Dear Brothers and Sisters, I was asked
to give a talk based on President Thomas S. Monson’s talk “Believe, Obey and
Endure.” The essence of the talk is that
the most important thing we can do is remain faithful to the gospel. We stay strong by persevering.
He gives an example of a girl who
remained true to the gospel and was shunned by all of her friends as a
result. For many months she was alone
and it was a very hard, long and difficult time for her. Keeping true to the gospel resulted in hardship
and pain for her, but in the long run it made her life better and more true.
There is a lot of outside pressure on us
that begins early, builds when you are a teenager and never really stops. Pressure to act popular, to shun others and
to not follow the standards of God.
There are always pressures to give up the celestial for the world.
We begin by believing. It is the keystone. You can’t do anything else if you don’t
believe. Belief is the first principle
of the gospel. If you believe it can
help you in your perseverance and give you a reason to hold on.
The Article of Faith that applies is the
fourth article of faith:
4 We believe that the first principles and aordinances of the Gospel are: first, bFaith in the Lord Jesus Christ; second, cRepentance; third, dBaptism by eimmersion for the fremission of sins; fourth, Laying on of ghands for the hgift
of the Holy Ghost.
Next, we have to keep believing:
To quote President Monson:
I have spoken over the years with many individuals who
have told me, “I have so many problems, such real concerns. I’m overwhelmed
with the challenges of life. What can I do?” I have offered to them, and I now
offer to you, this specific suggestion: seek heavenly guidance one day at a
time. Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch. Each of us can be
true for just one day—and then one more and then one more after that—until
we’ve lived a lifetime guided by the Spirit, a lifetime close to the Lord, a
lifetime of good deeds and righteousness. The Savior promised, “Look unto me,
and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end
will I give eternal life.
So,
we must endure. We preserver and we do
it just one day at a time.
What
do we do one day at a time? We
obey. To quote President Monson:
Next, young women, may you obey. Obey your
parents. Obey the laws of God. They are given to us by a loving Heavenly
Father. When they are obeyed, our lives will be more fulfilling, less
complicated. Our challenges and problems will be easier to bear. We will
receive the Lord’s promised blessings. He has said, “The Lord requireth the
heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of
the land of Zion in these last days.”2
In addition to obeying, we can
repent. If we miss a day, if something
doesn’t go right, we can be kind to ourselves and turn to God and repent,
starting over and doing the next right thing.
We look with hope to the future.
As President Monson pointed out in his talk:
If any has stumbled in her journey, I promise you that
there is a way back. The process is called repentance. Our Savior died to
provide you and me that blessed gift. Though the path is difficult, the promise
is real. Said the Lord: “Though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white
as snow.”4 “And I will remember [them] no more.”5
This will bring us to where we need
to be, to the things that will make us truly happy and home to our heavenly
parents. To repeat what President Monson
said:
I have spoken over the years with many individuals who
have told me, “I have so many problems, such real concerns. I’m overwhelmed
with the challenges of life. What can I do?” I have offered to them, and I now
offer to you, this specific suggestion: seek heavenly guidance one day at a
time. Life by the yard is hard; by the inch it’s a cinch. Each of us can be
true for just one day—and then one more and then one more after that—until
we’ve lived a lifetime guided by the Spirit, a lifetime close to the Lord, a
lifetime of good deeds and righteousness. The Savior promised, “Look unto me,
and endure to the end, and ye shall live; for unto him that endureth to the end
will I give eternal life.”6
I leave you with this message in the
Name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
_____
Dad did typing, Rachel did the writing. She also did the editing as she has pretty strong ideas.
Honestly, I was very pleased with not only how she put the talk together, but how she presented it to the congregation after the sacrament had been passed (and with her giving me permission to share it on-line).