My Thought for the Day

As I've been thinking about what I should do when we move to Washington if I don't find a teaching job, I've considered many of the talents that I have (or want to have) and what I could do to develop them. At first, I approached the idea of developing these talents with enthusiasm and excitement. As I started thinking more about it, though, My thoughts were along these lines:

"So many people are better at these things than I am. My time would be better spent doing other things; these efforts will take me nowhere."

Typical, human thoughts to have, right? As I thought about them tonight, though, a question came to my mind: 

What is the purpose in developing talents? What is the end goal? And also, what is the end goal in me? In who I'm supposed to become?

What I realized when I stewed upon this question is that my previous train of thought was flawed. Why? I was using the world's logic. To the world, the end goal of developing talents is fame, power, and money. But what's the eternal end goal? 

The eternal end goal is to become someone special and wonderful and glorious. The eternal end goal isn't to settle for mediocrity, to consider yourself second-rate, or to always say to yourself: "That's reserved for them because I'm not good enough." NO! Ahead of each of us lies the opportunity to be equally blessed and talented and amazing. No one is left out. In essence, we can all be the best!

With a worldly perspective, it may not be worth the time to develop one's talents because it won't produce one of the three worldly desired products. But with an eternal perspective, we desire to be good and talented and wonderful because we believe that we are good and talented and wonderful, or at least that we are meant to be and are working on it. 

Celine Dion has surely accumulated a lot of happiness and fame and wealth from her singing career. But Celine's success should not take away from the triumph and success one feels when they finally feel like they can sing a hard piece well, or from the happiness and spirit that others feel when that individual shares their talent by singing a song in sacrament meeting, or from the peace and joy that one feels by becoming just a little bit more like the person God intends them to be through developing the talent God has given them.

I intend to start living a little bit more with this eternal perspective, now, as I consider what I want to do with my time and who I want to become. Of course there will always be people in this world who are so much better at the things I attempt than I am. But that doesn't mean that my efforts are wasted and my purpose is lost. There are lives I need to touch, the is a God I need to help, and there is a person I need to become. For these reasons, I will always strive to be the best I can be, and to inspire those around me to do the same.

My Ideology

This is all that really matters:

The church is true and I love being an active member of it.

I'm a daughter of God who loves me dearly and I love Him.

I have a Savior who died for me so that I can have the power to do impossible tasks and overcome my weaknesses.

Temples are vital.

Joseph Smith restored the true church and was a living prophet.

Thomas S. Monson is today's prophet and leads and guides God's church.

The scriptures are the word of God.

I can and want to talk to God through prayer.

People are innately good.

There is right and wrong.

I love and care about those I associate with; especially family, roommates, coworkers and classmates.

I like working hard because it helps me feel purposeful.

I like doing hard things because I love the feeling of triumph and achievement.

I love to serve because it makes me happy.

I love being happy because it feels good and helps me to put things into perspective.

I love taking care of my body because it gives me energy.

Being an amazing wife and mother is very important to me even though neither of these roles have yet become realities.

I'm getting a degree in English Teaching, but ultimately I want to be a homemaker.

I believe there is value in getting an education especially because I'm going to be a mother someday.

I like to be successful so that I can give back to God.

When I fail, I rely on the Atonement to get me back on my feet.

My life is a gift, my life has a plan.

I want to give my whole life to serving God, following His commandments and forwarding His work.

I want God to trust me and to use me as an instrument in His hands.

"This life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors."

Everything else is secondary to these uncompromising principles.

Up and Doing

"I am an old man!... I’m given to meditation and prayer. I would enjoy sitting in a rocker, swallowing prescriptions, listening to soft music, and contemplating the things of the universe. But such activity offers no challenge and makes no contribution. I wish to be up and doing. I wish to face each day with resolution and purpose. I wish to use every waking hour to give encouragement, to bless those whose burdens are heavy, to build faith and strength of testimony."   -President Gordon B. Hinckely

Today's a day to be happy. A day to serve a little more. Be a little more grateful. Look to God a little more frequently than we normally do. I want to help those around me to have a better day. I want people to feel noticed and loved because of the time I take to be with them. I want others to feel that I genuinely care about them--because I do. This life is not meant for easy, idle pursuits. We are meant to work. We are meant to serve. We are meant to give. We are meant to love. That's what I want to do with my time.

Who's on the Lord's Side? Who?

“Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad.”   -D&C 128:22

“Guided by the Holy Spirit, we will learn from our mistakes. If we stumble, we will rise. If we falter, we will go on. We will never waver; we will never give up. As a mighty brotherhood of the everlasting priesthood of God, we will stand together, shoulder to shoulder, focused on the principles of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and gratefully serving our God and fellowman with dedication and love.”   -President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, The Why of Priesthood Service, April 2012 General Conference

Now is the time to step up, unite together, and to be stronger and more determined than we ever have been before. Satan is not going to win. He may win at first. He may win today and tomorrow and many, many days after that; but I promise that he will not win in the end! He cannot win. We already know the outcome of the battle. It is not a question of who will win. God will win. It is instead a question of which side we will chose to fight for.

I chose to fight on God’s side. I want to throw in every last bit of energy I have proving myself and bringing forth good and helping lift up others and advancing the work of God. I want to be strong. I want to be steadfast and immovable. I want to be a solider for the Lord

I know that this church is the true church. I know that Joseph Smith saw God and Jesus Christ. I know that he restored the true church upon the earth. I know that he was a prophet. I know that the Book of Mormon is a true book because when I read it I feel closer to God and I receive inspiration and revelation for my life. I know that God’s priesthood power is once again upon the earth and that this power makes it possible for us to be sealed together as families in the Lord’s temples. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that He atoned for our sins, that He died and was resurrected for us, and that He lives and helps each of us daily today. I know that God lives. I know that He is our Father. I know that He knows each and every single one of us more perfectly than we know ourselves. I know that He desires us to succeed and to do well in this life so that we can return to Him. I know that He loves us with an immeasurable amount of love.

I want no one to doubt whose side I’m fighting on. I am for the Lord. He will uplift, and help, and strengthen us all as we dedicate ourselves to fighting more earnestly to serve one another and to become better brothers and sisters in the gospel.

Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who? Now is the time to show. We ask it fearlessly: Who’s on the Lord’s side? Who?

Goals, Motivations, and Aspirations

"While understanding the “what” and the “how” of the gospel is necessary, the eternal fire and majesty of the gospel springs from the “why.” When we understand why our Heavenly Father has given us this pattern for living, when we remember why we committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and a delight. It becomes precious and sweet."   -President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, "Forget Me Not", 2011 Relief Society Broadcast

Why I Do What I Do:

• So I can help others return to Heavenly Father
• So I can return to Heavenly Father
• So I can one day be happily married and raise righteous children
• So I can become a better person
• So I can learn
• So I can uplift others
• So I can be eternally happy
• So I can one day be like God
• So I can show Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that I love and care for Them and am grateful for all they do for me
• So I can go to the temple
• So I can have the Spirit's comfort and direction in my life

Desires I Have

• To love God and feel His love for me in return so that I can share His love with others
• To serve, uplift, and inspire people
• To be happy here and now
• To get married
• To have children
• To know, understand, and love the scriptures
• To graduate from BYU with an English teaching major
• To love, respect, and care for my body
• To love going to the temple
• To love, support, and help my parents and sisters
• To feel confident that I'm living the life God wants me to
• To return to live with my Heavenly Father for forever
• To have a firm relationship with my Heavenly Father and Savior here and now

My "To Be" List

• A good daughter
• A good wife
• A good mother and grandmother
• An avid scriptorian
• A helper
• A happy person
• A missionary
• A friend
• A disciple of Christ
• A humble person
• Someone who develops her talents
• Someone who loves being a girl and understands why that make me special
• Someone who knows the Lord and talks with Him multiple times a day
• Someone who wisely makes her own decisions and confirms them with the Lord 
• A person who understands the divinity which God has given me 

God's Greatest Desire

I gave a talk on Sunday and since then some of the things which I spoke about have been swimming around in my head. One of those things has to do with this quote from President Uchtdorf:

“God Himself said we are the reason He created the universe! His work and glory—the purpose for this magnificent universe—is to save and exalt mankind. In other word, the vast expanse of eternity, the glories and mysteries of infinite space and time are all built for the benefit of ordinary mortals like you and me. We have a spark of eternal fire burning within our breast. We have the incomprehensible promise of exaltation—worlds without end—within our grasp. And it is God’s great desire to help us reach it.”

The thing in this quote that I’ve been pondering on is the last part, where it says that God’s great desire is to help us. I think that as mortals we don’t often think of God as a being who has desires. We think of God as this all-powerful, all-knowing, amazing being—which He is—but I think this unconsciously leads us to think that He couldn’t desire anything because He already has it all.

But God does desire things. Yes—He is a god, but He is also a person. His being a god doesn’t erase His desires, it merely perfects them. And above all the things in the world which He could desire and want one of the things which He desires most of all is for us to return to Him.

Think of it! God has planets and stars. He controls the elements. He has the power to walk on water, turn water to wine, heal the blind, and raise the dead. He could obtain almost anything which we in our worldly mortal state desire—things, pleasure, fame, fortune, wealth, popularity, the perfect body, the perfect house, the perfect car, the perfect job—He has the power to obtain any and all of these things at the tip of His finger. And yet, what He desires above all of these things is, essentially, us. You and me.

How ironic it is, then, that this is one of the only things He can’t have with a wave of His hand. Because Heavenly Father loves us so much He gave us the gift of choice and accountability. He knew that the only way we could be like Him, the only way we could obtain the level of happiness which He has, would be to let us come to this earth and to mess-up, to make bad decisions, and to jeopardize ever being able to return to Him again. In a sense, when Heavenly Father gave us choice and accountability He also gave up the only sure way that He could have what He most ardently desires—our safe return to Him.

It is only us—the powerless—who have the ability to give God—the most powerful—what He desires most. We so often focus on how the bad choices we make will affect our lives and happiness. How often do we pause and think about how the bad choices we make will affect God’s life and happiness? How do our actions cause Him to worry that we will deprive Him of that sweet, perfect, selfless, god-inspired desire He has of having us return to Him? A desire which, in all actuality, benefits us countless times more than it does Him?

Would it hurt to spend a little more time in our daily lives putting off our own intents and desires and thinking instead of God’s? Would it hurt to, instead of thinking about what we can do to make ourselves happy, think of what we can do to make Him happy? The best part about doing so is that we benefit more than He does.

God loves us in such a perfect manner that above almost all other things, He desires us to return to Him. That is the reason for everything—for the galaxies that fill the skies down to the grains of sand that fill the earth. God loves us—there’s no denying that. Let us better show our love for Him by doing our best to return to Him.