i don't usually do this, but while i'm updating i thought i'd share my talk i gave in sacrament meeting.
caleb and i both were assigned talks last week.
i need to have almost every word prepared, or my nerves get the most of me and i freeze.
my style is to write it out like an essay.
my nerves still got me a little and i talked too loud. sometimes my voice will go higher when i'm nervous, but this time it went louder. i blame the height of the microphone and that i practically have to scream all day during the week to be heard from my residents.
it was a good experience. as hard as it sometimes is, i'm very grateful for opportunities to serve in the church. heavenly father knows how i need to grow and i receive a deepened understanding and relationship with him.
my calling in teaching sunday school to the 14/15 year olds continues to be a good challenge.
so i'f you're in the mood for my perpective on Elder Randall K. Bennett's address "Choose Eternal Life", read on.
Introduce Us...
I was asked to focus my thoughts from a talk given at last fall’s General Conference by Elder Randall K. Bennett of the Seventy, entitled “Choose Eternal Life” .
Each of us is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents. We have a divine nature and destiny and are part of a great plan of happiness. An eternal principle central to this plan is agency. During our premortal life we used our agency to decide to follow the Savior’s plan and ultimately to come to earth. Here on earth, agency is still central to our destiny. We have been taught that the greatest thing we can receive after this mortal life is eternal life. So, I first ask, what is eternal life and why should we desire it?
We often hear the term, but what does it mean exactly to have eternal life? This phrase is used in the scriptures to define the quality of life that our Heavenly Fathers lives. It is different than immortality. Because Jesus Christ gave us the Atonement, everyone who has lived on this earth will automatically receive the gift of immortality or, to live forever as a resurrected being. Yet in addition to this, we have the potential to live in God’s presence and to continue as families. This gift is eternal life, or exaltation, and it is also made possible through the Atonement. But we must qualify to receive eternal life. How do we do this? From Elder Bennett’s talk we learn that our eternal destiny is not something left to chance. We choose our eternal destiny when we choose to follow the Savior daily.
There are two main choices we must make to receive eternal life. The first choice is to step onto the path of eternal life by deciding to be baptized. In 2 Nephi 31:17-18 we learn:
Wherefore, do the things which I have told you I have seen that your Lord and your Redeemer should do; for, for this cause have they been shown unto me, that ye might know the gate by which ye should enter. For the gate by which ye should enter is repentance and abaptism by water; and then cometh a bremission of your sins by fire and by the Holy Ghost. And then are ye in this astrait and narrow bpath which leads to eternal life; yea, ye have entered in by the gate; ye have done according to the commandments of the Father and the Son; and ye have received the Holy Ghost, which cwitnesses of the dFather and the Son, unto the fulfilling of the promise which he hath made, that if ye entered in by the way ye should receive.
When we choose to be baptized, we are ultimately choosing to become like Jesus Christ and to try to live in a way our Heavenly Father lives. It is a statement of commitment, a sacred covenant. The choice to be baptized states that we want to do what is asked of us by our Heavenly Father, and in return, he promises us we can receive his blessings. We renew this covenant each week when we partake of the sacrament with a pure, repentant heart. However, entering into sacred covenants is not all that is required.
The second choice we must make to receive eternal life much broader. We must stay on the path that leads to eternal life. 2 Nephi 31 continues in verses 19-20:
19 And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow apath, I would ask if all is bdone? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken cfaith in him, drelying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to esave. 20 Wherefore, ye must press forward with a asteadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of bhope, and a clove of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and dendure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eeternal life. Nephi tells us we must stay on the path to eternal life, pressing forward and enduring to the end. We often use the term “enduring to the end”, but what does it mean? Really, enduring to the end is everything else we choose between the decision to be baptized and when we return to live with Heavenly Father, receiving eternal life. Enduring to the end is a process that requires action. It is not simply waiting for the end to come. This is where everyday life comes into play and it seems to get very complicated. Daily, we are faced with choices. Prophet Thomas S. Monson taught, “I can’t stress too strongly that decisions determine destiny. You can’t make eternal decisions without eternal consequences”.
Amid all the choices we have, what do they ultimately mean? In 2 Nephi 2:27-29 Lehi tells us:
27 Wherefore, men are afree according to the bflesh; and call things are dgiven them which are expedient unto man. And they are free to echoose fliberty and eternal glife, through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to the captivity and power of the devil; for he seeketh that all men might be hmiserable like unto himself. 28 And now, my sons, I would that ye should look to the great aMediator, and hearken unto his great commandments; and be faithful unto his words, and choose eternal life, according to the will of his Holy Spirit; 29 And not choose eternal death, according to the will of the flesh and the aevil which is therein, which giveth the spirit of the devil power to bcaptivate, to bring you down to chell, that he may reign over you in his own kingdom. Elder Bennett puts this plainly. He says, “In reality we have only two eternal choices, each with eternal consequences: choose to follow the Savior of the world and thus choose eternal life with our Heavenly Father or choose to follow the world and thus choose to separate ourselves from Heavenly Father eternally.” We have the ability to either choose eternal life every day, or to not. When we make this choice, we are ultimately deciding whom to follow. The Savior taught us in Matthew: “No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.”
We live in a society that wants it all. We especially value our freedoms and our ability to choose. What we sometimes forget is that we don’t always choose the effects our choices have. Elder Bennett shared an experience he had with a grandchild. He said, “Recently one of our three-year-old granddaughters refused to eat her dinner. Her mother explained, “It’s almost bedtime. If you choose to eat dinner, you are choosing ice cream for dessert. If you choose not to eat dinner, you are choosing to go to bed now, without ice cream.” Our granddaughter considered her two choices and then stated emphatically, “I want this choice—to play and eat only ice cream and not go to bed.” This experience may seem rather cute to more mature adults. But how often do we want it both ways in our decisions? We know we ultimately want eternal life, but how easy it is to then become distracted by temptations that often seem so innocent, yet we still expect things to work in our favor? We cannot successfully choose both the safety of righteousness and the dangers of worldliness.
Elder Delbert L. Stapley of the Twelve shared a message in 1974 entitled “The Path to Eternal Life”. In it he said, “There are two great opposite forces at work in the world. One is the force of evil which takes away man’s agency, destroys freedoms, and makes the non-valiant a follower of Satan; which can only lead to unhappiness in life and eternal misery. The second is the force of God. This is the power to do good; to live righteously, to enjoy freedom of choice, and to be courageous, faithful followers of Christ through whom only is salvation and exaltation assured. We should determine whose side we are on and then have the courage, in spite of evil persuasion, to faithfully stay on the Lord’s side”.
While we know that ultimately we have two choices: choose eternal life or don’t choose eternal life, I find myself trying to cheat the eternal system. There are many different ways to “dabble in worldliness”. While pitfalls of sin and temptation may seem more obvious and easy to avoid, some choices are much more subtle than others. Sometimes the pressure of making choices keeps me from making a direct choice. Satan is the father of all lies, and he can convince us that standing back does no harm. Just as Heavenly Father knows us personally, Satan is also in tune with our strengths and weaknesses. He lets our apathy, laziness, insecurities, and fears hold us back from moving down the path of eternal life. I have found myself avoiding decisions when I am unsure which decision to make. Unfortunately, as much as we may lie to ourselves, standing still is still a choice. And like all choices, we can’t choose to stand still and not receive the consequences.
In my life, I have learned that this applies to big decisions and well as daily living. From a young age, I feel blessed to easily recognize and shun pitfalls of sin and have made many good decisions over the years. Yet, avoiding sin is not enough. We are required to be ‘anxiously engaged’ in good. Being anxiously engaged implies a certain amount of activity. It is too easy to become content and comfortable in our lifestyles, even if that lifestyle doesn’t involve obvious sins. Sometimes I stop or drag my feet in my progression. But when we become stagnant on the path to eternal life, we ultimately fall back or off the path. We deny ourselves the blessings and joy that comes from the growth of moving forward with faith.
Elder Randall K. Bennett said: “Brothers and sisters, in what we choose to think about, feel, and do, are you and I choosing eternal life?” I really like this quote. Again, it implies ongoing, daily action. Are you and I choosing eternal life? We know this life is a prohibition. A time to grow, gain valuable experiences, and become like our Savior. Choosing eternal life means we are becoming the person our Heavenly Father would have us be. He knows our potential and wants us to fulfill our eternal destiny. In fact, he tells us just how important this is to him. He said, “For behold, this is my work and my glory- to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man”.
We are counseled not to delay getting onto the path of eternal life, and then not to delay correction when we stray. We all face temptations, adversity, and pain. We all make mistakes. Repentance is also a choice. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has taught: “Small errors and minor drifts away from the doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring sorrowful consequences into our lives. It is therefore of critical importance that we become self-disciplined enough to make early and decisive corrections to get back on the right track and not wait or hope that errors will somehow correct themselves…The longer we delay corrective action, the larger the needed changes become, and the longer it takes to get back on the correct course—even to the point where a disaster might be looming.” Again, we should not waste the time we have on this earth to progress! I am a notorious procrastinator. I experienced somewhat of a personal euphony during college that I often need to remind myself of. After experiencing some difficult trials, I realized my procrastination had spilled into my spiritual life and current state of being. I prided myself in my eternal perspective. That trials and difficulties would not last forever. I needed only to endure them and then once they were over, I would receive my reward and experience joy. But what I discovered was while eternal perspective is important, it is also important to learn some things now. Like how to experience happiness. Last week President’s Uchtdorf’s talk was referenced to in which he spoke of not waiting for our “golden ticket”. While striving and hoping for our righteous desires and goals is good, we should not be so focused on them that we wait to experience happiness and lose out on becoming our best selves. When I began to realize this, a scripture in Alma 34:34-35 meant something more to me:
34 Ye cannot say, when ye are brought to that awful acrisis, that I will repent, that I will return to my God. Nay, ye cannot say this; for that same spirit which doth bpossess your bodies at the time that ye go out of this life, that same spirit will have power to possess your body in that eternal world. 35 For behold, if ye have procrastinated the day of your repentance even until death, behold, ye have become asubjected to the spirit of the devil, and he doth bseal you his; therefore, the Spirit of the Lord hath withdrawn from you, and hath no place in you, and the devil hath all power over you; and this is the final state of the wicked.
To me, this means more than simply choosing between sinning and not sinning. The choices we make add to the person we become. This life is not the end. When we leave this life, we are the same person we were in it. We don’t magically change into a more patient, kind, spiritual, or happy person. We must strive to become that person now. This may seem way too overwhelming and impossible. We are commanded to be perfect. But we also have been given the merciful gift of the Atonement. It makes up the difference. Jesus Christ, our Savior, has made it possible for us to receive eternal life. We can choose to repent when we fall short and continue on the path of eternal life.
Last, as we continue on the path of eternal life, we should evaluate our own choices and their consequences. Elder Bennett gave several points we can use for a tool of personal evaluation. They are Sunday school answers, but their simplicity has a huge impact on our daily living. We can ask ourselves:
*Am I seeking divine direction through daily scripture study, pondering, and prayer, or have I chosen to be so busy or apathetic that I don’t take time to study the words of Christ, ponder them, and converse with my Heavenly Father?
*Am I choosing to follow the counsel of living prophets of God, or am I following the worldly ways and the opposing opinions of others?
*Am I seeking the guidance of the Holy Ghost daily in what I choose to think about, feel, and do?
*Am I consistently reaching out to assist, serve, or help rescue others?
I want to bear my testimony that I know we are loved by our Heavenly Father. Agency plays an enormous importance in our eternal destiny. We have been given the tools, but God lets us choose. He wants us to be with him. This is made possible through choosing eternal life daily and ultimately through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know he is my Savior. I love this gospel and the avenue it provides to help us become better. I share these things with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
