{"chapter_no":"4","chapter_title":"Apple Strudel, Music, and the Spoken Word","book_id":"4","book_name":"Beauty the World Has Never Seen","subchapter_no":"0","page_no":"663","page_number":"1","verses_count":0,"total_pages":6,"page_content":"

 <\/p>

Chapter 4<\/p>

Apple Strudel, Music, and the Spoken Word<\/h1><\/p>

 <\/p>

Beautiful music, the smell of apple desserts, and cathedral-like decorations await <\/i>Church leaders<\/i>
as they arrive to the Conference Center—Brother Grant Williams, filled with the Spirit, delivers a stirring
address—All revelation received through prophets of the past, including in the standard works, can be
improved upon by the Lord through later revelation—Zion is all about simple gospel truths.<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

 <\/p>

It was a beautiful summer morning in Salt Lake City in the month of June. A spark of the
Christmas season was in the air, notwithstanding it was sunny outside and warm with blue skies.
As the guests arrived, the impressive stage and theme of the opening conference session were
immediately apparent. Like the annual Christmas Concert, the organizers of the conference had
been given permission to set up decorations along the front, sides, back walls, and top of the
stage to create the feel of an old-style cathedral. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Beyond the themed framework, there were other supporting decorations. Offstage to the
right stood an attractive white Christmas tree with a glistening star on top. Facing the audience,
at forty-five degree angles in the areas to the left and right of the choir, were the large epic
paintings of the twin-temple complexes of North Ogden and Springville brought to the
Conference Center from the receiving rooms of their respective sites. Also present were two long
tables covered with a fine red material, tables normally used by Bells on Temple Square in their
performances. Upon them were apple desserts from all over the world: traditional apple pies of
America, Dutch apple pie, apple strudel, apple sharlotka, apple crisp, apple cobbler, baked
cinnamon apples, apple enchiladas, apple coffee cake, apple cookies, apple Danish rolls, apple
brownies, apple bars, apple cake, apple pancakes, apple dumplings, caramel apple pudding, apple
turnovers, and apple fritters. The delightful aroma of everything apple was noticeable to all who
sat in the first few rows of the audience. <\/p>

 <\/p>

Organ prelude music began a few minutes before the scheduled 10:00 AM start. The
main podium was positioned at the center of the stage above the orchestra; spotlights from the
auditorium shone down upon it. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The invocation for the meeting came first. Following this, a warm welcome was given to
all of the stake presidents and their wives by a member of the First Presidency. After taking a
few minutes to outline the core principles of Zion and to set goals for the conference, he
introduced Brother Grant Williams to the audience and then left the stage. <\/p>

 <\/p>

The main lights in the auditorium were turned down.<\/p>

Grant had been nervous in the lead-up to the talk, but once he had reached the podium,
the butterflies in his stomach disappeared. No longer self-conscious, he was oblivious to
everything around him. The Spirit of the Lord came upon him like a warm blanket and spoke
boldly through him to the audience.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"A new era in the Church is upon us, an opportunity to show forth greater love one to
another and to do astonishing things in the gospel that we have never done before. But for this to
come about, our individual sufferings must become inconsequential; the suffering of others must
consume us and command our attention. Spiritual gifts and temporal blessings beyond anything
we can imagine are ready, even at this moment, to be sent down to us from the Father. Great
wonders from heaven will fill our homes, meetinghouses, and temples throughout the world,
glorifying God in the eyes of all nations, kindreds, and tongues.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Times have changed since the early years of the Church. We are settled now and will not
be moved. We are safe and secure, and no longer need flee from our enemies. We can stand
before the world and testify of the restoration of the gospel without fear of persecution. Our
rights of free speech and freedom of the press are fully protected. We are part of a prosperous,
free country living upon a fine piece of land in the Rocky Mountains, one that already blossoms
like a rose. We are home. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"So, here in Utah, upon the beautiful mountaintops, we can establish Zion—an ensign of
peace and prosperity that can be seen from the rooftops all over the world. As able-bodied men
and women of the Church, we should sense the opportunity, rise up in great numbers, and go
about the work of Zion in our homes and wards. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Celestial aspirations need to spring forth freely from us, cultivated by the Spirit of God.
They come through our individual or collective wills, through our faith, and through our strong
testimonies of the restored gospel. “Be ye therefore perfect” is a standing commandment that has
never been revoked. The same commandment applies equally to all members of the Church, to
all regions of the world, and to all dispensations of the gospel.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Sufficient time is available for us every day to do this work. If that is not the case, then
we should try to reestablish control over our lives. Indeed, that is our first assignment in the
building of Zion. We must make a course correction and leave behind those things that may be
important to us personally but are trivial or of lower priority in the eyes of the Lord—things that
fundamentally waste away our probationary state here on earth. On the other hand, many of the
tasks associated with Zion are actually quite easy to do and require very little of our time. It
really has more to do with what we think about every day, the choices we make, and the manner
in which we go about our lives.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"But more than anything, establishing Zion throughout the Church in this modern era of
the gospel requires that we humble ourselves before God, close our eyes in prayer, and look into
the heavens for guidance. All of us on earth, Christians, Jews, and those of other religions and
beliefs, need to learn this one important lesson—that without revelation from God today, and
without the leadership of modern prophets and apostles, and the guidance of modern scripture, <\/p>

we are left adrift in our lives and unable to fully understand, interpret, and enjoy the revelations
of God that were handed down to us by those who lived in past centuries.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"My dear brothers and sisters, the beautiful decorations that surround this stage remind us
of the great cathedrals of man that were built in past ages to worship and honor God. But
suddenly in 1820, something marvelous happened. God spoke to man again as in times of old.
The revelations that came to Joseph Smith in the first decades of the Church were like a flash of
light in the history of the world, unleashing the revelations of heaven all at once like a powerful
lightning and thunderstorm.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Revelation from God, however, doesn't always come instantaneously like that. It
sometimes, or we might even say, in most cases, requires days, months, or even years of
preparation on our part, coming line by line through a process of continuous improvement in the
formulation of the exact words and ideas, and not in a perfect revelation of God written down
already at the start. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Therefore, let us ask this question––What is canonized scripture? Does the scripture we
have in the Church today need to be perfect, and therefore, unable to be improved upon by the
Lord through later revelation? Does not the Lord have the right at any time to fix imperfections
He sees in His Church, including in the standard works, through new revelation? If there is any
one principle to be learned from the restoration of the gospel in 1820, it is exactly this one.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Recall the words of Jesus in 3rd Nephi:<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"And Jesus said unto them: How be it that ye have not written this thing, that many saints
did arise and appear unto many and did minister unto them?<\/i><\/p>

 <\/p>

\"An inspired record had been maintained by a prophet of God––a prophet who had even
been visited by angels previously and had heard the voice of the Lord on countless occasions––
but at least one thing and possibly others were missing and improved upon through follow-up
revelation directly from the Savior. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Nephi, in describing the dream of the tree of life, discovered things his father Lehi didn't
notice, adding in important details through his expanded vision that went beyond what had been
told to him and his brothers earlier. Nephi delighted in the scriptures already before him, but he
also wrote down new scriptures given to him through revelation. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"The book of Lehi is another example. Originally intended to be included in the Book of
Mormon, it was omitted. Why? Because of revelation later received by Joseph—one of the many
sections of the Doctrine and Covenants that we enjoy reading today. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"The work done by Mormon in compiling the records of the Nephites was surely not
done in a single afternoon. It most likely involved a process that took years, where the work of
editing was done, pondered upon, revised, added to, deleted from, and so forth. This editing
would have probably included rewriting or reworking his own comments, which were
interspersed throughout, and replacing or adding complete plates in some cases when extra space <\/p>

was needed. The same was probably true of his son Moroni in editing the record of the Jaredites,
as well as when adding and revising his own words and testimony that came at the end. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"The work done by Joseph in translation of the Bible is another example. D&C Section
76, a vision of the three degrees of glory, as well as other amazing sections of the D&C, came
about during the work of translation. He expanded upon (not just revised) what had already been
revealed to earlier prophets and apostles. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"The Lord Jesus Christ was Editor-in-Chief throughout, carefully supervising all that he
had caused to be written by these men. He was not a passive, uninterested spectator, ignoring the
goings-on and what was ultimately published to the world in the King James Bible, and later in
the Book of Mormon. He oversaw what was included in the early editions of the Latter-day Saint
scriptures, and he did this again later in the revisions that were made. And He is ready even now
to help us further revise, improve, perfect, and expand upon anything that exists today in the
standard works, the Church itself, or its doctrine, for His work is not yet completed on earth. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"There has been so much concern about the actual meanings and interpretations of verses
of scripture over the centuries of man, even inside our Church, and even with regard to latter-day
scriptures. If men will focus their efforts on being filled with charity, rather than getting tied up
in knots creating great contentions among themselves on points of doctrine, they can then be
saved. Without this, salvation in the highest kingdom of God for many will be much more
difficult, if not impossible. The technical aspects of scripture, and the interpretations thereof
pursued by fine men at all levels of Church leadership throughout our history, have too often
overshadowed the basic principles of the gospel that are simple, clear, and not really expressed
so much in the words themselves, but in the feelings they evoke in our souls and what they
motivate us to do for others.<\/span><\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Zion is all about simple gospel truths––desire, humility, love, gratitude, and so forth. We
become as little lambs like the character Radar O'Riley from the TV show MASH<\/i>, who would
seem more easily led by the Spirit than say, his counterpart, a highly intelligent person like
Hawkeye Pierce, who must fight through numerous obstacles in his mind to find God and be led
by the Spirit. We should heavily weigh the truth found in basic gospel principles versus the truth
found elsewhere; the simple saving truths of the gospel are greater than all others. Love is one of
these—a very simple concept to understand. We would never consider using the beautiful
beatitudes of the Sermon on the Mount as a sword in a battle with other religions; for surely, they
were not intended to be used in that way. And we should take this same approach with regard to
all teachings of Jesus Christ, and to all scriptures. The message of the restored gospel is not a
battering ram, but a manifestation of love and kindness that penetrates one's most intimate
feelings. Our goal is not to defeat others inside or outside the Church in rigorous gospel
discussions, but to help them (and ourselves) qualify for the presence of the Spirit. If two persons
with differing points of view both have peace in their hearts, this is wonderful teaching ground
for the Spirit. The battlefield of ideas can create two winners in such a setting rather than one<\/span>. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"An existing revelation can be improved upon by later revelation. That doesn't mean
revelation from God wasn't involved the first time. It just means that perfection and
completeness in a revelation is not needed in order for it to be revelation. Continual revelation, as <\/p>

a principle of the gospel, means that it is possible to correct imperfections or expand upon
anything long since published to the world in a prophet's earlier work—the title page of the Book
of Mormon clearly proclaims this principle to the world right from the start; and, in fact, the
originating prophet himself (if he happens to live so long) may be called upon to make such
corrections in the due time of the Lord.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"The receiving of revelation by a prophet of God on any given day of the week doesn't
mean that afterwards there is going to be a sudden perfect knowledge within the Church of all
things in heaven and earth, past and present, neither among the leaders, nor among the members.
This was true during the early years of the restoration of the gospel when Joseph Smith was the
prophet, and has been true ever since among the prophets, apostles, general authorities, and local
priesthood leaders the Lord has called. This was true also of prophets and apostles called
anciently in the Old World. Abraham was not perfect and, therefore, he didn't have a perfect
knowledge of everything going on in the world around him. Moses, Isaiah, and the twelve
apostles of Jesus had this same limitation. But the important point is that these prophets and
apostles of old, while imperfect, were good enough to do the jobs they were called to do. The
same is true of the great leaders of the Church the Lord has chosen in these latter days. They
have been, they are, and they will continue to be good enough to do the work they have been
called to do. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"This is also true of our scriptures. The King James Bible, in spite of its many
weaknesses, is good enough to fulfill its purposes of God. The Book of Mormon, in spite of any
weaknesses, contains the fulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ and is overwhelmingly good
enough to fulfill its mission. The same is true of the Doctrine and Covenants and the Pearl of
Great Price.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"The clearest example of the principle of continuous revelation is the Church itself, and
how year by year, and generation by generation, it has learned, improved, and become more
perfect, notwithstanding the dramatic, history-changing revelations received at its beginning.
Details were filled in over time by the Lord to the prophets who came after Joseph. Thus,
revelation is revelation is revelation. There are no limits to what can be revealed by the Lord at
any time and for any reason.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"The establishment of Zion, the receiving of revelation, and the bringing to pass of great
and mighty miracles on earth all have something in common––they are often dependent upon a
gradual, step-by-step process rather than being the outcome of a single great event. Zion in our
stakes won't come about in a flash of lightning on a Sunday afternoon; rather, it is like the
process used in the making of an award-winning apple strudel, something that may take a
generation or two to perfect. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"I've often wondered what makes my wife's apple strudel taste so good. I can tell you, the
first version that came out of the oven in the first days after we moved to Germany was not very
good!\" <\/p>

 <\/p>

The speaker grinned, and the audience laughed. <\/p>

\"Her strudel is one of these here on the tables in front, along with other apple desserts
made from the recipes of Latter-day Saint sisters from around the world. These, and many others,
will be served today as part of the luncheon buffet in the convention center. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"In the case of Carolyn's strudel, it took years for her to get it to where it is today, years
of trial and error with different ingredients and recipes. She also had to first develop her cooking
skills, not unlike members of the early Church learning the basics of the restored gospel; they
were still learning faith in God early on, needing to crawl for a while on their hands and knees,
having hope only. <\/p>

 <\/p>

\"In the end, it's very possible that Carolyn's wonderful strudel recipe came about with a
little help from our Master Chef high up in the heavens. Certainly, our Father in Heaven loves to
be involved with even the smallest details of our family life in the home. We just need to invite
him in through family prayer. Families are key to His eternal plan of happiness for mankind.<\/p>

 <\/p>

\"Carolyn's fabulous apple strudel recipe required a continuous improvement process over
many years. Zion follows this pattern.\"<\/p>"}