A More Excellent Way

My return to EFY was really cool. It was nothing compared to my last experience in 2002, though. This EFY was a lot like an upgrade from the last one. I was a lot more social and thus everyone was really social. So I ran into a drama or two, which I guess you could say was refreshing and nerve-wrecking.

Anyway, I also actually knew what I was doing this time as far as going to classes, so I ended up getting a ton out of those. Then the counselor's devotionals were amazing, too.

The following are some things I learned. One thing I learned that became a personal thing for me was that in the scriptures the word hope has a very different connotation than it does in regular English. It is somewhat synonomous with the noun "surety". So in a way it actually means the opposite of what it does in regular English.

This is why it's one of the three main virtues; we should expound continually on our faith until we have a hope. The only hope I have, literally, is Christ. He really is the only thing that I am absolutely sure of. This becomes personal to me because I take the song "Only Hope" from the chick-flick A Walk to Remember to be talking about Christ. The lyrics will be at the end of this post.

Another thing I learned is that if we develop our spiritual ability to revieve revelation, it has actually been promised to us (by a general authority, can't remember who, I think it's Elder Richard G. Scott) that we can have a sixth sense for feeling the Spirit and revieving revelation. Even cooler, according to this general authority, this sixth sense can become so powerful that we can come to recognize it better than one of our five senses.

So how do we develop such a sixth sense? Really what we have to do is communicate to the Lord that we cherish His revelations to us by writing them down. You'll find that you'll start writing down the revelation and then more and more thoughts will come. That's because more and more light will come to your heart and mind, because the Lord sees that you are listening. And I can testify that this is true. I can also testify that the more you practice doing that, the more the Lord will talk to you from time to time. He speaks with me in this manner everyday.

On Thursday, I prayed all day sincerly and fervently that the same Spirit which had been present at "We Believe" would be present at the testimony meeting that night. At the session director's devotional, the Spirit was there a lot more strongly than it had been in 2002. Brother Larson brought It's presence much quicker than Brother Bird had. Additionally, the entire 1500 youth in attendence singing the "Youth of Zion" song was awesome because with each verse the technician crew slightly raised the brightness of the overhead lights until it was full light like daylight. Simply wonderful.

Gratefully that night, Heavenly Father granted my prayers and the Spirit was just as powerful as it had been at "We Believe". I guess that until EFY 2002 I had never felt the Spirit so strongly. Then Heavenly Father took things a step further and in His mercy gave me a Baptism of Fire.

My roommate Evan communicated in his testimony what we were all feeling that night: that what we want the most is to show up in Heavenly Father's presence at the last day and with tears in His eyes say to us, "I am so proud of you." Walking back to the dorm, Brett and I were next to each other burning with the Spirit. He turned to me.

"Marcus? Will you do something for me?" he asked.

"Yeah sure, anything."

He looked up at me with his face radiating in the moonlight. "Will you sing with me?"

With a grin, I turned to face spike-haired Robert. "Hey Rob, sing with us. Everyone sing..." Brett and I began to sing "The Spirit of God" with such power and unity. I doubt that I'll ever do that again. The Spirit of God burned throughout everyone there and withing moments every male soul walking on that spot on BYU campus was singing the hymn. Our voices seemed to echo throughout all of Provo. It was incredible.

It made me sad to think that a teenager has to pay almost $350 to feel something that strong and be in harmony with the Spirit that much with other youth of Zion.

The theme for EFY 2005 is "A More Excellent Way". This is taken from the Book of Ether, chapter 12 verse 11. From this we learn of that more excellent way. I testify that the law of Moses was given to the world to teach, but because God so loved the world He gave His Only Begotten Son to show the world the way. That more excellent way is Jesus Christ, and if we follow Him then we will arrive in the Promised Land. That paradise which is promised to each of us if we are faithful. Amen.

Only Hope-Switchfoot/Mandy Moore

There's a song that's inside of my soul
It's the one that I've tried to write over and over again.
I'm awake in the infinite cold
But you sing to me over and over and over again.

So, I lay my head back down.
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours, I pray, to be only yours
I know now you're my only hope.

Sing to me the song of the stars,
Of your galaxy dancing and laughing and laughing again.
When it feels like my dreams are so far
Sing to me of the plans that you have for me over again.

So I lay my head back down.
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours, I pray, to be only yours
I know now you're my only hope.

I give you my destiny
I'm giving you all of me
I want your symphony, singing in all that I am
At the top of my lungs, I'm giving it back.

So I lay my head back down.
And I lift my hands and pray
To be only yours, I pray, to be only yours
I pray, to be only yours
I know now, you're my only hope.


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To see my song that won the poetry contest, refer to my blog "A Poet in Wicker Park".