Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk was inspiring and uplifting and I loved it. I worry that it might be cast aside as “only for the youth” but I believe it is for each and every one of us. He may address the youth at times, but I know I needed this message as well.
There were so many favorite parts of his message. But I loved the message he shared right at the beginning about what he believed, the Savior would want us to know. This hit so close to my heart. The Savior wants us to know of His love for us! He wants us to see ourselves, the way He sees us. He wants us to know that with Him, we are limitless. He wants us to know that He is our strength. He wants us to know who we are – sons and daughters of God.
But no matter how much the Savior wants us to know those things, we have to take them in. We have to choose to believe Him. To choose to become everything that He wants us to become – everything that we are destined to become.
One thing that is probably very obvious to most, but that I have learned in recent years, is that there is simplicity in following the Savior. I am quite good at over complicating things – I don’t mean to be, but I can definitely be guilty of this from time to time. But being disciples of Jesus Christ should make our lives simpler and purposeful. Not purposeful in a “add more to your plate” kind of way, but in a “focused on what matters and putting all of your effort there” kind of way. Trusting in God, trusting in gospel truth, makes the decisions in my life clearer and easier to make.
An exciting part of Elder Uchtdorf’s talk was that he spoke of a new resource for EVERYONE. And I mean everyone. The Church has revised and made a new version of For the Strength of Youth. This is its purpose, “to point you to Him. It teaches you eternal truths of His restored gospel – truths about who you are, who He is, and what you can accomplish with His strength. It teaches you how to make righteous choices based on those eternal truths.”
Amazing, right?! This resource is such a blessing and I have loved spending time the last several weeks reading and pondering my feelings about it. I love how it is outlined. It is not a list of dos and don’ts. Instead it shares eternal truths, invitations, blessings, and questions and answers. It also shares the questions asked in the temple recommend interview. I love this. If your goal is the temple, there is no mystery about how to get there.
The Lord trusts us. And I find that statement both humbling and terrifying. We have so many resources at our disposal. In fact, I think it is pretty safe to say there has never been a time in the history of the world where we have had more information and resources at our fingertips. Now, he is asking us to take what we know, the kind of person we want to become, and apply that.
Follow the Savior and live the standards He has given. It is that simple. Don’t let the world make things murky.
I hope we can all take this new resource and embrace it. Every person every where.
Highlights
“If the Savior were here right now, what would he say to you?
I believe He would start by expressing His deep love for you.
He would ask you to repent – to leave your sins behind, to change, so He can forgive you.
Jesus might point out that your covenants with Him – made when you were baptized and renewed each time you partake of the sacrament – give you a special connection with him.
I believe the Savior Jesus Christ would want you to see, feel, and know that He is your strength. That with His help, there are no limits to what you can accomplish. That your potential is limitless. He would want you to see yourself the way He sees you. And that is very different from the way the world sees you.
The Savior would declare, in no uncertain terms, that you are a daughter or son of the Almighty God. Your Heavenly Father is the most glorious being in the universe, full of love, joy, purity, holiness, light, grace, and truth. And one day He wants you to inherit all he has.
It is the reason why you’re on the earth – to learn, grow, and progress and become everything your Father in Heaven has created you for.
To make this possible, He sent Jesus Christ to be your Savior. It’s the purpose behind His great plan of happiness, His Church, His priesthood, the scriptures – all of it.
That is your destiny. That is your future. That is your choice!
At the heart of God’s plan for your happiness is your power to choose.
The problem is that we don’t always see things as clearly as we would like to.
But when you earnestly seek the truth – eternal, unchanging truth – your choices become much clearer. Yes, you still have temptation and trials. Bad things still happen. Puzzling things. Tragic things. But you can manage when you know who you are, why you are here, and when you trust God.
[Truth] is contained in the gospel of Jesus Christ.
When you have important choices to make, Jesus Christ and His restored gospel are the best choice. When you have questions, Jesus Christ and His restored gospel are the best answer. When you feel weak, Jesus Christ is your strength.
He gives power to the weary; and to those who feel powerless, He increases strength.
They who wait upon the Lord will be renewed by His strength.
To help you find the Way and to help you make Christ’s doctrine the guiding influence in your life, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has prepared a new resource, a revised version of For the Strength of Youth.
It will be a significant help for making choices in your life. Please embrace it as your own and share it with your friends.
This new version of For the Strength of Youth is subtitled A Guide for Making Choices.
The best guide you can possibly have for making choices is Jesus Christ. Jesus Christ is the strength of youth.
The purpose of For the Strength of Youth is to point you to Him. It teaches you eternal truths of His restored gospel – truths about who you are, who He is, and what you can accomplish with His strength. It teaches you how to make righteous choices based on those eternal truths.
For the Strength of Youth focuses on the foundation for your choices. It focuses on values, principles, and doctrine instead of every specific behavior.
It is wrong to focus only on rules instead of focusing on the Savior. You need to know the whys and the hows and then consider the consequences of your choices. You need to put your trust in Jesus Christ. He will lead you the right way. He is your strength.
For the Strength of Youth is bold in declaring the doctrine of Jesus Christ. It is bold in inviting you to make choices based on Christ’s doctrine. And it is bold in describing the blessings Jesus Christ promises those who follow His Way.
Jesus Christ has very high standards for His followers. And the invitation to earnestly seek His will and live by His truths is the highest standard possible!
Jesus Christ is our perfect example. and we strive with all the energy of our soul to follow Him.
If the Savior were standing here today, He would express His endless love for you, His complete confidence in you. He would tell you that you can do this. You can build a joyful, happy life because Jesus Christ is your strength. You can find confidence, peace, safety, happiness, and belonging now and eternally, because you will find all of it in Jesus Christ, in His gospel, and in His Church.”
FULL text and video of Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk can be found HERE.
Other messages from the October 2022 General Conference that I have found particularly impactful:
- Overcome the World and Find Rest by President Russell M. Nelson
- The Doctrine of Belonging by Elder D. Todd Christofferson
- Our Earthly Stewardship by Bishop Gerald Causse
- Are You Still Willing? by Elder Kevin W. Pearson
- That They Might Know Thee by Elder Jonathan S. Schmidt
Also, if you click on the “Faith” tab you will find all of the messages I have done through the years.
