Heartfelt All

 

Our Heartfelt All

By Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

In praising this faithful widow, the Savior gave us a standard to measure our discipleship in all of its many expressions. Jesus taught that our offering may be large or it may be small, but either way, it must be our heartfelt all....

Don’t look at your feet.

Look ahead.

Keep your eyes on the road in front of you. Focus on your destination. And get pedaling. Staying balanced is all about moving forward.

Similar principles apply when it comes to finding balance in our lives as disciples of Jesus Christ. How to distribute your time and energy among your many important tasks will vary from person to person and from one season of life to another. But our common, overall objective is to follow the Way of our Master, Jesus Christ, and return to the presence of our beloved Father in Heaven. This objective must remain constant and consistent, whoever we are and whatever else is happening in our lives....

Just as forward momentum keeps a bicycle balanced and upright, moving forward helps an aircraft overcome the pull of gravity and drag.

What does this mean for us as disciples of Jesus Christ? It means that if we want to find balance in life, and if we want the Savior to lift us heavenward, then our commitment to Him and His gospel can’t be casual or occasional. Like the widow at Jerusalem, we must offer Him our whole souls. Our offering may be small, but it must come from our heart and soul....

As we seek to purify our lives and look unto Christ in every thought,¹² everything else begins to align. Life no longer feels like a long list of separate efforts held in tenuous balance.

Over time, it all becomes one work.

One joy.

One holy purpose.

It is the work of loving and serving God. It is loving and serving God’s children.¹³

When we look at our lives and see a hundred things to do, we feel overwhelmed. When we see one thing—loving and serving God and His children, in a hundred different ways—then we can work on those things with joy.

This is how we offer our whole souls—by sacrificing anything that’s holding us back and consecrating the rest to the Lord and His purposes.

Safety of the Fold

Come into the Fold of God

By Elder Randy D. Funk

Of the Seventy

Alma’s baptismal covenant invitation to those gathered at the Waters of Mormon begins with this phrase: “Now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God.”⁵

A fold, or sheepfold, is a large enclosure, often constructed with stone walls, where the sheep are protected at night. It has only one opening. At the end of the day, the shepherd calls the sheep. They know his voice, and through the gate they enter the safety of the fold.

Truly in Awe of Jesus Christ

 

In Awe of Christ and His Gospel

By Elder Ulisses Soares

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

My brothers and sisters, when we truly are in awe of Jesus Christ and His gospel, we are happier, we have more enthusiasm for God’s work, and we recognize the Lord’s hand in all things. Additionally, our study of God’s words is more meaningful; our prayers, more intentional; our worship, more reverent; our service in God’s kingdom, more diligent. All these actions contribute to the Holy Spirit’s influence being more frequent in our lives.⁵ Thus, our testimony of the Savior and His gospel will be strengthened, we will keep Christ alive in us,⁶ and we will live our lives “rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, … abounding therein with thanksgiving.”⁷ When we live in this way, we become more spiritually resilient and protected against falling into the trap of spiritual apathy.

Such apathy is characterized by the gradual loss of our excitement to engage fully in the Lord’s gospel. It generally begins when we are feeling that we have already attained all the necessary knowledge and blessings for our happiness in this life. This complacency, so to speak, causes us to take the gospel gifts for granted, and from then on, we run the risk of neglecting both our regular immersion in the essentials of the gospel of Jesus Christ⁸ and the covenants we have made. Consequently, we gradually distance ourselves from the Lord, weakening our ability to “hear Him,”⁹ becoming indifferent and insensitive to the greatness of His work. Doubt regarding the truths we have already received may enter our mind and heart, making us vulnerable to the enemy’s temptations.¹⁰

Pastor Aiden Wilson Tozer, a renowned writer and valiant Christian, wrote, “Complacency is a deadly foe of all spiritual growth.”¹¹ Wasn’t this exactly what happened to the people of Nephi shortly after the birth of Christ? They “began to be less and less astonished at a sign or a wonder from heaven, … [disbelieving] all which they had heard and seen.” Thus did Satan “blind their eyes and lead them away to believe that the doctrine of Christ was a foolish and a vain thing.”¹²

My beloved brothers and sisters, in His perfect and infinite love and knowing our human nature,¹³ the Savior has established the way for us to avoid falling into the trap of spiritual apathy. The Savior’s invitation gives us a broader perspective, especially considering the complex world in which we live: “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.”¹⁴ As we accept the Savior’s invitation, we demonstrate our humility, our desire to be teachable, and our hope to become more like Him.¹⁵ This invitation also includes serving Him and ministering to God’s children “with all [our] heart, might, mind and strength.”¹⁶ At the core of our effort in this journey are, of course, the two great commandments: to love the Lord our God and love our neighbor as ourselves.¹⁷

This type of behavior is part of Jesus’s divine character and was evident in everything He did during His earthly ministry.¹⁸ Therefore, when we intentionally and truly dedicate ourselves to look unto Him and learn from His perfect example,¹⁹ we come to know Him better. We grow in enthusiasm and desire to incorporate into our lives the ultimate standard of how we should live, the example we should set, and the commandments we should follow. We also gain additional understanding, wisdom, divine character, and grace toward God and our neighbors.²⁰ I can assure you that our ability to feel the Savior’s influence and love will be intensified in our lives, magnifying our faith, our desire to act righteously, and the motivation to serve Him and others.²¹ In addition, our gratitude for the blessings and challenges we experience in mortality will solidify and become part of our true worship.

What is the Holy Ghost Teaching Me As I Read These Chapters?

 

Conversion Is Our Goal

By Mark L. Pace

Sunday School General President

To be most effective, your experiences with the scriptures must be your own.⁵ Reading or hearing about another person’s experiences and insights can be helpful, but that won’t bring the same converting power. There is no substitute for the time you spend in the scriptures, hearing the Holy Ghost speak directly to you.

What Is the Holy Ghost Teaching Me?

Each week when I open my Come, Follow Me manual, I write this question at the top of the page: “What is the Holy Ghost teaching me this week as I read these chapters?”

As I study the scriptures, I ponder that question over and over again. And without fail, spiritual impressions come, and I make note of them in my manual.

Become Sanctified When We...

 “The scriptures teach us that among other things, we can be sanctified or become more holy when we exercise faith in Christ, demonstrate our obedience, repent, sacrifice for Him, receive sacred ordinances, and keep our covenants with Him. Qualifying for the gift of holiness requires humility, meekness, and patience.”

President Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor in the First Presidency, “Holiness and the Plan of Happiness,” Liahona, Nov. 2019, 100–101.

Open the Heavens

 President Nelson taught about the importance of consistency in these efforts: “Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work.”

Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Liahona, May 2018, 95.

Do Something Good

 

Becoming Doers of the Word

By the Sunday School General Presidency

Brother Newman: Like the Savior, we can go about doing good. As you follow His example of service, it will become a part of who you are. I had a perfect example of that in church one Sunday. I was there by myself because my wife was ill. As I sat down, the person behind me said, “Where’s your wife?” I said, “She’s not feeling very well.” He said, “Can we bring you something for dinner tonight?” I said, “Don’t worry. It’s taken care of.” He said, “Then we’ll bring something tomorrow.” And they brought us dinner.

Without any prompting, these neighbors did something good, because that’s who they are. When we’re disciples of Christ and we see someone in need, we don’t say, “Well, they probably have everything covered.” We do what we can to help.

Christmas Traditions Around Christ

 

Seeking Christ in Our Christmas Traditions

By Larry and Lisa Laycock

We decided to see what all of our Christmas traditions and decorations could teach us about Jesus Christ.

Tree illustration by David Green

Prophets and apostles have taught us to always seek Christ “but especially at this time of the year—Christmas.”¹ Years ago our family spent an entire Christmas season attempting to do this.

We decided that year to “put on” our spiritual eyes and ears to see and hear testimonies of our Savior in everything Christmas. Here are just a few of the testimonies of Christ that we discovered. We hope that you and your family will discover your own insights as you choose to see and hear Him in your Christmas traditions.

Christmas trees: In the familiar Christmas tree tradition, we found evergreen boughs that triumph over the death of winter. They testify of everlasting life, the Resurrection, and the Atonement of Jesus Christ. The Christmas tree reminded us of the tree of life that grows true, or straight, heavenward—seeking light. This caused us to ask ourselves, “Do we do the same?” Our Christmas tree became a treasured gathering place to reflect upon how we can point our lives heavenward by staying on the covenant path.

Christmas lights: In Christmas lights, we found a reminder that Jesus is the Light of the World and that by His light, we are able to find our way back to our heavenly home. With this in mind, every Christmas light we enjoyed became a bright reminder of our Savior.

Christmas stars: Christmas stars reminded us that wise men and women follow the light of truth in their search for Jesus Christ. Just as the Wise Men of old followed a star’s guiding light and found the Christ child (see Matthew 2:9–11), we too can be equally blessed as we choose to follow the spiritual light of the gospel that illuminates the covenant path of discipleship, guiding us home to eternal life.

Christmas wreaths: The holly wreath reminded us that Jesus will one day return to earth to reign as King of kings, and we began to see that a wreath-like “crown of righteousness” awaits those who keep their faith in Jesus Christ (see 2 Timothy 4:7–8).

Baked treats: Baked goods and treats reminded us that Jesus describes Himself as “the bread of life” (John 6:35) and that the name of Jesus’s birthplace, Bethlehem, actually means “house of bread.” When we give or receive baked Christmas goodies, we think of Jesus, the Bread of Life, and His willingness to sustain us and take our burdens upon Himself. He provides warm and comforting relief through forgiveness.

Candy canes: The beautiful white color of these unique Christmas treats brought Christ’s purity to our mind. The curved shape caused us to think of the shepherd’s crook and how Jesus is the Good Shepherd, who will watch over and protect us, His sheep (see John 10:11–12, 14). The sweetness of the candy reminded us to never substitute evil for good—or bitter for sweet, as Isaiah warns will happen in the last days (see Isaiah 5:20).

Our family’s experiment to seek Christ in everything Christmas richly rewarded us in unexpected ways. We found witnesses of Christ all around us, even in customs such as Christmas stockings, Santa Claus, and Christmas pajamas. We did the spiritual work necessary to see and hear witnesses of Jesus throughout the entire Christmas season.

Intentionally seeking Christ in Christmas continues to add significance and splendor to the way we celebrate the season. We hope that as you seek Christ in Christmas, the Spirit will guide you to the testimonies that Heavenly Father wants to teach you and your family.

We testify that choosing to intentionally “rivet our focus on the Savior”—as President Russell M. Nelson encouraged us to do during the 2020 First Presidency Christmas devotional²—invites the Spirit and helps us to become more content to linger among the cherished sights, sounds, smells, tastes, and testimonies of Christmas.

The authors live in Utah, USA.

Godly Sorrow vs. Worldly Sorrow

 Worldly Sorrow vs. Godly Sorrow

“Worldly sorrow pulls us down, extinguishes hope, and persuades us to give in to further temptation.

“Godly sorrow leads to conversion and a change of heart. It causes us to hate sin and love goodness. It encourages us to stand up and walk in the light of Christ’s love. True repentance is about transformation, not torture or torment. Yes, heartfelt regret and true remorse for disobedience are often painful and very important steps in the sacred process of repentance. But when guilt leads to self-loathing or prevents us from rising up again, it is impeding rather than promoting our repentance.”

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “You Can Do It Now!,” Liahona, Nov. 2013, 56.

Create Your Own Family Storybook

 Those Who Acted in Faith in Their Savior

“‘Tell me a story’ is a frequent request from children. While fictional stories and fairytales can be fun to share, consider instead telling your children stories that show faith in Jesus Christ and stories that connect them to their noble ancestors. Years ago, Kristen and I decided to create our own family storybook, filled with accounts from our extended families and ancestry. We love reading from it with our family.

“We invite you to create your own compilation of examples from your family history of those who acted on their faith in the Savior, in His leaders, and in the principles of His gospel. You might pull stories from talks or family histories, or even just stories you heard growing up. Document them, and share them. Doing so can help you and your family turn your hearts to your ancestors.”

President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, Facebook, Jan. 14, 2021, facebook.com/dallin.h.oaks.

Sanctified, Grace by Grace, to have the Attributes of Christ

 

Brothers and Sisters in the Lord

By Elder Gerrit W. Gong

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

We can be sanctified as, grace by grace, we learn and make our own the attributes of Jesus Christ—to love more fully, forgive more easily, judge less readily, serve and sacrifice more willingly, exemplify compassion more deeply and more often.