Daily Restoration

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf has been a long time favorite of mine. Something about him and how he teaches seems to resonate in a special way with me. And this talk was no different. Elder Uchtdorf spoke of how to be a better disciple.

I appreciated the study that Elder Uchtdorf shared about how we as humans really DO walk in circles when we do not have reliable landmarks. I know I have definitely felt like that at times. What I think is interesting is that we THINK we are moving forward, we think we are progressing, when in fact, we aren’t. And I think that is a little unsettling. It leaves me wondering how many times have I thought, maybe even with great confidence, that I am on the right path, when maybe I have deviated.

But Elder Uchtdorf shares the good news of it all. The Lord has provided us with so much to guidance. Sometimes I think we even take it for granted. I know there are times when I do. And that is when we veer off course. When we take those gifts for granted and lose sight of the importance of our own personal “daily restoration”.

I have learned how much I greatly rely on that daily restoration. My spiritual habits have improved a lot the last several years where I am having more times of daily restoration than not. And I think it is because of that, that I realize how much I rely on it. On those times when I haven’t taken the time to let God restore me, I feel it in my life – or rather, I feel the absence of it in my life. I so quickly find myself getting more agitated, less patient, more prone to think the worse of others, etc.

But I have always the morning. I am a morning person through and through. And one of the reasons I love the morning is there is so much opportunity in the day ahead. So even if yesterday was bad, there is opportunity for something different today. The Lord is always ready to forgive and to help us become new creatures in HIM. And I am so grateful to Him for that. And I am grateful for Elder Uchtdorf’s loving invitation to make a steady effort, every day.

Highlights

“Why do we have such a hard time walking in a straight line?

It is human nature: without reliable landmarks, we drift off course.

Most of the changes in our spiritual lives – both positive and negative – happen gradually, a step at a time…We may not realize when we veer off course…Without the help of landmarks to guide us, we inevitably deviate off course and end up in places we never thought we would be.

This is true for individuals. It is also true for societies and nations.

We have reliable visible landmarks that we can use to evaluate our course.

Surely they include daily prayer and pondering the scriptures and using inspired tools like Come, Follow Me. Each day, we can approach the throne of God in humility and honesty. We can ponder our actions and review the moments of our day – considering our will and desires in light of His. If we have drifted, we plead with God to restore us, and we commit to do better.

This time of introspection is an opportunity for recalibration. It is a garden of reflection where we can walk with the Lord and be instructed, edified, and purified by the written and Spirit-revealed word of our Heavenly Father. It is a sacred time when we remember our solemn covenants to follow the gentle Christ, when we assess our progress and align ourselves with the spiritual landmarks God has provided for His children.

Think of it as your personal, daily restoration…Just as minor deviations can draw us out of the Savior’s Way, so too can small and simple acts of realignment assuredly lead us back. When darkness creeps into our lives, as it often does, our daily restoration opens our hearts to heavenly light, which illuminates our souls, chasing away shadows, fears, and doubts.

As often as we ask, [God] will teach us the Way and help us follow it.

This, of course, takes a steady effort on our part.

We need an ongoing, daily infusion of heavenly light.

We need “times of refreshing.” Times of personal restoration.

Minutes and hours well spent are the building blocks of a life well lived. They can inspire goodness, lift us from the captivity of imperfections, and lead us upward to the redemptive path of forgiveness and sanctification.

We lift our voices in praise of our bountiful and forgiving God. For surely He is a God of new beginnings. The sublime end of all His labor is to help us, His children, succeed in our quest for immortality and eternal life.

We can become new creatures in Christ.

We all drift from time to time.

But we can get back on course. We can navigate our way through the darkness and trials of this life and find our way back to our loving Heavenly Father if we seek and accept the spiritual landmarks He has provided, embrace personal revelation, and strive for daily restoration. This is how we become true disciples of our beloved Savior, Jesus Christ.”

FULL text and video of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk can be found HERE.

Other messages from the October 2021General Conference that I have found particularly impactful:

The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation by President Russell M. Nelson
The Need for a Church by President Dallin H. Oaks
The Savior’s Abiding Compassion by Elder Ulisses Soares
The Greatest Possession by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland
Invite Christ to Author Your Story by Sister Camille N. Johsnon

Conference Round Up

I have loved studying the words of conference the last five months. They are a big part of that daily restoration that Elder Uchtdorf spoke of for me. It fills my Spirit and keeps me centered on my Savior. And for me, this is one way I share my testimony to my little corner of the world and hope to spread the sweet message of love from our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Honorable Mentions

Picking only six talks to share from General Conference was so hard though. There are so many incredible talks. So I am giving six “honorable mentions” to some others to make sure you give them a read and ponder.

“lovest thou me more than these?

This talk by President M. Russell Ballard was really powerful for me. He spoke of priorities and how they reflect our love of God.

“We must always remember that our true happiness depends upon our relationship with God, with Jesus Christ, and with each other.”

The Love of God

Elder D. Todd Christofferson spoke of LOVE. He said we must choose to love our Father in Heaven and Savior, to serve them, and keep their commandments.

“Our Father and Our Redeemer have blessed us with commandments, and in obeying Their commandments, we feel Their perfect love more fully and more profoundly.”

The faith to ask and then to act

President Henry B. Eyring spoke of revelation and faith. He taught that answers to your questions come to fit your needs and your spiritual preparation and that revelation comes in proportion to the degree that you have sought to live the gospel.

“The still, small voice – which is real – is clear and discernable in my mind when I feel an internal quiet and submission to the Lord’s will.”

Trust again

Elder Gerrit W. Gong spoke of trust. He spoke how trust becomes real when we do hard things with faith and how we can always put our trust in God.

“Our life journeys are individual, but we can come again to God our Father and His Beloved Son through trust in God, each other, and ourselves.”

becoming more in christ: The parable of the slope

Elder Clark G. Gilbert spoke of our divine nature. He taught that our future will be determined more by slope – the direction we are going in our lives and our ultimate potential is realized only when we make God our partner.

“We believe in the divine potential of all of God’s children and in our ability to become something more in Christ.”

With the Power of God in Great Glory

Elder David A. Bednar spoke of ordinances. He spoke of the purposes of missionary work and temple work and how they go hand in hand in the work of salvation and exaltation.

“[Jesus Christ] invites us to look to Him, come unto Him, learn of Him, and bind ourselves to Him through the covenants and ordinances of His restored gospel.”

Questions

There are so many things I love about my study of the messages shared in General Conference. One thing is that it has drawn my attention to the questions asked. I’ve made a list for each talk and am just going to throw them all down here. It’s been really beneficial for me to talk time to ponder these questions and reflect on my answers. Also, in case you are wondering, there are A LOT of questions asked during general conference!

Word of Warning: Reading and pondering all of these in one sitting would be like trying to drink from a fire hydrant. But I always try and go into conference with specific questions. If you are like me, you may find your question here, then go to that talk, and you will find your answer.

Is a “higher and holier” life something we can seek?
What is the key to contented, happy living?
Have you ever had that searching feeling, wondering if Heavenly Father knows who you are and if He needs you?
Who will I bring to Christ?
Can we look round about again as Jesus did, to make sure no one is missed and everyone is invited to come to know Him?
Will you pray and ask Heavenly Father how you can support your parents as they continue to come unto Christ?
How well do I love God?
Can [God] rely on my love as I rely on His?
Would it not be a worthy aspiration to live so that God can love us not just in spite of our failing but also because of what we are becoming?
Can we show some humility for circumstances we may not have created ourselves?
How can preaching the gospel and seeking after our dead both be the single greatest duty and responsibility God has placed upon us?
What would you talk about during lunch with the prophet?
Why did Jesus show Himself again to His disciples?
Do you know how completely God, our Heavenly Father, loves you?
Have you felt God’s love deep in your soul?
How can each of us know deep in our souls that great truth [that God loves us with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength]?
How can I show God’s love through my service?
How can we receive the transforming power of God’s love?
How can we know the difference between the difficulties associated with normal development and signs if illness?
What things do you ponder?
What things really matter to you?
What are the things of your soul?
What are the most important things I should know?
Isn’t it curious that loving ourselves seems to come less easily than loving others?
Why should we be of good cheer, and do not fear?
How, when challenges face us at every turn do we be of good cheer, and do not fear?
How to we react to our afflictions?
Do we murmur before the Lord because of our afflictions?
Do we feel thankful, in word, thought, and deed because we are more focused on our blessings than our problems?
Lovest thou me more than these?
Do the things of this world bring us the joy, happiness, and peace that the Savior offered to His disciples and that He offers to us?
What things can you do within your own life to show that you love the Lord first?
Why do some families receive a miracle, but others do not?
Is there no Balm of Gilead for me?
What are some of the things that we will do if our soul’s delight in the scriptures?
What does it mean for you to delight in the things of the Lord?
Isn’t is amazing how easily a positive and well-intentioned message can be misunderstood?
Doesn’t God love us despite our shortcomings?
In what way should I imitate Jesus Christ?
Why do we have such a hard time walking in a straight line?
Isn’t it interesting, how small, seemingly insignificant factors can make a major different in our lives?
What are these reliable, visible landmarks?
What kind of personal narrative are your writing for your life?
Is the path you describe in your story straight?
Does your story end where it began, at your heavenly home?
Is there an exemplar in your story – and is it the Savior, Jesus Christ?
Will you invite the Savior to be the author and finisher of your story?
What do you suppose keeps us from turning our stories over to Him?
Why are we sometimes resistant to asking for heavenly help through the Holy Ghost?
Why do we put off asking a question to which we do not know the answer when the witness not only is friendly but will always tell the truth?
Don’t we love the glorious culmination of a story we read when the protagonist overcomes the struggle?
Why do we want the Savior to be the author and finisher of our stories?
Will you let God be the author and finisher of your story?
Do you think that the people after the Savior’ visit to the America’s were unified because they were all the same, or because they had no differences of opinion?
What can I do to foster unity?
How can I respond to help this person draw closer to Christ?
What can I do to lessen contention and to build a compassionate and caring Church community?
What are some of the “works of righteousness” that will help us deal with disputations and lessen contention and find peace in this world?
How firm is your foundation?
What reinforcements to your testimony and understanding of the gospel are needed?
Have you ever felt like you are running from home?
How can you possibly endure the unique and sometimes debilitating suffering that comes to each of us?
How can trials and suffering – especially suffering imposed by another person’s sinful use of agency – ultimately advance God’s work?
How can you draw upon the power that Jesus Christ offers to succor you and strengthen you in times of suffering?
What happened in British cycling that has great relevance to our personal pursuit to be better daughters and sons of God?
Rather than being stymied by the churn and dramatic swings between sin and repentance, what if our approach was to narrow our focus – even as we broadened it?
Instead of trying to perfect everything, what if we tackled just one thing?
Could aggregating small but steady marginal gains in our lives finally be the way to victory over even the most pesky of our personal shortcomings?
Can this bite-sized approach to tackling our blemishes really work?
Will little adjustments work that “mighty change” that you desire?
Does this pocket-sized approach to repentance and real change really work?
Why now, when for many decades we had embraced the nickname “Mormon”?

Promises

As with the questions, I have also made a list of the promises given throughout conference. I love having these in one space and I find them comforting to read.

Honoring covenants arms us with righteousness and with the power of God in great glory
As you listen and follow the counsel of prophets, seers, and revelators, you will never be led astray. Never!
Blessings and joy are real and within reach for those who keep all the commandments and “him that seeketh so to do.”
Over time, the temple will become a place of safety, solace, and revelation.

Invitations

And, finally, invitations. I love these. I truly view them as invitations straight from God.

Listen for three things during conference – pure truth, pure doctrine of Christ, and pure revelation
Seek for the ministering of the Holy Ghost to help you hear what the Lord would have you hear during conference
Continually increase our faith in Christ
Consider the blessings promised to covenant-keeping disciples of Jesus Christ
Study the topic of mental health in the Life Help section of the Gospel Library app
Consider the seven “things of my soul”
Identify your own eight, nine, and ten
Be a part of Christ’s ministry
Have a permanent plan to study the scriptures
Be a follower of Christ
Share the gospel
Come, hear the words of God, and partake of His goodness
Be valiant in putting our love of God and discipleship of the Savior above all other considerations
Examine your life and see what’s stagnated or slowed you on the covenant pathway. Then look broader
Bring the miracles brought by the principles of ordinances of the gospel into your life
Be intentional about “looking down the road” and increase your focus on those things that really matter

Personal Application

This section is totally personal. After each talk I try and think about how I need to apply this message to my life. Obviously, everyone’s takeaway will be different. But these are mine that I want to remember and use moving forward in my life.

Feast on conference, focus on the pure and simple truths and learn how to apply them to my life
Ponder the question, “In what ways might I be holding back from the Lord?” Commit to making changes to be “all in” with the Lord and strengthen my relationship with Him.
Study my patriarchal blessing to find out what the Lord wants to tell me about who I am.
Compassion = A suffering with another; painful sympathy; a sensation of sorrow excited by the distress or misfortunes of another; pity, commiseration. <– Be like this. Leave the judgement to the Lord and be compassionate to others.
Choose to love my Father in Heaven and Savior more. Choose to serve them and keep Their commandments. Let them change me.
Continually strive for deeper faith, don’t relax in my testimony.
Make God my partner, be humble, and watch that my “slope” does not get stagnant.
Continue in my weekly worship and service in my calling; answer the question “why do I go to church?”.
Write down the covenants and promises I have made and ponder if I am doing my part; increase my efforts in family history and temple work.
Ask to know the will of the Father and trust that He knows what is best on how to become who He wants me to become.
Pray to be filled with God’s love for others and for myself.
Be kinder and less judgmental about mental health; be educated – study the topic in the Gospel Library app.
Make my own “things of my soul” list.
Open my eyes to see that the second coming is getting closer and align myself with the Savior.
Be thankful for my blessings and open my eyes to the needs of others.
Don’t overcomplicate things. Look for what I can do to help and serve others.
Priorities. Where am I putting my time and attention? Is it increasing my love and connection with the Savior and my family?
Begin ministering to the sister in my ward and look for opportunities to minister to others as well.
Rely on the Savior for healing – not just physically but spiritually. Trust Him.
Continue my study of the scriptures with Come Follow Me and my study of General Conference; Seek only that which invites the Spirit.
Change is good and necessary – but it takes time. Be patient with myself and invite God and Christ to help me.
Focus on humility – truly trusting in the Savior and knowing He has the answers and provides a way better than my own.
Continue to share my testimony on my blog and share monthly conference talks.
Prepare to receive revelation and be prepared to act on whatever the answer may be.
Create a time and space for daily restoration where I can check my course and realign myself with God.
Take some time to really ponder the questions asked in Sister Johnson’s talk and reflect on my answers. Ponder how I can support Mark and the children in their stories.
Focus on building relationships, look for common good, and assume the best in people.
Continue to try and live my life in the order that the Lord has provided for us.
Choose the Savior and follow Him to seek personal peace individually and as a family.
Prayerfully and consistently seek to understand temple covenants and ordinances.
Trust God. Trust with with my story AND trust others. Be less judgmental and assume the best intentions.
Change my perspective of sacrifice and be more aware and ACT on ways I can serve more.
Don’t give up! Have hope and faith and know you never walk alone.
Take time to examine what in my life needs improvement and go to working making those small but impactful changes.
Make the choice to have faith over doubt.
Teach my children the importance of the first principles of the gospel and the miracle they can be in their lives.
Ponder what my distractions are that can shift my focus and do daily things to realign myself.
Be bold in sharing the full name of the Church.
Make time for the Lord each and every day – He is your #1 priority.

Final Thoughts

I hope this space is always a special one. I hope it leaves you feeling uplifted. I use it as a journal for our family, but I also hope, it maybe a small way, something I share may inspire or help others feel the love of our Father in Heaven and Savior, Jesus Christ. Sending all my love out there as we all prepare to hear from our Prophet in a few short weeks.