'what we really desire, and how we rank our most important desires' Talk #16 - Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Saturday Afternoon Session
Welcome back friends! No guilt - no worries - we have all had a super busy summer of life.
Having the words of the Lord's apostles to feast upon is always a good idea though - so if you can make time this week to watch, read, or listen and just write out any thoughts you have had while absorbing this talk ... it would be wonderful to learn from each other!
Friends!
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this talk by Elder Oaks - I loved the simplicity of the message ... and the immense power behind it! Desire - I absolutely love the fact that we all do inherently have desires - and these desires shape our priorities, which shapes our choices which then shapes our actions ... which then define us - as by our works men will know us! This is further cemented by Elder Maxwell's quote of “Therefore, what we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity.”
So who am I - and what do I desire - and what will I become?
It really is powerful to think that we do control our own outcome - we decide what line we get in - I know that Jesus Christ has already sacrificed His life so that I might have EVERYTHING! It is now merely up to me to desire EVERYTHING! To put off sin, to desire to keep His commandments, remember Him, and desire to return to Him ... then with that as my desire my priorities will shift to Christ - my choices will be inline with His teachings and my actions will be that of a follower of Christ. Then I will be a follower and I will be in the line that He has offered to me to enter in for Celestial Glory! ... ooh I like this!
I also love the specifics given in the example of Enos praying .. And … after I had prayed and labored with all diligence, the Lord said unto me: I will grant unto thee according to thy desires, because of thy faith” (verse 12). Note the three essentials that preceded the promised blessing: desire, labor, and faith.
I appreciate knowing that I can get blessings and the formula to do so ... we must have a desire - like reading our scriptures or going to the temple ... we must work for it - do it ... and then have faith that reading or attending the Temple will bring us the blessing/comfort/happiness we are in search of. Then we are assured that it will!
This really gives me that extra push - that extra boost to have righteous desires - to labor righteously - and to have an increase in Faith! Maybe because it is Pioneer Day or because of this talk - but today I have desires to 'do hard things' to accomplish more and I hope to feed this desire into priorities/choices/and actions!
Lastly I am grateful for the scriptures, apostles, kind friends, and the Holy Spirit that encourages me to be amazing ... I love how Elder Oaks said 'When we have a vision of what we can become, our desire and our power to act increase enormously.' I am grateful for others - including my Father in Heaven - who help me see this vision of what I can become = because then I want it so much more!
I hope I can always be a source of strength for others - I hope I can help others always believe in themselves and I can never diminish the vision of who someone can become ... so that all around me will have an increased power and desire to act!
I love the Gospel and I love the ability to improve daily - that tomorrow can be better than today! I am grateful for the power of desire, labor, and faith! In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen!
If you have a chance today! I would love to hear your thoughts on this great 'simple' talk!
ReplyDeleteI have just loved the thoughts on desire - and reflecting on my desires ... This morning as I was reading in Galatians - I loved two verses Galatians 5:1 - "Stand fast therefore in the liberty wherewith Christ hath made us free, and be not entangled again with the yoke of bondage." This really makes me want to 'choose' to follow Christ and not follow lies of the adversary that will only lead me to 'entanglement as a slave to sin' yuck!
Then I loved Galatians 6:8 - "For he that soweth to his flesh shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the Spirit shall of the Spirit reap life everlasting."
Paul is telling us here that desires yield actions ... what we think in our heart - we will follow through and do.
Love it!
Further desire to think good things and give my energy and attention to righteous thoughts and move away from sin and desire to follow sin! I love truth and love being taught by the scriptures, this great talk by our apostle, and the Holy Ghost!