Pres Uchtdorf shared an embarrassing moment of when he had fallen and couldn't get up.
".. there may be times in unit lives when rising up and continuing on May seem beyond our own ability... Even when we think we cannot rise up, there is still hope. And sometimes we just need someone to look us in the eyes, take our hand, and say, 'You can do it now!'"
There have been many RS sisters who, over the years and around the world, have done just this for me. This talk also reminded me of Winnie the Pooh. Christopher Robin tells him one day, "There is something you must always remember. You are braver than you believe, stronger than you think, and smarter than you think." When Pooh has reached a difficult situation in which all seems lost, he stops and remembers (eventually) the words his best friend told him.
Pres Uchtdorf said, ".. there will be times when you think you cannot continue on. Trust the Savior and His love. With faith in The Lord Jesus Christ and the power and hope of the restored gospel, you will be able to walk tall and continue on."
And he ends with an apostolic promise- "I give you this promise in the name of The Lord: rise up and follow in the footsteps of our Redeemer and Savior, and one day you will look back and be filled with eternal gratitude that you chose to trust in the Atonement and it's power to lift you up and give you strength."
President Henry B Eyring spoke in Conerence stating: " There is a better way to help those who are called then giving descriptions of what they are to do. What they will need, even more than to be trained in their duties, is to see with thier spiritual eyes what it means to be called, to serve in the restored Church of Jesus Christ. This is the Kingdom of God on the earth. Because of that, it has a power beyond any other endeavor in which humans engage. The power depends on the faith of those called to serve in it."
ReplyDeletePresident Dieter Uchtdorf in April 2013 spoke about our 4 titles that help us recognize our individual roles in God's eternal plan. The first title is son or daughter of our Heavenly Father. No matter what else we are or do in life, we must never forget that we are God's literal spirit children. We were His children before we came here to this world and we will be His children forevermore. This basic truth should change the way we look at ourselves, our brothers and sisters and life itself. Unfortunately, it can be discouraging to know what it means to be a son or daughter of God, yet come up short. We have all seen a toddler learn to walk. He takes a small step and totters. He falls. Do we scold at such an attempt? Of course not! We encourage, we applaud and we praise because with every small step, the child becomes more like his parents. Now brethren, compared to the perfection of God, we mortals are scarcely more than awkward toddlers. But our loving Heavenly Father wants us to become more like Him and dear brethren, that should be our eternal goal,too. God understands that we get there, not in an instant, but by taking one step at a time. I do not believe in a God who would set up rules and commandments, only to wait for us to fail so He could punish us. I believe in a Heavenly Father who is loving and caring and who rejoices in our every effort to stand tall and walk toward Him. Even when we stumble, He urges us not to be discouraged - never to give up or flee our allotted field of service- but to take courage, find our faith and keep trying. Our father in Heaven mentors His children and often sends unseen heavenly help to those who desire to follow the Savior."
ReplyDeletePresident Uchtdorf continued with the 2nd title we all have in common: all who strive earnestly to follow the Savior, Jeaus Christ are called His disciples. Although, we recognize that none of us are perfect, we do not use that fact as an excuse to lower our expectations, to live beneath our price ledges, to delay the day of our repentance or to refuse to grow into better, more perfect, more refined followers of our Master. Remember that the Church of Jesus Christ is built not for men and women who are perfect, but rather it is built for people exactly like you and me. And it is built upon the rock of the Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ through whose Atonement we can be cleansed and become ' fellow citizens of the household of God'. (Eph 2:19). As disciples of Jesus Christ we are united in our testimony of the restored gospel and our commitment to keep God's commandments. But we are diverse in our cultural, social and political preferences. The Church thrives when we take advantage of this diversity and encourage each other to develop and use our talents to uplift and strengthen our fellow disciples. Discipleship is a lifelong journey following our Savior. t times it will seem that the path requires more than we had wished for. But as sons and daughters of God we must have the courage to follow our Redeemer, even when the cross seems heavy to bear. With every step we take following the Son of God,we may be reminded that we are not perfect, yet. But let us not give up. Let us be steadfast and constant disciples. Let us not give up. Let us be true to our covenants. Let us remember the promises of the Lord: ' Behold, I will go before you and be your rearward; and I will be in your midst...' DC 49:27', ' for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up'. DC 84:88
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