As we so excitedly accept the challenges given to us by the Prophet, let us also please remember the purposes of the challenges. Pres Nelson didn't ask us just to give up Facebook, he has also asked us as part of that to "fast from social media and any other media which may produce negative and impure thoughts. Notice and record changes, experiences and impressions during this time. The effect of your 10-day fast may surprise you. We need to act with thoughtfulness." Pres Nelson invited us to pray about and use our intuition and inspiration to know what things to remove during this 10 day fast. Not only are we to leave Facebook behind, but to also increase our ability to discern direction from the Spirit and be agents unto ourselves of what we should have in our lives and what we do not want in our lives.
Next he asked us to read the Book of Mormon between today and the end of the year. He acknowledged that this might feel impossible, but as we tried with full purpose of heart we would have the help of heaven to accomplish this task and receive increased inspiration, revelation and miracles bringing us closer to the Savior. He asked us to mark each verse which refers to the Savior. This tells me that this isn't about a mad dash through the Book of Mormon, this isn't about a sticker chart showing your rapid progress through the Book. In my mind this is an invitation to deep dive into this "Another Testament of Jesus Christ" this is an invitation to invite him deeply into our lives and help us mold our lives to be more like Him, so that when He comes again we will recognize Him because we will be like Him. Did you notice in this conference the emphasis on preparing for the coming of the Savior, it seems that every challenge offered by Pres Nelson was rapidly followed up with the explanation we must prepare the world for the Savior's coming. I feel an urgency for preparation, it comes in a call to be more aware of our fellow man, it comes from the emphasis on helping others in their tribulation, the last days are a time of tribulation...it would be an interesting exercise to go through conference and count how many times speakers used the term tribulation or trial.
The Savior Jesus Christ through His called prophet is asking us to prepare to meet Him, as we take these challenges from the mouth of a prophet, will we do them just because we were asked (which obedience is fantastic) or are we doing them because this is an invitation to come closer to our Savior? All the changes announced this year are a call to align with the Savior and a call to do more, we can no longer do the bare minimum, what is asked of us is to fulfill the full measure, to be all in, to obey and become with all our heart, might and mind. I'm not saying this is easy, I'm not saying I am all in, I spent a lot of conference struggling just to adjust my attitude so that I could receive what the Lord needed me to learn. It wasn't until I went inward and asked what was wrong, that I realized I was approaching conference from the wrong direction. I felt so overwhelmed by the emphasis on serving and ministering and loving that I felt like I was already stretched thin, I already felt like I was on empty, how could a loving Lord ask me to do more when I already felt like I was on the verge of giving up. It was going inward that the Lord told me I was already doing what was being asked of us, I just need to continue in my efforts, rejoice in the good that I am doing and continue inviting the Spirit into my life to continue my efforts. I have a feeling this is true for most of us. Conference wasn't meant as a list of brand new things to do, but instead to just continue improving and trying and rejoicing in the good we can do.
Dale G Renlund said that Heavenly Father doesn't just want us to do what is right, He wants us to choose what is right. He wants us to choose the family business, to become like He is. I would guess that Heavenly Father isn't just interested in who says good-bye to Facebook for a time or who reads the Book of Mormon, who increases temple attendance, and fully participates in Relief Society. He asked us to do these things because He knows they will bring great blessings into our lives. I also think that He knows we will come even closer to Him as we prayerfully ask who we might serve, when we ask "Lord what might I do to help thee in thy work?" Participating in these challenges will increase the Spirit in our lives, then it is up to us to choose to obey when the challenges are complete and to do all that Heavenly Father has for us. Wee are each unique and have an important role to fulfill, we can only do that when the Spirit is a constant companion in our lives.
As I already mentioned, I'm not saying that this will be easy, I'm not saying that I already know how to do what was asked of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, but I know that when the doubts filled my mind about how in the world I was going to add 6.72 pages of the Book of Mormon into each day, or where more temple fit into my life or how a primary teacher was supposed to participate fully in Relief Society or how someone so filled with anger could love as I should, I realized none of those things really mattered. What mattered is that the Prophet of the Lord, His mouth piece in these latter days, asked me to do these things. I chose to believe that because the Lord asked me to do these things I would be all in to do them. Like Nephi, I know that "the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them."
He will provide a way and I can only imagine who I will become and who we will all become as we choose to follow our Prophet, Seer and Revelator in these the latter days.
No comments:
Post a Comment