Straight Paths

bryceggorrell
1 day ago
5 min read

Imagine an unbroken chain being formed between God, and you, even while walking here on the Earth.

Wouldn't it be nice to have such a firm link, keeping you and me within reach of Heaven at all times?

Let's consider a few of these chains.

First: Priesthood ordinations and blessings.

By laying hands on heads, a physical and spiritual chain is literally formed, stretching from Heaven to Earth. This chain runs through and to each recipient of the holy priesthood, and of its blessings.

I will show you mine. At the top, we see Jesus Christ. At the bottom, me.

Jesus Christ (God)

Peter, James, John (Apostles)

Joseph Smith, Jr., Oliver Cowdery (Apostles)

Joseph Smith, Jr., Sidney Rigdon, Frederick G. Williams (Apostle, High Priests)

Oliver Cowdery, David Whitmer, Martin Harris (Apostle, High Priests)

Brigham Young (Apostle)

Joseph F. Smith (Apostle)

Anthony W. Ivins (Apostle)

Alma Sonne (High Priest)

Glenn D. Pugmire (High Priest)

Dwight G. Gorrell (Elder)

Bryce G. Gorrell (Elder)

The Lord has laid His hand upon me, and I have laid mine upon others. I am honored to be a link in this chain connecting others to God Himself.

By anointing, blessing, and other ministrations, I have seen His power flow through me to benefit others. These experiences have been to me some of the clearest indications that His Gospel is true and living, and that He is living today—moving, inspiring, reaching, teaching, blessing, healing, building, serving, expanding, creating, comforting, soothing, sealing, revealing.

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Another of these chains was revealed to me while in a gathering of missionaries. This meeting took place in the summer of 2011 in Fountain Valley, California, just outside the boundaries of the Anaheim mission where I was serving.

Several nearby missions took part in this meeting, where we were blessed to hear sermons from L. Whitney Clayton and L. Tom Perry.

In his remarks, Elder Perry told us a story of being in Utah on a certain occasion at a certain place with an old man—William Pilkington.

Brother Pilkington had brought the group of young men, including Brother Perry, to a historic location for an important discussion. (Though I can't remember exactly where it was, I believe it was most likely at a cemetery near Clarkston, Utah.)

While at this location, Brother Pilkington told the group about once being a young man himself, who had recently emigrated from England to join the gathering of Saints in Utah with his family.

He told of going to work for a family who had received an old man into their home to rest and retire.

One night, the old man spoke to young William.

He asked some questions of his knowledge of the Book of Mormon.

He made sure William knew the names and the account of the Three Witnesses, who had seen an angel come down from Heaven and display the gold plates containing the Book of Mormon. These Witnesses heard a Godly voice declare that they were translated correctly by Joseph Smith, the Prophet and Seer, "by the gift and power of God."

Raptured by the enthralling tale of angels and golden books of sacred wisdom, William listened on.

The old man declared, "I am Martin Harris."

Martin then repeated a testimony of his certain knowledge of the divinity of the Book to young William.

In telling the story to me, Elder Perry emphatically bore a simple witness of his own that the Book of Mormon came from God.

I therefore can claim an unbroken line of pure testimony beginning with the angel, Moroni. This series of exchanges, each in person, forms a strong chain to oppose and enrich my own direct testimony, gained by reading and pondering the Book myself. I delight in this other line, and thank the Lord for including me in it.

If we lay out this line of testimony like the priesthood chain above, it would look like this:

Moroni

Martin Harris

William Pilkington

L. Tom Perry

Bryce G. Gorrell

By something as simple as a few old men passing wisdom onto young ones, I am the recipient of a great spiritual treasure. I plan to pass this witness along to as many others as I can.

The following video shows one link in this line of testimony: the interview between Martin Harris and William Pilkington.

Martin Harris talking about the Book of Mormon with William Pilkington

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Other lines connecting us back to God include our family tree, verifying our place in God's family through the lineage of Adam and Eve.

Of course, we remember our personal covenant line, connecting us to God through being sealed by the Holy Spirit of Promise as a child of Christ, by the ordinances and laws of His gospel.

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"The works, and the designs, and the purposes of God cannot be frustrated, neither can they come to naught.

"For God doth not walk in crooked paths, neither doth he turn to the right hand nor to the left, neither doth he vary from that which he hath said, therefore his paths are straight, and his course is one eternal round."

Doc. & Cov. 3: 1-2

"O then, my beloved brethren, come unto the Lord, the Holy One. Remember that his paths are righteous. Behold, the way for man is narrow, but it lieth in a straight course before him, and the keeper of the gate is the Holy One of Israel; and he employeth no servant there; and there is none other way save it be by the gate; for he cannot be deceived, for the Lord God is his name."

2 Nephi 9: 41

"For I perceive that ye are in the paths of righteousness; I perceive that ye are in the path which leads to the kingdom of God; yea, I perceive that ye are making his paths straight.

"I perceive that it has been made known unto you, by the testimony of his word, that he cannot walk in crooked paths; neither doth he vary from that which he hath said; neither hath he a shadow of turning from the right to the left, or from that which is right to that which is wrong; therefore, his course is one eternal round."

Alma 7: 19-20

"Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name.

"Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.

"Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—

"And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out."

Helaman 3: 27-30

"In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judæa,

"And saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.

"For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight."

Matthew 3: 1-3, emphasis added

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