When Conference Sunday rolls around,
everyone gets excited.
Yes, it means p.j.'s and a delicious brunch,
but above and beyond that is the opportunity to squish
into the couch with notepads and pen
to listen and learn at the feet of
modern day prophets.
This time around,
I was really struck by President Uchtdorf's remarks
regarding what matters most.
As we turn to our Heavenly Father
and seek His wisdom regarding the things that matter most,
we learn over and over again
the importance of four key relationships:
with our God, with our families, with our fellowman, and with ourselves.
As we evaluate our own lives with a willing mind,
we will see where we have drifted from the more excellent way.
The eyes of our understanding will be opened,
and we will recognize what needs to be done
to purify our heart and refocus our life.
-Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints
His counsel to,
"...slow down a little,
steady the course,
and focus on the essentials
when experiencing adverse conditions..."
Hits the nail on the head.
I like to think I'm level-headed and very "even-keel",
but unfortunately I know
I'm passionate and extremely emotional about
even the tiniest of things!
To say this throws me off-balance occasionally
is a huge understatement!
So what to do?
Take this counsel and run with it!
Okay, since we're "slowing down",
how about we walk with it?
Try it on for size,
and see
what happens!
The scriptures exhort us to:
...awake, and arise from the dust,
O Jerusalem; yea, and put on thy beautiful garments,
O daughter of Zion; and strengthen thy stakes
and enlarge thy borders forever,
that thou mayest no more be confounded,
that the covenants of the Eternal Father
which he hath made unto thee,
O house of Israel, may be fulfilled.
Yea, come unto Christ,
and be perfected in him,
and deny yourselves of all ungodliness;
and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness,
and love God with all your might, mind and strength,
then is his grace sufficient for you,
that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ;
and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ,
ye can in nowise deny the power of God.
And again, if ye by the grace of God are perfect in Christ,
and deny not his power,
then are ye sanctified in Christ by the grace of God,
through the shedding of the blood of Christ,
which is in the covenant of the Father unto the remission of your sins,
that ye become holy,
without spot.
I want to arise,
be strengthened,
perfected,
and certainly without spot!
And it IS possible,
through faith in my Savior, Jesus Christ,
and through following him.
...
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