Monday, March 5, 2012

Follow President Paternoster; He Knows the Way

Words cannot express the sweet feeling of the spirit that was felt by all at our recent Stake Conference as the Stake President entered the Chapel to a standing audience while the primary children joyfully sang the words:
"Follow President Paternoster, follow President Paternoster,
follow President Paternoster; don't go astray.
Follow President Paternoster, follow President Paternoster,
follow President Paternoster; he knows the way."

Following local and General Authorities is the one sure path of happiness and safety.  If there is one thing that saddens a Stake President it is when he sees members reap the disappointment and despair that could so easily have been avoided had they obediently heeded his loving counsel in the first place.  Today we will discuss the important topic of following the counsel of the brethren to have a one year supply of food storage.

When I asked the O'Donoghues, a newly wed couple who are both full time students, to prayerfully consider cutting off their Internet service so that they could afford to buy a one year supply of wheat and honey they came back to me and said they didn’t have the space for all that food in their rented bedroom.  They also claimed they “needed” the Internet for school work.  I haven’t heard from them since telling them about how Sister Paternoster used to make lovely cushions and pillows filled with wheat and how back in our day we got through school just fine using encyclopedias. 

Obeying the Lord by obeying priesthood leaders often takes great sacrifice.  When the famines, storms and pestilences of the last days come upon us I fear that prayer alone may not be sufficient to save the O'Donoghues.    

There are those even in the Church who murmur and even mock such counsel, but with the help of this month’s Ensign such murmurings will surely be put to silence.  In the article entitled *“Follow the Prophet” Elder Bennett of the Seventy discusses how when he and his new bride were students the prophet at the time counseled all families to have a one year supply of food. 

We learn from the article that the Bennett’s had very little money but they did have one unnecessary possession that could be sold – an engagement ring.  Please carefully consider what Elder Bennett had to say about that time in their lives:
    
"Unbeknownst to each other, both of us were thinking about how to start home storage for our family. To obey the counsel of that time, we needed to start acquiring a year’s supply of food. But how were we supposed to do it? We were students—and would be for years to come—and didn’t have a lot of money. But how was I supposed to ask Shelley to do that? I had just given her the ring. What would she think about my asking her to sell it so we could buy some oats and flour and rice?"

Elder Bennett goes on to say “I was so grateful for her willingness to make such a sacrifice to follow the prophet…..We became accustomed to lugging buckets of wheat from apartment to apartment, house to house, and city to city”.

My favourite quote from the article that shows the true spirit of obedience to Church leaders is as follows:“An engagement ring usually represents a commitment.  But for my wife and me, not having an engagement ring represented our commitment to the Lord and His prophets.”

Brothers and Sisters let us not be like the heathens who put their trust in men, for the scriptures plainly tell us: "I will not put my trust in the arm of flesh; for I know that cursed is he that putteth his trust in the arm of flesh. Yea, cursed is he that putteth his trust in man or maketh flesh his arm." (2 Nephi 4:34)

Please take some time this week to consider some of the sacrifices you might make to follow the loving and inspired counsel of your Church leaders.

Ever your servant,

President Paternoster


34 comments:

WWN said...

Obeying the Lord by following and obeying priesthood leaders is a fundamental precept in the Mormon Church. We should not trust ourselves. Instead, we must be prepared to override our own thoughts and feelings at all times in favor of those who are called by God to guide us, and we must valiently follow whatever course of action they recommend.

Thank you, President Paternoster, for your wonderful guidance!

Anonymous said...

I recently lost my job. My wife had to sell her engagement ring so that we could get enough money to pay our tithing this past Christmas. We were so blessed when after we lost our house due to forclosure, to have found a tent we can live in at the local park. Sure the kids have to sleep outside cause its very small, but they are pretty tough and the Lord will look after them. Thank you so much for your wise counsel, President!

Anonymous said...

Gosh, I'm sooooo thankful for your wise counsel, SP Paternoster! You are a wonderful complement to the Ensign, no matter what month we're in or what topic you're discussing. I'm sooooo grateful I don't have to think for myself!

Kathleen said...

I too have a testimony of experiencing great joy being relieved of the burden of thinking. The counsel of the Brethren is all that is needed for salvation. Timely guidance during times of world crisis, such as the recent guidance regarding gardening underwear, keeps us aware that members of the LDS church will be kept informed when the Lord has a concern. Since no new revelations have been forthcoming since 1978, we can assume "all is well" and focus on our own salvations. What a relief!

Anonymous said...

Congratulations, President Paternoster. You have now joined the realm of the idiotic.

Ibowedmyheadandsaidyes said...

No wonder I could never make it as a young college student with my new bride! We followed the counsel to save up food, but it was stuff like leftovers from Olive Garden and Outback Steakhouse. I never even thought to sell my wife's engagement ring! If only I had been THAT inspired...I probably would not have fallen away from the church.

Can I get a do-over?

In the sacred and holy name of even Haysoo Crisco,

Ramen.

R. Nephi Samuelson said...

Thank you once again for this wise counsel President. Sister Samuelson and I have been giving of our time, talents and free labor as service missionaries, planting flowers and other gardening chores for the upkeep of the grounds of the Lord's House. Truly it has been an inspiration to see so many volunteer to care for the Temple grounds at our own time and expense where previously paid labor had accomplished the task. Truly it is a blessing to serve as unpaid servants and follow the counsel of the Brethren. Between our service on temple square the weekly cleaning of our Ward House, it keeps us going, but we have your words of encouragement to see us through President!

Keep the Faith Brothers and Sisters, Keep the faith!

Yours in His Holy Name, He who died at Calvary, even the Redeemer of the World, the First Born and Only Begotten of the Father, even the Firstling of the Flock, Jesus Christ, Amen.

-R. Nephi Samuelson

Iguanid Sanchez said...

I totally agree with the the wise council of my wise steak president Paternoster.

I injured my knee in December of last year and needed surgery to return to work to provide for my family. The surgery would cost me $3,200 which coincidentally was exactly the amount I needed to bring my tithing current for 2011.

Señora Sanchez and I decided that we should pay the tithing instead of getting my knee fixed. I am still unemployed due to my injury, but I take pride in the fact that I am a full tithe payer and I still have my temple recommend.

We have been greatly blessed as a result of my unemployment, I now qualify for Medicaid (no insurance copay) and food stamps.

I still am paying my 10% of my unemployment check to the one true church. We have also been able to redo the post-mortem baptisms for all my deceased relatives at least 3 times to ensure they are really saved. (If Anne Frank needed her work done 9 times, then how much more need have my ancestors to be baptized, yeah even by water multiple times in the house of the lord)

Spencer said...

It baffles the mind how time and again, young couples are so easily swayed by so-called "common sense" and being "practical."

The Lord NEVER said that following his leaders' teachings would be practical...only that it would be worth it.

Rather than researching a variety of options to accomplish something, I strongly suggest that members follow the proven practice of obedience first, followed by a healthy dose of confirmation bias to conclude afterward that it was the right decision, regardless of the results or cost.

Iron Chancellor said...

Great spiritual advice, like food storage, can be pretty hard to swallow, but their is no nutritional value in a engagement ring.

Bjorge Queen said...

I agree with Spencer. A testimonkey is nothing without a little confirmation bias to speed it along.

Anonymous said...

Anonymous said...

*** NOTE TO THE READER OF THIS BLOG ***

This is NOT a website sanctioned by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Nor is "President Paternoster" a stake president within the Church. Rather, this site is farce, and [usually] not good farce, at that.

Most of the posts here are written by quasi-apostates who mock those who are sincerely striving, albeit imperfectly, to follow Jesus.

Caveat utilitor.

Thomas Ese Monsoon said...

I am Thomas Ese Monsoon, profit, senior citizen, and reveler of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, and I approve this message.

Anonymous, I am not well please thou sneaky misguided servant.

lowly sister in the One True Church said...

Those buckets (or pillows, as the case may be) of wheat are the Lord's way of saving us from destruction in these Latter days.

Why do people question the validity of the Prophet's stance on this? Just the other day my sister-in-law was telling me about her son's so called "gluten allergy" and how the Dr. told her to cut wheat out of his diet!!!

As my dear Father (earthly, not Heavenly) used to say, "All truth can be circumscribed into one great whole." And the truth we have from the Lord's own mouth is this:

17 Nevertheless, wheat for man, and corn for the ox, and oats for the horse, and rye for the fowls and for swine, and for all beasts of the field, and barley for all useful animals, and for mild drinks, as also other grain.

Now, I don't know what those mild barley drinks would be, but the divine guidance given here is that wheat is for the use of man, and all this talk of "celiac disease," and "gluten allergy" is just another ruse cooked up by the evil pharmaceutical industry to sell drugs, which is what I told my sister-in-law.

I just hope she realizes before it is too late that her son's nagging stomach aches, constant indigestion, and low weight are all figments of his imagination. What else could be causing these problems as he is used to a healthy diet of whole wheat homemade bread sandwiches for lunch, wheat cereal for breakfast, and meatballs made from....of course, wheat for dinner. Follow the Prophet. He knows the way.

Anonymous said...

As a family/marriage therapist I have encountereda number of LDS couples where the wife was either willing to forego an engagement ring to marry young, or to sell it later on in order to pay off some church related obligations.

It has been my observation that, in all of those cases, the happiness of the marriage was inversely related to the willingness of the husband to let the wife make such sacrifices.

However I must also note that such husbands,without exceptions, are quite generous with their seed and their willingness to raise up as many children as possible unto the Lord.

This invariably results in the family being able to avail themselves of the blessings of the bishop's storehouse and shopping at D.I.

And thus we see that Sacrifice is always rewarded in tis life with spiritual blessings. It is my fervent prayer that happiness will also follow after such couples are dead.

Verle Jensensen said...

Thank you President Paternoster. We are already obeying. My wife home-cans boatloads of pickles every summer for food storage. This summer will be no exception. (We had to throw the whole batch out last year because one of the inactives who ate our VT pickle gift died of botulism. Such a waste -- of otherwise good pickles.)

iwillgetdown said...

I have no idea why the church gave up the signs and penalties in the temple. I miss those days....as I symbolically drew my thumb across my throat (slitting motion) or made the distinct actions of disembowling myself (intestines spilled on the ground) it was a vivid reminder that I was making serious promises to Adam/God. Now it is a simple bow the head and say "yes"...I think we need to bring those penalties back and scare the hell out of members again. Maybe then they would take their promises seriously. What is wrong with people these days? Sheesh...

Anonymous said...

Fools mock and hold in derision the things of God.

When it came time for me to marry I deliberately chose a young vigin in Zion who would give her all for the Kingdom.

Her willingness to do without an engagement ring was a test, and this test she passed with flying colors.

I knew right then that she would always be willing to give up her personal happiness for the higher purpose of Obedience to the piesthood.

We will be moving to Hildale next month.

Anonymous said...

Hey president, FUCK YOU! ...you do know that all of these comments are satire. Dumb shit.

Mahonri Kimball said...

I don't feel bad about spending all that money on food storage for all those years. Obeying the principle of obedience brings great blessings in my life. It does not matter that there has been no great catastrophe. The prophets did not say there WAS going to be a catastrophe, only that there MIGHT be. They have been precisely RIGHT about that! This was a true revelation that proves the direct link our prophets have to the mind and will of the Lord. There have been some who have wrongly foretold of natural disasters. Our prophets however, always get it right. They correctly predicted only the possibility. I am grateful for every inspired direction that we receive.

☼ Dayna said...

As a newlywed, I too found myself ferrying buckets of wheat to each and every new apartment and city. Luckily after the first 18 months, my weevil army was able to carry my wheat for me.

My burdens were then light. Praise to the man.

Anonymous said...

This is the REAL Anonymous:

Wow, that March 8, 2012 Anonymous is an idiot, and is making a bad name for me.

Perhaps I should create my own account here.

Cave canem!

Cindy said...

Even the governments have emergency plans in place and recommend that people have at least a 72hr kit. Food storage is more than just "obeying" your leaders. When I was younger and my brother (the oldest in our family) decided to go on a mission there wasn't much money after my parents sent their mission cheque and our food storage and garden were a lifesaver for us. When my Dad was in a car accident we did not complain that we had to eat fruit and sauce that my mom and us kids had diligently canned the year before. I know lots of young couples who forgo getting an engagement ring or going on a honeymoon because they don't have the money for it. If money is tight what better reason to have food storage just in case.

Anonymous said...

Real Anonymous here again. It is for people like Cindy (at March 10) that I must exist. Not that she shouldn't peruse the site, but that it's important she recognize this site for what it is.

Anonymous said...

THE REALLY REAL Anonymous here.

The Real Anonymous does not exist except in his own little make believe world of green fig leaf aprons, secret handshakes, seer stones, disappearing gold plates, $5,000,000,000.00 shopping malls for Jesus and the Church PR Dept. that denies everything I just wrote. Other than that he is perfectly normal and I endorse his comments. He will keep you correctly informed.

Alger's Fannie said...

Dearest President,

As always, a wonderfully inspiring message. My wife and I recently sat and read you message. We thereafter prayed, and asked the Lord of Hosts if your message was true.

The lord responded with a burning in our bosom. We shall try to follow you in all your ways henceforth. Though raised in America, we have decided to spell all words like unto your old world style of English in a more complete effort to "follow president Paternoster".

We shall write "favourite" and not "favorite." We shall write "neighbourhood" and not "neighborhood." Henceforth and forever.

Sweet are the tender mercies of the lord.

Amen

Anonymous said...

The REAL Anonymous here.

Hey, "THE REALLY REAL Anonymous," bitter much? Hahahaha.

Love,
Anonymous

Anonymous said...

The REAL Anonymous is showing his Godliness by allowing Cindy the free agency to peruse this site. He will make a great God one fine day. Maybe Cindy will be one of his lucky wives. I will pray daily though that REAL Anonymous will stop persecuting President Paternoster and his fine work of spreading the true and living gospel of Jesus Christ.

Yours in humility,

Brother Q. Cumber

Investigator said...

I only recently stumbled upon your blog. I had been so entertained...er...edified by your message that I decided to go back to the very beginning. I was dismayed to find the wise counsel of our beloved president had been removed from the comments section on many early posts. I began to feel adrift without the faith-promoting guidance of the priesthood to counteract the apostates' evil attempts at sowing doubt. I would ask why, but it would be unseemly to question a priesthood holder.

Anonymous said...

Dear President,

Take it from a Mother Who Knows and What I Hope my Granddaughters Will Understand is how much we are blessed by your uplifting spiritual messages. Oft times as I read your words, I feel an outpouring of the spirit and my eyes fill with tears as I fall to my knees....much like what recently happened to Marie Osmond. Oh yes, the outpouring also included the peeing of pants like Marie did.

Yours in True Faith - Alma Fudd

Anonymous said...

President Paternoster, I know you are a busy guy, what with your important calling to be a Stake President, combined with whatever Earthly job you must do throughout the week, hosting FHE for your lovely family, being a good husband, and studying the Lord's words, but I was truly saddened to see you have not posted yet this week.

My family was greatly disappointed, as gathering around the computer screen every Monday evening, to read your blog, after the opening prayer, of course, has become an important part of our Family Home Evening experience. Little Sussy in particular has even taken to quoting you at lengths to all her Gentile friends.

Hope to hear from you soon.

Anonymous said...

Amen President! You know we'll follow your words and example! That's what we do and what we'll always do!

Anonymous said...

REAL anonymous and REALLY REAL anonymous, you need to put aside your differences and shake hands with one another through a curtain. Sit down, share a meal, and commune with one another.

I suggest bright white fruits, because we all know the path pomegranates lead you down.

-Anonymous (verified account)

Anonymous said...

REALLY REAL anonymous here.

Since REAL anonymous said he loves me I would be happy to shake hands through a slit in a curtain and have some "Five Points Of Fellowhip" with him. The food is optional. I might go for some twelve year old food storage. Anything over twelve years old starts to get "bitter".

REALLY REAL