More Diligent and Concerned at Home

I love listening to Elder Bednar. He speaks so that he cannot be misunderstood. I love this quote from his talk: "As disciples of the Savior, we are not merely striving to know more; rather, we need to consistently do more of what we know is right and become better." Did you notice that he repeated himself?

To me, quotes like this sum up the purpose of life so well. It reminds me of one of my all time favorite conference talks, Elder Oaks' talk, The Challenge to Become. In it, Elder Oaks teaches, "In contrast to the institutions of the world, which teach us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.", Then after referencing some scriptures about the final judgement he says, "From such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is an acknowledgment of the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become."

I like the concept that it's not what we do, how efficiently we do it, or how grand our acts are that really matter, it's what happens to our hearts in the process. I'm not expected to be more or do more than the Lord knows I am capable of; to run faster than I have strength. I am expected to let the things I do every day gradually and consistently change my nature until the Lord helps me achieve a celestial condition.

My thoughts on Elder Bednar's 3 points:

1. Expressing and Showing Love- One of my family members pointed out recently that I wasn't expressing love often enough. I was genuinely surprised; I hadn't even realized. In contrast, I felt like that family member expressed love sometimes without showing it. Both require an constant and consistent effort.

2. Bearing Testimony & Living It- I feel like I live true to my testimony, but I don't adequately verbalize my testimony to my family. To be honest, I'm not sure how to tie brief and frequent testimony moments into family life. I'm going to ponder this more.

3. Be Consistent- This section made me feel like I'm doing something right. Although our Family Home Evening, Family Scripture Study, & Family Prayer are often lacking in quality, we are consistent at doing them. Elder Bednar's talk made me feel like that consistency may do more good than I know. He said, "The consistency of our intent and work was perhaps the greatest lesson-- a lesson we did not fully appreciate at the time." and ". . .our consistency in doing seemingly small things can lead to significant spiritual results. 'Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.' (D&C 64:33) A consistent childhood is the foundation of a great life, isn't it?

And for final encouragement, "[Our Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son] love us and know our circumstances, and They will help us to become more diligent and concerned at home."

Up next: Stewardship a Sacred Trust by Elder Quentin L Cook