Wednesday, December 4, 2013

No, there's too much, let me sum up!

There is too much. No other way to describe how I am feeling right now. The biggest things I want to touch on are really scattered, but I hope the connections are okay. I also only have about 20 minutes right now, but that's okay. The next time you hear from me, I will be in the Windy City itself! Pretty awesome right?

Okay let's start with this. There was a General Conference talk that was given by Pres. Uchtdorf in October 2011 entitled "You Matter  to Him", 
  • www.lds.org/ensign/2011/11/you-matter-to-him?lang=eng
and I would suggest that everyone read it. I have used it so many times this week, it is phenomenal really. I can't even cover everything I want to say about that talk in this time, so I'm just going to ask you to read it, and study how it can be applied to you. In this case, I'm just providing information, it's up to you to get the revelation! Good luck, and I would love to hear your thoughts on it.

The second thing is about the idea of an "Average Life". I hate that idea. In Abraham chapter 3 it talks about you and me. It tells us that we were among the noble and great ones in the pre-existence, and destined to remain as such. We were destined for much more than an average life. So always live in such a way that your life can be recorded as "noble and great". 

The last that I wanted to touch on, and the last I really have time for, is something I heard in a talk given by Elder Bednar a few years ago. He was talking about people who talk about their ancestors and the wonderful things that they have done, and how they know the church is true because of those ancestors, but I would invite you all to think about it more generally. I would invite you to think about this phrase when in any situation. "That's great, and what have you done lately?" The purpose behind this quote was not to demean or chastise those who are proud of their heritage, or even of their parents or friends. The purpose was to invite people t more actively live our religion. We need to be living our lives so that we are our own source of example and testimony, (besides the Savior of course) and that we don't use others as a crutch or need to rely on them for their testimony. I also invite everyone to live their lives in that same way.

I love you all, but my time is out.

Talk to you next week!
-Elder Gifford

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