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Ether 2:12 “Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.”
On Memorial Day, our minds reflect on the examples of those whose lives were living proof of this scripture. Those reflections should be motivation for us all to do a little bit more to make sure our lives are centered on our Savior. What more can we do? A careful study of the scriptures can reveal to us some of Satan’s game plan and give great advice on how we, through centering our lives on the Savior, can not only avoid deception, but become who our God is counting on us to be. For example Joseph Smith- Matthew 1 warns, “For in those days [this day] there shall also arise false Christs, and false prophets, and shall show great signs and wonders, insomuch, that, if possible, they shall deceive the very elect, who are the elect according to the covenant.” This makes it clear that having made covenants is not enough. We must always be KEEPING OUR COVENANTS in order to not be deceived and to continue to enjoy the blessings of this land. It is good to be grateful for those who have gone before us. It is even better for us to show that gratitude by doing our part NOW. At graduation ceremonies, there are often people asked to speak and give advice to the new graduates. At commencement ceremonies at universities, this especially is the case. This spring Charlie Denson, president of Nike brand, spoke at Utah State, Civil Rights Activist and religious leader Rev. France A. Davis, spoke at University of Utah, General Authority Seventy Elder Patrick Kearon spoke at BYU, and local philanthropist Jeanne Hall spoke at Weber State University. I am sure all of them gave incredibly fantastic advice, but what if you could have your Book of Mormon hero speak at your graduation?
I came across an entertaining article today about that. My favorite was the idea of having Alma the Younger speak. What do you imagine he would say? How about, “Don’t let yesterday take up too much of today. You can’t start the next chapter of your life by re-reading the last one.” Remember Alma the Younger was a bit of a wild teenager who made some pretty bad decisions in his youth, but luckily there was another chapter to Alma’s life, a pretty incredible chapter that never would have happened if he would have sat back and thought that he wasn’t worthy because he had messed up in the past. When you graduate high school, you are going to learn something pretty quickly… nobody will care very much who you were in high school. They won’t care if you were the shy one, the popular one, the star athlete, or the sluffer. It is a new chapter and it is yours to write as you go along. Do not sell yourself short because you made some mistakes in the past. And do not think that the world owes you something because you were a high school “legend.” You decide who you want to be, and be it. Here is some direct advice from Alma the Younger, “I swear unto you, that inasmuch as you shall keep the commandments of God ye shall prosper in the land.” To read the entire “commencement speech” of Alma the Younger, see Alma 36. |
AuthorThis blog is inspired by The Life of Our Lord, by Charles Dickens. Dickens hoped to teach his children about religion and faith. He wrote the book strictly for his children with zero desire to have it published, but it was later shared with others that it might stand as a source of light in a darkening world. It starts, "My Dear Children, I am very anxious that you should know something about the History of Jesus Christ. For everybody ought to know about Him..." Archives
May 2021
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