Hey everyone! My name is Parker Anderson; chances are you probably don’t know me—and that’s okay, I just recently returned home from my mission in Vancouver, British Columbia. My heart is filled with gratitude and love standing before you this day.

In the Presence of The Vine

Jesus of Nazareth, knowing His earthly ministry is coming to a close, offers the gift of His eternal words of farewell to His beloved disciples. They walk with the Light of the World, into the darkness of the night. The passover was completed, and the ordinance of the sacrament instituted. Families united, offering up their pure lambs unto the Lord. When prepared, they all sat to enjoy the fruits of that sacrifice; bread was broken, Psalms of praise sung, and the trevials of the great Israelites were illustrated. They were the ones who came before, the ones who were proved and strengthened by the Lord.

On this dark walk, the Holy One of Israel deepens His Apostles knowledge with these truths:

1 I am the true vine, and my Father is the husbandman.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

4 Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit of itself, excpet it abide in the vine; no more can ye, except ye abide in me. —John 15

This passage of scripture recorded by the Apostle John, reveals the true source behind light, joy, and eternal life. The second verse is especially important in understanding the course necessary to eternal life.

The Greek word behind purgeth in this verse, means to cleanse from filth; for example grain by winnowing, a tree by pruning, sin by atonement or expiation.¹ The word is also associated to the Topical Guide entry “Test, Try, Prove.”

With this understanding, reading the second verse again is instructive.

2 Every branch in me that beareth not fruit he taketh away: and every branch that beareth fruit, he purgeth it, that it may bring forth more fruit.

Jesus isn’t just seeking who we are right now, He’s seeking for who we can become.

Understanding the True Nature of Proving

President Eyring, in His most recent General Conference address, has deeply expanded my understanding of proving. He explains,

The word prove has several meanings. To prove something is not simply to test it. It is to increase its strength. To prove a piece of steel is to place it under strain. Heat, weight, and pressure are added until its true nature is enhanced and revealed. The steel is not weakened by the proving. In fact, it becomes something that can be trusted, something strong enough to bear greater burdens.

The Lord proves us in much the same way to strengthen us. That proving does not come in moments of ease or comfort. It comes in moments when we feel stretched beyond what we thought we could bear. The Lord teaches that we are to continue to grow and never tire in our efforts, that we never give up, that we keep trying.²

The world struggles to understand why God proves His children in this way. Many exclaim, how could there be a loving God if He allows such terrible things to happen to good people? We may even find ourselves wondering the same in periods of extreme trial and pain. It is my prayer that the Holy Spirit may illuminate our minds and provide direction in accordinance to God’s will upon this matter.

We Owe it all to Him

Christ truly is the vine. He gives us root: connecting heaven and earth. What shortly followed that discourse, led to the events that shaped eternity, permanently. If it weren’t for Him, none of us could have new beginnings. Our sin would be the end, all of His mighty works would fall away, death would triumph, and Satan would reign over us.

How grateful we are for the mercies and justice of the Holy Messiah. His is the only name given under heaven that we may truly realize our divine nature and heritage. Nothing in this world is as permanent or as breathtaking as His infinite Atonement and literal resurrection.

Sacrifice brings forth Heaven

Lectures on Faith includes a remarkable expression of the law of sacrifice; it states,

Let us here observe, that a religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things, never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary unto life and salvation; for from the first existence of man, the faith necessary unto the enjoyment of life and salvation never could be obtained without the sacrifice of all earthly things.³

I believe sacrifice and proving often go together; and its enduring fruits of salvation are beautiful. But they are necessary and required steps in-order to realize our divine inheritance in the Kingdom of God. We must become like-unto heaven here on earth before we may join the rest of the refined, proven heavenly hosts above.

Receiving Gifts to Overcome

Jesus Christ is the key between bridging heaven and earth. He has ordained His Holy Houses connecting us to Him and His power; the light and knowledge we and the dead need together to become perfect, holy, without spot, through His Atonement.

President Thomas S. Monson once taught,

Those who understand the eternal blessings which come from the temple know that no sacrifice is too great, no price is too heavy, no struggle too difficult to receive those blessings.⁴

In the House of the Lord we, and those on the other side of the veil are blessed with the needed light and power for the building up of God’s kingdom on the earth. As we approach the altar before the Lord, we are blessed with the mighty strength of God to overcome our trials, temptations, and weaknesses. President Russell M. Nelson spoke on this point,

Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both virtue and charity. Thus, time in the temple increases our confidence before the Lord. Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.⁵

Never Truly Forsaken

If you are going through some of the greatest challenges you have ever faced, I plead with you, don’t give up. Keep going. Jesus Christ is in your midst. He “will go before your face. [He] will be on your right hand and on your left, and [His] Spirit shall be in your [heart], and [His] angels round about you, to bear you up.”⁶

I bear you my witness, my most faith strengthening and refining trials have been my most difficult. And I look back, and feel blessed beyond measure to become refined by them. Jesus Christ reigns supreme. I cannot deny the reality of the Father and the Son. They are so real and They are gift-givers—They seek to bless you. Don’t allow the scales of darkness to take you away from Their merciful hands.

At the end of his address, President Eyring shared these inspired words.

Brothers and sisters, your proving and strengthening may not look like Moroni’s or Jacob’s or the Prophet Joseph’s. But it will come. It may come quietly, through the trials of family life. It may come through illness or disappointment or grief or loneliness.

I bear witness that these moments are not evidence that the Lord has abandoned you. Rather, they are evidence that He loves you enough to refine and strengthen you. He is making you strong enough to carry the weight of eternal life.²

In our darkest nights, we like the Savior, may find ourselves unable to grasp why God has forsaken us. But rest assured when we stand before Christ at the great and pleasing bar of judgement, we may stand with a perfect brightness of knowledge and with gratitude. United with Elder Hugh B. Brown in saying: “Thank you, Mr. Gardener, for loving me enough to cut me down. Thank you, Mr. Gardener.” I offer these things to you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.