I cannot even really begin to express how uplifting and inspiring the talks were for me. It has been a very emotional, difficult week for me and the calm, peaceful feelings of the Spirit were just what I needed to bring the week to a close. I thoroughly enjoyed every single talk. I especially loved President Uchtdorf's talk. He is just so kind, so gentle, so easy to listen to. Actually, I think I like the whole Presidency equally.
Sometimes, after these types of meetings, I come away feeling really overwhelmed at all the things I should be doing that I'm falling short at. I feel like I'm never going to be able to "make it" because I just can't get all the gears in motion at the right time, at the right speed and in the right direction! But this time, I came away feeling empowered. Feeling like I was on the right track and I just need to keep moving forward. I feel like I can do this! Like I can succeed!
If you weren't able to attend the broadcast, you can read about it here. And President Uchtdorf's talk is also at this link in it's entirety. I knew as soon as I heard him talking, that I was going to need to design something to go along with his talk. The designs were already rattling around in my brain. I wasn't surprised that I wasn't the only one as a few cute designs started popping up on Facebook. So, today I got to work! Hope you like it.
I think my favorite part of the whole talk was the section on the "why" of the gospel. I have always felt that understanding why we do the things we do is so important. Understanding why we do it, changes the way we do it! Whatever "it" is. I know that there have been times in my life that I have done something simply because it was the "right" thing to do. But I also have gone into it with a desire to understand the "why" behind the commandment, the task, or whatever "it" may have been. And I believe that because of my willingness to be obedient before I fully understood the "why" coupled with my desire to understand put me in a position where I was able to be blessed with a clearer understanding--a testimony--of the principle. I know that I could never had made it through some of the experiences that I have had without being blessed with a deeper understanding.
I fully believe that our Heavenly Father is preoccupied (as Elder Maxwell once put it) with one thing. And that is to "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (see Moses 1:39). Every trial, every blessing, every thing we experience is with that one goal in mind. While some days I lose sight of this goal and stumble, it is my goal also to be able to obtain "immortality and eternal life" and to help as many as I can to obtain it also!!
I hope that we can all remember to "forget not" these very important things that will help us and help those we are privileged to associate with as we move forward. Forward and never backwards. Onto "immortality and eternal life!"
