Choosing Our Wills and Aspirations

One of the talks I really liked from last General Conference was Elder Oaks' about desires. He said that "desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming." I suppose this talk was one of my favorites because one of my favorite scriptures is Mosiah 16:12-13. These verses read:

"Having gone according to their own carnal wills and desires; having never called upon the Lord while the arms of mercy were extended towards them; for the arms of mercy were extended towards them, and they would not; they being warned of their iniquities and yet they would not depart from them; and they were commanded to repent and yet they would not repent.

And now, ought ye not to tremble and repent of your sins, and remember that only in and through Christ ye can be saved?"

Now, the main reason I really love these verses is because of the repetition of image of the arms of mercy being extended to us. As much as we reject the Lord, He repeatedly tries to offer us mercy. Yet, I also like how it mentions the idea of carnal wills and desires. No matter how much I grow in the gospel, I still feel like I have carnals wills and desires that cause me to fall “short of the glory of God” (Romans 3:23). Though, I hope, over time as I continue to repent these carnal ways will become less and less, I think that we will just by the fact that we’re mortals, always have to fight the carnal man within us.

I guess I take hope in the fact that though we may be always imperfect and will continually struggle to purge the carnality within us, we can and must be helped by the Savior. Another favourite scripture of mine counsels us that we should “remember...that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved” (2 Nephi 10:24). I’ve definitely made the mistake of thinking that I could perhaps do it on my own, repent and live righteously without the Lord’s help. In fact, I once told God to let me do it on my own, just to prove that I could. I can tell you that I fell farther and faster away from the Lord as a result.

I have felt that as I come closer to the Lord, through repentance and when I feel the Spirit in abundance, that I “have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually” (Mosiah 5:2). I suppose it’s a never-ending process, our improvement and progression, and that the desires we cultivate and nurture will determine what we will choose.

Move Over Joe and Jew, Here Comes Tommy

One highlighted theme from this past General Conference was importance of the living prophet of God. The idea that really stuck out to me from these messages was when President Benson was quoted as saying that “the living prophet is more vital to us than the standard works” (“Obedience”). That’s a pretty profound statement. We are to understand that the Stick of Joseph and the stick of Judah, the Bible and the Book of Mormon are not as important to us as the prophetic word of the living prophet of the our day. Obviously, this importance of following the living prophet does not mean to disregard the Bible and Book of Mormon, but if not for a living prophet of God today, then our church might as well not even have the other books of scripture. We need God's word for us today and God's living prophet is God's mouthpiece to all mankind.

Today, our living prophet is President Thomas S. Monson. He is God’s mouthpiece on earth. Another memorable thought from President Benson’s talk was that the living prophet gives us “Today’s News Today”. The living prophet today is able to look out at our world and show was what path we might take today that would be of most benefit not only to members of Christ’s Church, but for all mankind.

Our last prophet was President Gordon B. Hinckley. When I went out on my mission I used to think that his talks were the most boredom-inducing sermons out there. His topics seemed to be sooo simple and basic. I always loved the other apostles’ talks a lot more because I felt they were of more substance. But, over time I began to realize how doctrinally enriched his talks were. The talk that did it for me was his talk from April 2004 General Conference. He framed the plight of mankind in such an inspired way. After that Conference, as a missionary, I began collecting as many Conference ensigns as I could and pretty much had all the Conferences from 1995 to 2004. I then read through all of President Hinckley’s talks further confirming that not only were his talks not just basic, but that they were really inspiring and so bold too. Of all the aspects of my testimony that grew on my mission, the knowledge that President Hinckley was a prophet of God grew most. This knowledge helped me to further grow in love and appreciation for how much God loves us as well.

And now President Monson is our living prophet. He has been our prophet for just over 3 years now. Each prophet seems to have something that has marked their ministry. President Benson was known for “flooding the earth with the Book of Mormon”, President Kimball was known for “lengthening our stride”, Elder Bateman of the seventy said that we couldn’t really pin down President Hinckley to one topic because the breadth of his ministry was so great. Yet, Elder Quentin L. Cook said that he continually made reference to faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. What will President Monson be most remembered for? Though his ministry is hardly concluded, we hope, I think it’d be safe to say that the title of President Monson’s biography succinctly summarizes what he would hope the Saints be anxiously engaged in - To the Rescue.

The Divine Gift of Gratitude

What is it about gratitude that makes a difference for better in our lives? I guess it’s because we’re focusing on what we have rather than what we don’t have. It’s expressing gratitude to God and others for everything that is given us. President Monson, the prophet of God for our time, said this past General Conference that “to live with gratitude ever in our hearts is to touch heaven.” He also said that we usually take for granted and show the least gratitude for those people around us that we love most. So, today I am going to express gratitude for the many blessings in my life. I think of the scripture from Moroni where he exhorts people that they “would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts” (Moroni 10:3). I think each person, even those who go through the hardest of trials in life can still find blessings for which they can be grateful. Here are some of my many blessings:

•Choice - The right, responsibility, and results of choice – there was a lot of talk last Conference about Agency. I’m grateful that no matter what I’ve done in my life, that I can still make choices to better myself and that I can be helped by God to do so.
•Possibilities - I guess associated with choice is that there are endless possibilities in life. We truly can do anything we want in life, if we really put the work forth. That's pretty amazing.
•Family –I’m grateful most especially for Amelia’s patience in me, as I try as Elder Christofferson said, to more convincingly love her throughout time. I’m grateful for how she is not only my wife and is ever there for me, but also for how she mothers Fred. I’m also grateful for my siblings and parents. These who have known me longest, both my strengths and weaknesses, each love me though we might not all be the best at showing it at times as well. As Fred has come into our lives, I’ve been especially grateful for how it has changed both my siblings and especially my parents for the better. They love Fred so much, which makes me feel their love too.
•Friends – I love the many friends I’ve made, both in and out of the Church. I cherish so much friends who would do anything to buoy me up. I consider friends to be one of the great blessings of life. I pray that as time goes on, I will become a better friend to any that I come in contact.
•Priesthood Leaders – I’m grateful for leaders both local and from the headquarters of our Church, who have the faith and strength to lead in righteousness, who do not fold under the pressure of popular criticism, who teach what God would have them teach no matter the consequence, who love all and show it by their example. I'm also grateful for the past prophets who have preceded these men(all the way back to Father Adam).
• God and Jesus Christ - I’m grateful for Our Heavenly Father’s constant concern for us His children. I’m grateful that He created a plan whereby all could do whatever they want, that we have that freedom. I’m grateful too though that He always reaches out to us, if we would only reach out to Him. He has especially reached out to us through His Son Jesus Christ. I know that I can never show enough gratitude for Jesus Christ and for how “the chastisement of our peace was upon him” (Isaiah 53). I want to ever and ever strive to show more gratitude for His atonement and love, as He always so patiently strives to show us a better way in life. I’m grateful for the Holy Spirit who testifies of the living reality of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ and they truly live today. I’m grateful for their love that I feel as I strive to do Their will.