President Dieter F. Uchtdorf on God's help in the challenges of life

President Uchtdorf (1940- ) served as a Seventy from 1994-2004, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve.  He served as second counselor in the First Presidency from 2008 until 2018.

"We know that sometimes it can be difficult to keep our heads above water. In fact, in our world of change, challenges, and checklists, sometimes it can seem nearly impossible to avoid feeling overwhelmed by emotions of suffering and sorrow.

"I am not suggesting that we can simply flip a switch and stop the negative feelings that distress us. This isn't a pep talk or an attempt to encourage those sinking in quicksand to imagine instead they are relaxing on a beach. I recognize that in all of our lives there are real concerns. I know there are hearts here today that harbor deep sorrows. Others wrestle with fears that trouble the soul. For some, loneliness is their secret trial.

"These things are not insignificant....

"I have a simple faith. I believe that as you are faithful and diligent in keeping the commandments of God, as you draw closer to Him in faith, hope, and charity, things will work together for your good (see D&C 90:24). I believe that as you immerse yourselves in the work of our Father—as you create beauty and as you are compassionate to others—God will encircle you in the arms of His love (see D&C 6:20). Discouragement, inadequacy, and weariness will give way to a life of meaning, grace, and fulfillment."

- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Happiness, Your Heritage," General Conference October 2008
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Almost all of us feel overwhelmed from time to time, by the demands of our lives or the busy-ness of our activities, if not by "emotions of suffering and sorrow." But Pres. Uchtdorf acknowledges that in the more challenging times of discouragement, it's not trivial to turn the mood around. We may deal with trials of sorrow, fear, or loneliness, and "these things are not insignificant." You can't just "flip a switch" and make it all better. But you can follow the Lord's counsel:

So Pres. Uchtdorf's formula includes 1) diligent obedience to the commandments, 2) drawing closer to the Lord through faith, hope, and charity, 3) to "immerse yourselves" in God's work, which includes creating beauty and sharing true compassion — THEN we will feel the deep protection of His love and care, and ultimately the relief from suffering and concerns.

What a sweet promise!  I testify that it is true and real.

 

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)

March 18, 2015

Elder Robert D. Hales on caring for one another

Elder Robert D. Hales (August 24, 1932-October 1, 2017) served as a Seventy from 1976 to 1985, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

"Our responsibilities are clear; we are to: 

"Reach out in love and be anxious to forgive those who have wronged us. 

"Help by fellowshipping and caring for those who want to come back, receiving them with open arms and willing hands. 

"We must do as Jude, the brother of James, admonished: 

"'Have compassion, making a difference' (Jude 1:22). 

"There are principles that will help us to 'have compassion, making a difference.' These principles are encompassed in Luke, chapter 15, where Jesus used three parables to give us examples of the importance He placed on finding those who are lost and rendering 'compassion, making a difference.'" 

- Robert D. Hales, "Some Have Compassion, Making a Difference," General Conference April 1987
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This is wise counsel from Elder Hales, about some of the ways we can make a difference in the lives of those around us.

There are so many ways we can help, depending on the needs of those we are trying to help! Inspiration will help lead us in the right direction. But I'm expecially intrigued by the simple phrase that Elder Hales quotes from the book of Jude:

Having compassion is the first step—being sensitive and caring, "feeling with" those around us as we strive to understand their challenges or burdens.

And then making a difference. That's a simple statement. We don't have to change the world, make everything all better, fix all the problems. We just need to make a difference. That is often the thing that enables the Savior to then step in and continue the process with more complete healing or re-directing.

And so our call is to "reach out in love and be anxious to forgive." What a great quest. Where would the Lord have me make a difference today?

 

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
March 16, 2015

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on the obstacles of life

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (1940- ) served as Church Commissioner of Education from 1976-1980, as the president of BYU from 1980-1989, as a Seventy from 1989-1994, and as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1994.

"A life without problems or limitations or challenges—life without 'opposition in all things' (2 Ne 2:11), as Lehi phrased it—would paradoxically but in very fact be less rewarding and less ennobling than one which confronts—even frequently confronts—difficulty and disappointment and sorrow. As beloved Eve said, were it not for the difficulties faced in a fallen world, neither she nor Adam nor any of the rest of us ever would have known 'the joy of our redemption, and the eternal life which God giveth unto all the obedient' (Moses 5:11). 

"So life has its oppositions and its conflicts, and the gospel of Jesus Christ has answers and assurances. In a time of terrible civil warfare, one of the most gifted leaders ever to strive to hold a nation together said what could be said of marriages and families and friendships. Praying for peace, pleading for peace, seeking peace in any way that would not compromise union, Abraham Lincoln said in those dark, dark days of his First Inaugural, 'Though passion may have strained, it must not break our bonds of affection. The mystic chords of memory,' he said, 'will yet swell... when again touched, as surely they will be, by the better angels of our nature.' (First Inaugural Address, 4 Mar. 1861) 

"The better angels of our nature. That is much of what the Church and general conference and the gospel of Jesus Christ are about. The appeal today and tomorrow and forever to be better, to be cleaner, to be kinder, to be holier; to seek peace and always be believing." 

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom," General Conference October 1996
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From another of the wonderful, sensitive, encouraging messages Elder Holland often shares. It's interesting to ponder his opening "paradox":

Again, that's a hard principle to remember when we are deep in the midst of one of those "problems or limitations or challenges" that can so easily suck the joy and hope right out of us. How critical it is to remember that "the gospel of Jesus Christ has answers and assurances"! Only with that perspective can we qualify for the divine help that will see us through the challenges.

So we turn to "marriages and families and friendships" when they are available, as a source to find "the better angels of our nature."

What a beautiful reminder. Each of us has room to repent and grow.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
March 15, 2015

Elder Richard G. Scott on finding peace and beauty in life

Elder Richard G. Scott (1928- ) served as a Seventy from 1977-1988, when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

"Personally, I am enthusiastic about the future. You can be too. You are living in the most exciting period of time in history. Many reasons could be cited for that optimism. Yet your greatest source of hope and assurance is that you have the fulness of the teachings of the Master. They will show you how to live a good life. You can receive ordinances and covenants that when righteously lived assure true happiness and significant attainment. 

"Life is beautiful when you make the effort to find beauty in it. In some of the most materially deprived parts of the world, I have seen the sunrise in all of its splendor and heard birds joyously welcoming a new day. I have seen beauty reflected in a small pot of flowers by a humble shelter or in the shy, beaming grin of a child at play, intent on discovering the world around him. 

"You can become depressed if all of your interests are focused on the media with its explicit details of the most worrisome world events. With care you can find much to reverently appreciate in this world Father in Heaven has given you. Begin by remembering that you are a son or daughter of God with divine potential. He will help you have a joyful, fulfilling life." 

- Richard G. Scott, "The Power of Righteousness," General Conference October 1998
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This excerpt is full of realistic optimism and sound advice. If we understand God's plan for our eternal progress, there certainly is much to be enthusiastic about:

It's a pretty simple formula: righteous living and commitment to covenants will assure true happiness.

Elder Scott often speaks of finding the beauty in the world around us—noticing the grandeur of God's creations. We can find beauty even in "some of the most materially deprived parts of the world." There is much reason to be happy and peaceful when we are surrounded by the evidence of God's love, and we "reverently appreciate" the gifts we receive from God.

And the process begins as we remember our divine origins. That is such an important key to keeping perspective in our sometimes challenging world!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
March 14, 2015

President Russell M. Nelson on developing spiritual attributes

Elder Russell M. Nelson (1924- ) has served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve since 1984.

"Your Heavenly Father has known you for a very long time. You, as His son or daughter, were chosen by Him to come to earth at this precise time, to be a leader in His great work on earth. You were chosen not for your bodily characteristics but for your spiritual attributes, such as bravery, courage, integrity of heart, a thirst for truth, a hunger for wisdom, and a desire to serve others. 

"You developed some of these attributes premortally. Others you can develop here on earth as you persistently seek them. 

"A pivotal spiritual attribute is that of self-mastery—the strength to place reason over appetite. Self-mastery builds a strong conscience. And your conscience determines your moral responses in difficult, tempting, and trying situations.... Why the need for self-mastery? God implanted strong appetites within us for nourishment and love, vital for the human family to be perpetuated. When we master our appetites within the bounds of God's laws, we can enjoy longer life, greater love, and consummate joy." 

- Russell M. Nelson, "Decisions for Eternity," General Conference October 2013
Click here to read the full talk

It's a comforting thing, I think, that "Heavenly Father has known [us] for a very long time" and has purposes and plans for our mortal experiences. He knows our "spiritual attributes" and knows what we are capable of developing through our efforts here.

Elder Nelson singles out a critical attribute that we should be aware of and seeking to develop in our characters. It's one that seems to be declining in the world today.

I appreciate the promise: "When we master our appetites within the bounds of God's laws, we can enjoy longer life, greater love, and consummate joy." Those are gifts that we all would be grateful to receive.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
March 11, 2015

President Howard W. Hunter on preserving the greatness of America

President Howard W. Hunter (1907-1995) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1959.  He served as Church President from June 5, 1994 to his death on March 3, 1995.

"Now is the time for America to decree that no longer shall this terrible waste of our inner strength be allowed to blight our greatness as a nation. We should silently, powerfully, and purposefully determine that no silent hammers of decay shall beat our civilization into dust.  We should, with promptness and firmness, decide that the termites of juvenile delinquency and crime shall not eat into the material and spiritual foundations of our country. To continue to permit forces of disintegration to sap our material and spiritual culture of its strength is to stand idly by and watch our civilization become one with Nineveh and Tyre.

"To save even our material prosperity, we must show more interest in moral and spiritual values. When civilizations have a decline in moral and spiritual values, material greatness begins to disintegrate.

"If we want to conserve our economic security, we must focus an increased amount of time and interest on strengthening our human values. A nation is not made great by its fruitful acres, its great forests, and its rich mineral deposits, but by the men who cultivate the farms, fell the trees, and operate the mines. That nation is greatest which produces the largest number of men dedicated to the loftiest ideals of the human race."

- Howard W. Hunter, "Education With Spirituality," BYU-Hawaii Graduation Exercises, Laie, Hawaii, 22 June 1985; see THWH p. 168

It's always interesting to read the warning and counsel offered by leaders in the past and compare to current conditions and challenges. President Hunter worried more than 35 years ago about the decline in moral and spiritual values of our country. Since then, in many ways, things are continuing to worsen. This inspired caution is more needed than ever.

The suggested solution to maintaining stability and economic security is not in national policy, political maneuvering, or exploitation of resources. Rather, it's in "strengthening our human values." This brings to mind the observation of Alexis de Tocqueville, the 19th-century French politician and historian, who said, "America is great because she is good. If America ceases to be good, America will cease to be great."

What does this mean to me, as an individual? How can I influence and help my country? Only by influencing and helping myself and those close to me. If each individual in every family would strive to strengthen his own values and commitment, his work ethic, his dedication "to the loftiest ideals of the human race" — then goodness would spread and counteract the forces of decay and destruction. We must not give up!

 

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
July 5, 2015

Elder Dallin H. Oaks on the eternal perspective of our lives

President Dallin H. Oaks (born August 12, 1932) served as president of BYU from 1971-1980.  He was then appointed as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, and resigned when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984. He became President of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles and also 1st Counselor in the First Presidency in January 2018.

"The pure in heart have a distinctive way of looking at life. Their attitudes and desires cause them to view their experiences in terms of eternity. This eternal perspective affects their choices and priorities. As they draw farther from worldliness they feel closer to our Father in Heaven and more able to be guided by his Spirit. We call this state of mind, this quality of life, spirituality. 

"Spirituality is a lens through which we view life and a gauge by which we evaluate it.... To be spiritually minded is to view and evaluate experiences in terms of the enlarged perspective of eternity." 

- Dallin H. Oaks, "Pure in Heart" (Deseret 1991), pp. 111-112; see also Dallin H. Oaks, "Spirituality," Ensign, November 1985, pp. 61-63
Click here to read the full talk

Somehow, it seems to be a challenge for many of us to view our more challenging experiences "in terms of eternity." Instead, our tendency is to forget eternity in the midst of trials and difficulties. But Elder Oaks points out that the "pure in heart" find that perspective easy to maintain. The more we are able to separate ourselves from worldliness, the more we can be guided by God's influence and can see things in eternal perspective.

As we become more "pure in heart" wewill see that our way of looking at life changes, and the eternal perspective is much more natural. Spirituality allows us to view everything that occurs to us "in terms of theenlarged perspective of eternity." What a blessing, and what an advantage! That should truly be our quest.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
March 9, 2015