Akron Ohio Stake News

Pure Religion

I grew up on a small farm in rural Idaho. As I recall, we only had about five neighbors within one mile in either direction of our home. One of these neighbors was a wonderful elderly widow, Ida Phillips. One day, when I was still quite young, I decided that I was going to do something nice for Ida. I don’t know where the idea came from, but I recall getting permission from my mother to cut some flowers from her garden and take them to Sister Phillips. I hopped on my small, green Schwinn, banana seat, kids bike, and started on the one-mile journey to her home. I recall my eager anticipation of surprising her with these flowers. I hoped that this would make her very happy. I hoped it would be a memorable experience for her. It did, and it was. But what I wasn’t expecting was just how happy and memorable that experience was for me. 

I recall not just delivering the flowers, but also being invited into her home and sitting down and visiting with Sister Phillips (as much as one can “visit” at that age). Though I had hoped this would have a big impact on Sister Phillips, I know it had a much bigger impact on me, as it is one of the few clear memories I have at that age.    

One of the scriptures that comes into my mind most often is James 1:27, “Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.” I have always been impressed by the simple power of this scripture. 

I love the term “Pure Religion.” It conveys so much meaning in two words—pure religion: kindness, compassion, benevolence, charity, the pure love of Christ. 

“There is no religion without love, and people may talk as much as they like about their religion, but if it doesn’t teach them to be good and kind to man and beast, it is all a sham” (Anna Sewell, Black Beauty).

I am grateful that we are continually encouraged by our prophets and apostles to practice pure religion. I am grateful that we are reminded often by them of what pure religion is. We have such a great opportunity to practice this pure religion through ministering. 

When introducing the concept of ministering, President Nelson said, “we will implement a newer, holier approach to caring for and ministering to others. We will refer to these efforts simply as ‘ministering.’”

In referring to this, Elder Holland taught: “Brothers and sisters, we have a heaven-sent opportunity as an entire Church to demonstrate ‘pure religion … undefiled before God’ (James 1:27) — ‘to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light’ and to ‘comfort those that stand in need of comfort,’ (Mosiah 18:8–9) to minister to the widows and the fatherless, the married and the single, the strong and the distraught, the downtrodden and the robust, the happy and the sad — in short, all of us, every one of us, because we all need to feel the warm hand of friendship and hear the firm declaration of faith.”

What a wonderful opportunity we have been given to experience the joy and memories that come from ministering, as I first learned as a young boy, on a small, green Schwinn, banana seat, kids bike. 

I add my testimony of the joy of ministering. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.