Eyes on the Prize

"What young musician, after years of agonizing rehearsal was finally scheduled to debut in a capacity concert hall, would, while en route to the performance, stop to join a long line forming at the latest hit movie, forgetting the thousands of people waiting to hear her?

"What world-class runner, after training for well over a decade, would find himself in the Olympic finals, only to stop running halfway through his race to watch the high-jump finals taking place on the other side of the field?

"These examples may seem preposterous—but how much more tragic it is for someone who, equipped with a testimony of the truth and a knowledge of the purpose of life, becomes more absorbed in life today than in life forever. Who’s just a little more concerned about his or her status and standing in mortality than in eternity. Whose focus is not directed to God the Father and his Son, Jesus Christ, with whom it is possible to have a glorious connection and bond...

"When we have a yearning and don’t know what it is for, perhaps it’s our soul longing for its heartland, longing to be no longer alienated from the Lord and the pursuit of something much higher, better, and more fulfilling than anything this earth has to offer."

Marvin J. Ashton, "A Yearning for Home," General Conference, October 1992.

Laman and Lemuel's biggest sin, in my opinion, is how quick they were to forget.  And I definitely don't excuse myself of the same.  It's no wonder the commandment given more than any other in the Book of Mormon comes in the form of one word: REMEMBER. 

As I've seen it, one of the adversary's craftiest tools for those who have a testimony and are to at least some degree living the gospel, is to put distractions in the way to take our focus off the goal to return home, and more importantly to do so prepared for our Father's very purpose in sending us here. 

I chuckled at Elder Ashton's examples as I realized that while i'd like to think I wouldn't do something so foolish, I think to some degree that those times when I let the conditions of the moment completely cloud over the eternal perspective, I am in fact dropping my cross and sitting awhile just to watch the squirrel chasing his tail. 

Flooded with Light

"We see such a limited part of the eternal plan He has fashioned for each one of us. Trust Him, even when in eternal perspective it temporarily hurts very much. Have patience when you are asked to wait when you want immediate action. He may ask you to do things which are powerfully against your will. Exercise faith and say, Let Thy will be done. Such experiences, honorably met, prepare you and condition you for yet greater blessings. As your Father, His purpose is your eternal happiness, your continuing development, your increasing capacity. His desire is to share with you all that He has. The path you are to walk through life may be very different from others. You may not always know why He does what He does, but you can know that He is perfectly just and perfectly merciful. He would have you suffer no consequence, no challenge, endure no burden that is superfluous to your good.

"To gain unshakable faith in Jesus Christ is to flood your life with brilliant light. You are no longer alone to struggle with challenges you know you cannot resolve or control yourself..."

Richard G. Scott, "Obtaining Help from the Lord," General Conference, October 1991.

Last night I was talking with one of the Elders serving in our ward.  He was just weighed down by some of the struggles which tend to accompany the work.  He asked me for guidance, and I think even just a word of encouragement may gave done the trick.  Unfortunately, being in a place where I'm struggling to find something positive in the same  things and people that are weighing him down, all I could say was, "while I wish I could say something to lift you up, there's not a whole lot of light at the end of my current tunnel, and I really have nothing to offer."  What a terrible way to feel, and what an awful place to be when you are so consumed by your perceived darkness, that you can't offer even a single lumen of light to someone else in need of it.

How opposite that is from Elder Scott's point that when we are living a life full of faith in Christ, we are flooded with light.  It's that light that illuminates the reality of what the Atonement was designed to do: to apply mercy to our burdens, to change us, to make us what we were designed to become, to help us see the hand that is always stretched out to take from us what He paid the price in Gethsemane to take from us.  There is no darkness in that truth.

Eternal Emotions

"One of the greatest of all God’s revelations is Father Lehi’s teaching that “men are, that they might have joy.” (2 Ne. 2:25.) Joy is more than happiness. Joy is the ultimate sensation of well-being. It comes from being complete and in harmony with our Creator and his eternal laws.

"The opposite of joy is misery. Misery is more than unhappiness, sorrow, or suffering. Misery is the ultimate state of disharmony with God and his laws.

"Joy and misery are eternal emotions whose ultimate extent we are not likely to experience in mortality...'

Dallin H. Oaks, "Joy and Mercy," General Conference, October 1991.

The finite perspective a lot of times can cause a person to beat themself up... For me, it actually gets me more frustrated when I feel unhappy. It's definitely cyclical in its nature.  Elder Oaks' point that while joy is the ultimate object of our existence, it is not even a fully accomplishable goal in mortality. It's both disappointing and encouraging at the same time, because while we can know what it is to be happy in this life, the condition is only a shadow of what that ETERNAL fullness of JOY has the potential to be.

On Revelation

'We do not always receive inspiration or revelation when we request it. Sometimes we are delayed in the receipt of revelation, and sometimes we are left to our own judgment. We cannot force spiritual things. It must be so. Our life’s purpose to obtain experience and to develop faith would be frustrated if our Heavenly Father directed us in every act, even in every important act. We must make decisions and experience the consequences in order to develop self-reliance and faith."

Dallin H. Oaks, "Revelation," Brigham Young University Devotional Address, Septemer 29, 1981.

About Forgiveness

"There are those among us who torture themselves through their inability to show mercy and to forgive others some supposed offense or slight, however small it may be... Such an attitude is destructive to an individual’s well-being. It can canker the soul and ruin one’s life. In other instances, an individual can forgive another but cannot forgive himself. Such a situation is even more destructive...

President Thomas S. Monson, "Mercy, the Divine Gift," General Conference, April 1995.

Once Again, On Hope

"We mortals have a limited view of life from the eternal perspective. But if we know and understand Heavenly Father’s plan, we realize that dealing with adversity is one of the chief ways we are tested. Our faith in our Heavenly Father and his beloved Son, Jesus Christ, is the source of inner strength. Through faith we can find peace, comfort, and the courage to endure. As we trust in God and his plan for our happiness with all our hearts and lean not unto our own understanding (see Prov. 3:5), hope is born. Hope grows out of faith and gives meaning and purpose to all we do. It can give us comfort in the face of adversity, strength in times of trial, and peace when we have reason for doubt or anguish."

M. Russell Ballard, "Answers to Life's Questions," General Conference, April 1995.

Joy in Trusting

"Your joy in life depends upon your trust in Heavenly Father and His holy Son, your conviction that their plan of happiness truly can bring you joy. Pondering their doctrine will let you enjoy the beauties of this earth and enrich your relationships with others. It will lead you to the comforting, strengthening experiences that flow from prayer to Father in Heaven and the answers He gives in return."

Richard G. Scott, "Finding Joy in Life," General Conference, April 1996.

Being Still

"...acknowledging God’s hand includes, in the words of the Prophet Joseph, trusting that God has made “ample provision” beforehand to achieve all His purposes, including His purposes in our lives (Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 220). Sometimes He clearly directs; other times it seems He merely permits some things to happen. Therefore, we will not always understand the role of God’s hand, but we know enough of his heart and mind to be submissive. Thus when we are perplexed and stressed, explanatory help is not always immediately forthcoming, but compensatory help will be. Thus our process of cognition gives way to our personal submission, as we experience those moments when we learn to “be still, and know that I am God” (Ps. 46:10)."

Neal A. Maxwell, "Swallowed up in the Will of the Father," General Conference, October 1995.

Setting the Pace for Qualifying for Exhaltation

"The Lord’s plan is to exalt you to live with Him and be greatly blessed. The rate at which you qualify is generally set by your capacity to mature, to grow, to love, and to give of yourself."

Richard G. Scott, "Trust in the Lord," General Conference. October 1995.

He Wants Your Happiness Even More Than You do

"Our Father in Heaven has invited you to express your needs, hopes, and desires unto Him. That should not be done in a spirit of negotiation, but rather as a willingness to obey His will no matter what direction that takes. His invitation, “Ask, and ye shall receive” (3 Ne. 27:29) does not assure that you will get what you want. It does guarantee that, if worthy, you will get what you need, as judged by a Father that loves you perfectly, who wants your eternal happiness even more than do you."

Richard G. Scott, "Trust in the Lord," General Conference,October 1995.

The Purpose of Agency

"Your agency, the right to make choices, is not given so that you can get what you want. This divine gift is provided so that you will choose what your Father in Heaven wants for you. That way He can lead you to become all that He intends you to be. That path leads to glorious joy and happiness."

Richard G. Scott, "Finding Joy in Life," General Conference, April 1996.

The Fruit of Keeping Covenants

"The fruit of keeping covenants is the companionship of the Holy Ghost and an increase in the power to love. That happens because of the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to change our very natures."

Henry B. Eyring, "Witnesses for God," General Conference, October 1996.