled over all this little cast of homemade shepherds and angels. We didn't really understand it, but I realized as I look back on all those Christmases, that Christmas Eve became my own sacred grove. We've heard that statement many times that there's events or times when we become of our sacred grove. It wasn't trees or I wasn't in the woods, but it was in the living room filled with people that I loved reenacting. A night that changed eternity. It was interesting for me because it was year after year we retold the story, and I realized I wasn't just playing Mary. After a while, I realized I was learning more about the Savior. Line upon line, verse after verse, each song. So we would sing a song, say a few verses, sing another song. And it was all of that mixed together where I first learned that Jesus was born. Then it was interesting. I learned he lived. And then eventually I understood deep in my heart that Jesus is the Christ. And I thought it was really interesting that Christmas became my classroom. Those simple traditions became a temple where I understood more about the. The Savior. To be honest with you, I think I played Mary until I was married. And that crocheted shawl that I used, it was definitely tattered and worn. Truly. Looking back the traditions of my parents helped me understand the plan of Heavenly Father every December and obviously throughout the year. But my spiritual roots got deeper and deeper because of those experiences. And I thought, you know, you don't have to play Mary for 20 years or plus more, but to have the Savior part of your story. Because that really is the miracle of Christmas, isn't it? That the baby in the manger grows to be the Christ who invites us to walk with him. I've always amazed at how traditions are so powerful. Derek and I have been pondering this, and one time, Derek and I were just studying. We noticed Something that we hadn't noticed before. The traditions can either anchor us to Christ or they can pull us quietly away from Him. About a month ago, Derek and I were reading in Helaman and we learned that phrase that we hear a lot that says, they dwindled in unbelief because of the traditions of their fathers. Two chapters later and third Nephi, we met a different kind of people. This people, they were watching steadfastly for the Christ's coming. Theirs said something interesting. It said, their traditions gave them strength when the unbelievers set a specific day to execute all the people who still believed. I thought it was interesting in that narrative. In the third Nephi, it says, and it came to pass that he, Nephi the prophet, went out and bowed himself down upon the earth and cried mightily to his God in behalf of his people. Yea, those who were about to be destroyed because of their faith in the traditions of their fathers. Two chapters between each other. One, they were dwindling in unbelief because of the traditions of their fathers. And this one, at the time of the birth, they were going to be destroyed because of their faith in the traditions of their fathers, because they believed in Jesus Christ. And it came to pass that he cried mightily unto the Lord all that day. And behold, the voice of the Lord came unto him, saying, lift up your head and be of good cheer. For behold, the time is at hand. And on this night shall the sign be given. And on the morrow come I into the world to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I was caused to be spoken by the mouth of the holy prophets. When you asked about traditions, I thought, you know, it's interesting what traditions draw me to the Savior. And what traditions are President Oaks good, better, best. We have a tradition in our family right now for Christmas. In fact, my little grandkids called me and said, grandma, are we going to have pancakes and pajamas? When are you coming home? Pancakes and Pajamas was started when I was General Young Women President. I was trying to figure out another gathering that we could have that could connect us. And Sister Craig, my counselor, she's the ultimate tradition. Grandma, she shared that she does us pancakes and pajamas. Now every Christmas season, our grandkids receive their pajamas, their Christmas pajamas, and we all match everyone from Great Grandma all the way down to the littlest one. So it's fun, it's cozy, it's noisy. We've made it ours. After we read those scriptures, Derek and I looked at each other and we said, how does this even tradition connect us to Christ? We thought, well, there are some traditions. We gather as a family, we're praying, we're laughing, and those are all things that bring us to Christ. Derek so wisely said, is there something we could do to make it more intentional? I thought, yeah, what could we do for pancakes and pajamas? This year we're going to try something new. We're going to have little numbers that is attached to nativity sets that we have from all over the world. And we'll let them unwrap the nativity set and organize it how they want in the house. Anywhere from the 4 year old to the 10 year old. So we only have little grandkids. We'll see. It may be a mess, but then we'll allow them to say, what did baby Jesus? What did Jesus do for you? What has our Savior of the world done for you this year? Or something that stands out. So we'll see. I'll return and report if this tradition brings us to Christ or if it's a mess. It is interesting, the power of a tradition.
- [20:27]
Hank Smith
Yeah, that's wonderful. We have some traditions. I think we could tweak just a little bit. You don't have to throw it out. Like you didn't say, well, let's get rid of pancakes forever. No, let's. Let's tweak this a little bit. I love it.
- [20:40]
John
We do conference and crepes. We always have crepes at general conference. Now I'm thinking conference crepes and Christ we should add. What are you hoping to learn today? That's a wonderful insight. Traditions can take us this way. Traditions can take us this way. Dwindling or growing. Thank you for that.
- [21:00]
Hank Smith
As you were describing yourself as baby Jesus. It's very cute. I thought of first Nephi. It's chapter 11. The angel shows Nephi. He says, what do you see? I see Mary. Then he says, knowest thou the condescension of God? I don't think Nephi knows because he said, well, I know that he loves us, but I don't know the meaning of all things. I've always told my students, if you don't know what to put on an exam, just put that. I don't know this, but I know God loves me. I've tried to think, what does the angel mean? Knowest thou the condescension of God? In my mind he's saying, look at that baby Nephi. Do you have any idea who that is? And then here in the second paragraph, he was the great Jehovah of the Old Testament, the Messiah of the New, the Creator of the earth. And he chose this to become completely dependent on parents, to experience pain and sickness and infirmity. Do you have any idea who that is? And the condescension, like the person that he was, the being, the God that he was choosing to become, this little baby is almost. I think even the angel is a little bit in awe.
- [22:25]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
Tad Callister says the same thing you're saying when he says, that night, God the Son traded his heavenly home with all of its celestial adornment, for a mortal abode with all its primitive trappings. He, the King of Heaven, the Lord omnipotent, who reigneth left a throne to inherit a manger. He exchanged the dominion of a God for the dependence of a babe. He gave up the wealth, power, dominion, and the fullness of his glory for what? For taunting, mocking, humiliation and subjection? It was a trade of unparalleled dimension, a condescension of incredible proportions, a descent of incalculable depth. And so the great Jehovah, Creator of the worlds without number infinite and virtue in power, made his entry into this world in swaddling clothes and a manger. It is interesting as you brought that up, we know that our Savior. One of the things I love that in Moses 4, 2, the Savior said, when the plan was laid out, father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever. In the beginning, Jesus Christ was willing to submit to the Father. He wanted to come down not to seek his own glory, but to the glory of the Father and fulfill the divine plan. Plan. I love that as he came down later, he Testified in John 6:38, I come down from heaven not to do my own will, but the will of him that sent me. And then, of course, the Book of Mormon says, the will of the Son being swallowed up in the will of the Father. But I think it's interesting so when we think about this through Christmas season, I think it's tender and actually quite profound that heavenly Father chose Mary to be the mother of his. His Son. He wanted to choose a woman that had a heart that was equally aligned with his divine will. When the angel Gabriel came to her, her response revealed complete submission to God's plan. When she says, and we know this in Luke 1:38, behold the handmaiden of the Lord. Be it unto me according to Thy word. The Lord prepares us to do the specific things that we need to do on this earth. And of course, the Savior of the world, when he came down, he was going to learn line upon line, but much faster. I mean, we know who he was, but he had a mother who was completely aligned with the Father to teach and walk those steps with him.
- [25:07]
John
I love that you mentioned that he was constantly reminding us that he was doing the Father's will and that he was going to bring us back to the Father. One of my favorite Joseph Smith translation additions is that when Jesus, who chose the time of his death, it didn't really kill him. He gave his life as a willing sacrifice. When he said, it is finished, the JST adds, thy will is done. I was like, oh, it's not my suffering is done. It is Thy will. From the start to the very end, Thy will is done. Done was the last thing that he said according to the JST when he came in third Nephi. What does he say? I am the light and life of the world. I have done the will of the Father from the beginning. It just reminds us of what an obedient son he was and gives us an example of that same thing.
- [26:06]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
As I was thinking about this podcast yesterday, I canceled a meeting or two to ponder, what are we going to talk about? What does the living Christ look like? And I just needed a little bit of time for myself and I had a lot of other things on my mind and I couldn't get settled. At Southern Virginia, we have these bells. They're computerized and they play different songs, you know, you hear on the hour. I was amazed because all of a sudden those bells started to ring. They started to ring. How Great Thou Art. I love this hymn. In fact, I've instructed people that I want this to be sung at my funeral. So it has a great calming effect on me. When I was going to byu, I taught at the mtc. When there were times when I was stretched thin or I didn't feel like I could get on top of things, I would always find an empty piano at the mtc. I'd sit and play How Great Thou Art. Now I don't play the piano. So I plunked out the melody and with my clumsy fingers. But it really, truly brought a peace to what was going on. And I thought about the Lord. He came to do the will of the Father. And one of the greatest things about what our Savior does through his atonement is he allows us to walk with him in such a way that peace comes. There's a peace like no other. When I heard those, I thought the Lord knew precisely what would calm my heart. He knew what song would remind me of Him. I just want to testify that the Lord lives. He is so aware of us, and he knows what will bring us peace. He knows the language of our hearts, whether you're teaching Portuguese or whether you're plunking on the piano keys or even the chime of campus bells. And sometimes he uses even computerized bells to whisper, I'm here. I just. How great we have a savior. And I think that song, How Great Thou Art, is remarkable of what it. What it means to have the Savior in our lives.
- [28:10]
Hank Smith
And as you think about what he gave to come here, you think, how great Thou art.
- [28:17]
John
The idea of God being aware of us. It reminds me of all the Christmases that I've had. They kind of blend into one, and they're all wonderful. But there's one that stands out for me, and that was in the Philippines on my mission. I love and will always love the Philippines. I met someone just this morning who had served there. It was so fun to talk about the fact that when I was there, there were four missions and one temple under construction. Now there's 22, 23 missions and about 13 temples announced that's how old I am. When me and Wilford Woodruff went down there. No, that's. That's an exaggeration, but it reminds me of when I was in the Philippines watching snowfall. No, it wasn't an unusual weather phenomenon. I was watching Mr. Krueger's Christmas with the rest of the mission. I'm from Salt Lake City, and that was part of something we often did is go down to see the lights on Temple Square. I'm watching that old movie, getting a little bit homesick. I was actually sitting next to Elder Andrew. We went to the same high school. We were friends. We ended up being companions, which was really fun. We were both looking at each other like, I don't know about this. This is hard to see this right now. See snow falling on Temple Square. We had a wonderful Christmas conference. And after said goodbye to everybody, we went back to our areas. We spent Christmas Day doing what we normally did back in area. I was in Benalon, down in the lowlands, nice and hot and humid, walking around on Christmas. Something happened that Christmas weekend that I will never forget. My companion and I came walking around down a road there. There was a tree that was just aglow with fireflies. There was a ring of people standing around it, and it was almost like they were reverent. They were speaking in hushed tones like they had never seen anything like this before. I had never seen anything like that before I remember just thinking, is this a Christmas card from Heavenly Father? As I'm sure my folks were praying for their son in the Philippines. And here was this treat glowing like anything on Temple Square. Then I had this battle in my mind of did God do that for me? No, no, no, you're not that important. But wait, I'm supposed to acknowled hand in all things. Which one is this? I decided I don't know, but I'll take it. I just like to think Heavenly Father was aware of me and my companion and we got to see a little touch of Temple Square in a barrio in the Philippines.
- [31:08]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
That's tender, John. It's interesting how many little things the Lord puts in our path, people in our path, just to let us know that he's there. Our Heavenly Father truly wants us to know that the most important thing is us and us returning home. And so that's why he gave his son Jesus Christ to come to this earth. And it's amazing that we realize that our Heavenly Father's here to help us return to his presence. And if it's fireflies, to help us know that, hey, we're important, that we matter, or if it's bells.
- [31:41]
Hank Smith
One thing I love about being part of this work is seeing what you both described there is the Lord continuing his ministry. You read the Gospels and it was very much a one by one he went and talked to Nicodemus and he talked to the woman at the well and the woman who touched his garment, and the blind man and the leper. These very one by one experiences. And what you both described there is almost a continuation of his one by one ministry. I have a little story here that someone shared with me. I collect these stories. I love little gifts, almost like they come from Christ. So we can call them Christmas gifts. One woman sent me this little story. She said, when I was little, my mom was known as the neighborhood nurse. Whenever anyone had a question, they would call Audrey down the street. I knew she loved me because she took such good care of us when we got sick or needed anything, she. She knew just what to do to comfort us and help us get better. Well, mom passed away a couple of years ago, and I have no doubt she is my guardian angel. She said. Last week I went in for a nerve conduction study on my leg. My doctor, who recommended the study, made it sound like it's not a big deal. They measured the time it takes for an impulse to travel along different nerves. They hook up leads along my leg, kind of like an ekg. Here's what she said. The word painful didn't enter my mind, but the actual test felt more like Dr. Frankenstein's torture survival day camp than an EKG. I asked the doctor conducting the test, do you ever have patients in tears? Her response was, sometimes. I've only had one patient who actually liked the part of poking needles in the 30 years I've been doing this. After 45 minutes, my nerves were frayed and I was wishing I could talk to my mom. When I got home, there was a voicemail from my good friend Carolyn. I had not heard from her in a long time. She said, I was walking through Costco after work and there was a lady who reminded me of your mom as she passed by. I got really emotional for some reason, and I thought, I hope you are okay. So I guess I just called to let you know your mom is watching over you.
- [34:02]
John
Love it.
- [34:03]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
I love that.
- [34:04]
Hank Smith
One by one, one by one.
- [34:06]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
When you read in the Living Christ, he went about doing good, he's still going about doing good, to make sure that we know that we are loved. And he uses all of us, doesn't he? This last year, our men's volleyball team won the NCAA Division 3 championship. It was a big thing on campus. It was exciting. But I think what made it really big, which actually touched me, was to watch them throughout the year. Now, these men had been with each other for a number of years. Every year they had this goal national championship, and they'd fall just a little bit short in the tournament. But this last year, I noticed something different. They would go, and they were the front row for everyone else's sporting event. They were there for the theater event. They were cheering people on for their choir concert. They were helping tutor for biochem. Those volleyball men became quite a force on campus, but they were gathering each other. They were gathering them for the things that was important to each other. When we came down to the final game, by luck, it was already set to be in Roanoke, which is only about 40 minutes from our campus. What happened was every student wanted to come. Yes, it was a cool game. They wanted to come because the volleyball team had become their friends. Everyone on the volleyball team had, in one way or another, pointed them to Christ and made sure they knew they mattered. As they came in. When the final spike hit, everyone felt like they had won the game, that their best friend was the one, because they had become their best friend. The power of the Savior, when he went about doing good. And his gospel was a message of peace and Goodwill, like it says in the living Christ. He entreated all to follow his example. Of course, we can't raise the dead or cause the blind to see, but we can help people along the way to understand who Christ is. I'm just grateful for the Savior's example at Christmas time. Don't you love Christmas? It just feels happy. People are kinder. The porcupines have less quills, sharp edges. It truly is electrifying when I think about the Savior coming and it says so much in the living Christ of who he is and what he does, you know, submitting his will to the father. When those 15 men tell about the Savior, I want to receive him. I want to have the Savior in my life. The power of receiving is an interesting thing. Derek and I were about to celebrate our first Christmas together. Our very first Christmas as husband and wife. But if that wasn't enough, we were also expecting our first baby. Now, we hadn't planned on having a honeymoon baby. Ready or not, this little guy was going to come to our family. Now we were still full time students at byu. We were both finishing our senior year. We were trying to scrap together enough money to think about paying for diapers and textbooks and tuition. We were working. We were trying to figure out how to be married. All the while I woke up with morning sickness and I think I should have called it morning, afternoon and evening sickness because it just never stopped on that first one. Our wallets were really thin. We didn't have much money. We just had a lot on our plate. We were both working full time and Christmas was coming. You just want to buy the right present and you want to have Christmas and it's your first Christmas. I honestly do not remember what I got Derek, but I will never forget what he gave me before I was pregnant. One of my greatest joys was running. Running is how I prayed. Running is one of the ways that I spend time with the Lord. And I receive a lot of revelation as I just have great conversations with the Lord. Running. I love lacing up running shoes and letting everything else slip away. Derek knew this about me. He had watched me run. We used to run together when we were engaged. He told me after we got married that he actually doesn't like running. So he no longer was my running partner. He knew why it mattered to me and his kind, thoughtful heart. He wanted to give me something that I loved. He saved his money and with his limited money, he bought me new running shoes. Now that is beautiful, thoughtful, perfect gift running shoes. But on Christmas morning, I was eight months pregnant. My body hurt. I was insecure. I couldn't sleep. I could barely walk up the hill to campus, let alone run anywhere. I was exhausted emotionally and overwhelmed. The fears of motherhood and graduation and what are we going to do with this baby? When I opened the box and I saw shoes, I didn't receive the gift. Just not very well. Instead of feeling loved, I actually felt exposed. I wondered if Derek thought I needed to get in shape, if he thought I wasn't enough, if he thought that the gift was about fixing me. The truth is, the problem wasn't the gift. The problem was how I received it. Derek had offered me love, and I received it as criticism. My response hurt him. It hurt both of us, actually, because the joy he had hoped to give me was all tangled up in my insecurities. It wasn't the first time I've ever struggled receiving a gift, but it was one of the most important. Last night I was watching Southern Virginia basketball. We had an exciting win. But something I noticed was how active receiving was when they would throw a pass just out of nowhere. The person who was receiving it, I mean, all eyes, all hands, feet, body focused on that ball. They were receiving rebounds. They were even receiving directions from the coach. I noticed that when they were all in, they were all in. Receiving is a whole body experience. I thought receiving the Lord's gift requires the same readiness. I guess so. I thought, okay, what does it require of us to receive eyes on him? You think of all the things it says in the scriptures. An open heart, feet planted, hands open. We really do need a heart that doesn't push away the gift because of fears or insecurities. In First Nephi 11, I love this. Nephi hears the angel asks, believest thou the word which thy father has spoken when you think about receiving? Nephi answered, yea, I believe all the words of my father. Then the Spirit cried with loud voice, saying hosanna. The Spirit doesn't is usually whispering, pretty quiet, doesn't often shout. But when someone receives truth, Heaven, I think, rejoices loudly. Receiving is holy. Deceiving brings joy. I think receiving brings transformation as we receive the Savior. I love the end of the living Christ when it says, God, be thanked for the matchless gift of his divine son. And I thought, I hope this gift, the power of this gift is never measured by the giver, but measured by the receiver. Christ is the greatest gift ever given. I always ask, do I even receive him? What does that look like? What does it look like to receive this great Gift.
- [42:08]
Hank Smith
That's a very impactful story. The Savior is offering us so much. How we receive is critical to what we experience.
- [42:20]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
Bethlehem is God's offering, don't you think? And the atonement is God's giving, but discipleship is us receiving all of that.
- [42:29]
John
I like the line from joy to the world, let earth receive her king. What a vulnerable story, boy. Thanks for sharing that. Here's the Lord offering us this gift of repentance. He doesn't want us to hide from that. He wants us to repent. He wants to forgive. That's what's so amazing. He's offering and wants us to forgive and receive that gift of his mercy. That's a beautiful way to put it.
- [42:56]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
I'm just always amazed at what it looks like at Christmas time to receive. Have you ever received something fully that has just been a joy for you or received something that you think I didn't receive that so well?
- [43:08]
Hank Smith
Yeah. I hate to say this, but you told us this story, so I can tell you. I have yet to come to appreciate homemade gifts. When my kids would bring me, hey, I made this. Thanks. And my wife would get after me. She'd say, you need to respond better than that. I think, well, what am I going to use this for? It's a homemade gift. I'm going to throw this thing away really quick. I really had to think through how to receive it. I really had to think, okay, let me envision my child doing this thing and really working hard and how excited they are to give it. And it became easier. I hate to say that I was that guy for a little while.
- [43:51]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
Receiving is an interesting thing. You know, you think about the birth of the Savior, what it was like to receive the message to go for the shepherds, to leave your flocks. What do you do with that message to receive? What does it look like to leave the flock and go. And then you think about them after they saw the babe, saw the Savior of the world. They went and told everyone. They didn't go back up to the sheep. They held off those things of the world and they told the world about Him. It's just so active. I have pondered, what does it look like to receive him at Christmas?
- [44:27]
Hank Smith
Bonnie, this has been wonderful so far, and thank you for that story. Let's keep going. What do you want to do next?
- [44:34]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
There's a part of the living Christ that was really monumental for me. I was at an FSY over in Germany. We happened to be studying the living Christ as part of the FSY experience. It was multi language. There was Armenian, there's German languages everywhere. And so everyone was studying the living Christ in their own language, which made it a little bit difficult to have a discussion. It was really kind of a quiet study within yourself. And so I was reading the living Christ pondering. And a part stood out to me and it's the part where it says he taught the truths of eternity, the reality of our premortal existence, the purpose of our life on earth and the potential for the sons and daughters of God in the life to come. All over the living Christ. He taught the plan. He was so diligent in teaching the plan. Two things that have stood out to me is one of the things of the plan that I think is really amazing is the opportunity to come to this earth. I had read earlier about here the Savior of the world who's created worlds without number, who's done so much, comes down baby. But I wonder if he was really looking forward to that opportunity to come to this earth because he's going to receive a body. That is one of the greatest plans of our Heavenly Father is that we get to progress and actually have a physical body. I was studying in Doctrine Covenants 138. Of course they were talking about what was happening during the time of the resurrection, the space of three days. What did he do? He went to the spirits in prison. What does that look like? He actually went to those and taught them so that they could go. Then the righteous could go and teach the spirits. But Doctrine and Covenants 32:50 is interesting. Maybe read 49:50.
- [46:29]
John
Here's section 138 starting in verse 49. All these and many more, even the prophets who dwelt among the Nephites and testified of the coming of the Son of God, mingled in the vast assembly and waited for their deliverance. For the dead had looked upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage. These the Lord taught and gave them power to come forth after his resurrection from the dead, to enter into his Father's kingdom, there to be crowned with immortality and eternal life.
- [47:00]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
When you think of verse 50, tell me what comes to your mind.
- [47:04]
John
We are going to want our bodies back. They viewed their long absence as a bondage. We need it to progress. Because of the Savior's resurrection, we'll get our bodies back.
- [47:17]
Hank Smith
It sounds like it's a gift that once you have it, you never really want to be without it. I can't find peace without it.
- [47:25]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
That's great insight. One of the purposes here on earth, obviously, is to return to our Heavenly Father's presence. But you think the importance of a body, it's interesting. The adversary will never have a body. He attacks most abundantly the body, something that he can't have. And I think it's important for us to remember what a great principle and concept that is and a gift that we have to have this body. That's why it's so remarkable that part of that atonement is the resurrection that the Savior was resurrected. His body and his spirit came back together. When we stop and think about the power of our physical bodies and the importance of them, sometimes we underestimate taking care of them. What it looks like. I was intrigued at the next. He says he instituted the sacrament as a symbol of his great atoning sacrifice. And as you stop and think of that symbol of his great atoning sacrifice, everything that he did so that we could return back to the Father, what are the symbols of the sacrament, his.
- [48:29]
John
Body and blood, of all the things.
- [48:32]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
That they could have chosen to be a symbol for the sacrifice of the great Savior and redeemer. I think it's interesting that what was chosen for the symbols is the body and the blood. It's a fascinating thing that we think about as we realize the great gifts that the Lord gives us coming to this earth. It is a joy, regardless of what situations our body has, that we actually get a body.
- [48:59]
John
Sometimes it's easy to take it for granted when everything's working okay, but when you're sick or you're injured, all of the sudden, I am so thankful for my foot because this foot hurts right now. I want it back the way it was when it was working. We've all been through that, where all of the sudden you're like, can I just get back to normal? When your body's functioning great, boy, be grateful for it.
- [49:26]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
As we think about this Christmas season, as this sweet little baby was born in a manger and Mary held the Savior of the world, you could probably put a Christmas song to every part of the living Christmas that would connect abundantly to any of the doctrines. In fact, it would be a fun thing to do, is to read the living Christ and then put a few songs in there, Read another section and put a few songs in there. As the Son of God, he probably was thrilled to come to the next step, to be able to possess this body. I'm grateful for the Savior, for him saying yes to that. I'm also grateful that his teachings are the same no matter what season they're Always the same faith, repentance.
- [50:12]
Hank Smith
I had never thought about that before. Bonnie. But we commemorate his body.
- [50:18]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
We really do.
- [50:19]
Hank Smith
We could commemorate an action or maybe a parable, but we focus in on the Savior's body and it seems he cares about it. He redeemed his body. If he didn't want his body, why redeem it in the first place? Why bring it back with him?
- [50:37]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
And the dead, even those that are there now, they look upon the long absence of their spirits from their bodies as a bondage. It's an interesting opportunity, we realize, yes, the opportunity that we have to help those that are on the other side because we currently have bodies so we can do our temple work for them. Those things, we take it as, oh, we're just going to go to the temple and we're going to go do baptisms for our ancestors, we're going to do their work. But the opportunity to have a body, to be able to do that regardless of the natures of our bodies, as they're mortal right now, it's messy with bodies, but really is a great thing. The opportunity to take care of this great body that we have. And note that the Savior wants us to remember him each week when we take the sacrament and we're remembering his atonement, we do that through remembering his body and the blood that was spilt for us.
- [51:45]
Hank Smith
Yeah.
- [51:46]
John
Hank, you mentioned the Bible dictionary in that beautiful entry under miracles. If you look in your Bible dictionary, the word Bethlehem means house of bread. Jesus was born in Bethlehem. And as he grew up, that great sermon in John chapter six. I just love the story because he fed them with the loaves and the fishes. If you feed thousands of people loaves and fishes, a free lunch, they're going to follow you. And they did. To the other side of the lake. He said something like, you follow me not because you wanted to keep my sayings, but because you ate of the loaves and were filled. Then I'm paraphrasing. I could give you bread that if you ate it, you would never die.
- [52:32]
Hank Smith
Wait, what?
- [52:34]
John
Evermore give us this bread and then I am the bread. It's fun. I love to ask my returned missionary students, where did you serve and did they have bread? It's like everybody around the world had some sort of bread. Jesus used such a perfect symbol for that, for the sacrament to remember bread. And you know, that's manna too, was a bread like substance that came down. I'm glad you brought that up because then we can think of that every single Sunday as We take of the bread that this body is a gift. I love what you said. We can do things with our bodies. I mean, I'm wondering in the spirit world, can they say, hey, let's go to the temple. Oh, wait, what are we gonna do there? Well, we're just going to watch those on earth and hope they do something for us. I mean, what are they going to do there? It's an interesting thing. We have a chance to do something.
- [53:27]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
For him we can do. It really is interesting. In Doctrine Covenants 38 to your point, John, in 33 when the Savior visited there, he told them, what are you going to teach the people? What are you going to teach those that are in prison? 9, 11, 33, it says these were taught faith in God, repentance from sin. What was the next thing that they taught?
- [53:56]
John
Vicarious baptism for the remission of sins, the gift of the Holy Ghost by the laying on of hands. The word vicarious is in there. Because they couldn't do it.
- [54:06]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
They couldn't do it. So they're not taught about how you're gonna be baptized, but they are gonna be taught about you going to the temple. And because you're going to do the work for those that have passed away, they're going to be taught that you're going to be doing that vicarious baptism for them. What's the missionary purpose that the missionaries know dear to their hearts?
- [54:29]
John
It's to bring people to Christ through faith, repentance, baptism. It's the same first principles and ordinances.
- [54:38]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
It's a fourth article of faith. Yeah, so he doesn't ever change. I mean, the way to come to Christ and to be able to receive the Savior in our lives. When we say, come to Christ, receive him. He's the living Christ, he's the bread, the life and the hope. It tells us the pattern of how to get there. And it's fun that he tells everyone the same things. In primary tells you in the fourth article of faith, when you're on a mission, he's telling you in the missionary purpose. And when you're in the spirit world, he does change it a little bit.
- [55:10]
Hank Smith
That's interesting.
- [55:11]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
Yeah.
- [55:11]
Hank Smith
3 Nephi 11 it's the first thing he teaches. 3rd Nephi 27 it's the last thing he teaches before he goes. I've always thought that when the Savior comes again, if we're not sure it's him, just wait to see what he speaks on first. We'll know. When he says, I'd like to talk to you about Faith. Faith, yeah, Baptism. And we look at each other and think, that's him. Yep.
- [55:36]
John
Hank, you've heard me joke before that there's just so many different principles and doctrines and teachings and concepts. If only somebody would come out and say, well, here's the first principles and ordinances. And somebody did.
- [55:52]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
I love the living Christ. When they said, we solemnly testified that his life, which is central to all human history, neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary because that same Jesus in the pre existence, in the pre earth life was teaching faith repentance because he was teaching the will of the Father. He did it while he was on this earth. He did it when he returned as the resurrected Savior in Third Nephi. He even did it during the time between the death and the resurrection. He taught faith repentance, vicarious baptism.
- [56:31]
Hank Smith
Someone pointed out to us earlier this year, Bonnie, that even Joseph Smith, between 1820 and 1830 went through faith, the first vision, repentance.
- [56:41]
John
Losing the 116 pages. Richard Bennett wrote this article called Carefully Schooled in first Principles and talks about. He didn't just grab him out of the air, he experienced it.
- [56:53]
Hank Smith
Then baptism and then the Holy Ghost.
- [56:56]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
I love that, you know, really, Even in the first vision, he went with the hope to be forgiven of his sins. He had a repentant heart.
- [57:08]
Hank Smith
Coming up in part two, I was.
- [57:10]
President Bonnie H. Cordon
With a young woman who had her whole life been in foster care. And her whole dream was to be adopted, to have a family. She wanted a family. At age 16, she was adopted. For whatever reason, I don't know, the family gave her back to the state. So at 17 she was pretty broken. She didn't know what to do. And she was at one of the youth justice facilities to be placed with another foster family. That's where I met her.