I have a problem.... well maybe its not a problem but it is a definite obsession. Conference talks! It all started during the hardest part of my when I felt 3,000 % alone a new missionary and one P-day the Office Elders were ready to dump 100 Ensigns in the trash. I told them I'd take them, and I hauled 100 Ensigns on a 45 minute bus ride to my area and to every area after that. I couldn't put them down as they helped me to understand Gods love for me, give me perspective as well as motivation to be better. So today I found a gospel gem.
A Sense of the Sacred
given by Elder D. Todd Christofferson
CES Fireside at BYU November 2004
here's the link to the talk
I love this talk because I feel like as members of the Church we should never feel self-righteous or pompous but we should also never settle for mediocrity. We are a chosen people and there is nothing conceited about that. We shouldn't live an ordinary life. We should be always engaged in good cause and look to always represent ourselves and our Savior in the best light possible.
He highlights four important points
1. Prophets and Scripture
2. The Body—a Temple of God
3. Sacred Places and Occasions
4. Speech
5. Godly Fear
"You might ask yourself, “Do I see the calling of the prophets and apostles as sacred? Do I treat their counsel seriously, or is it a light thing with me?...Do your actions show that you want to know and do what he teaches? Do you actively study his words and the statements of the Brethren? Is this something you hunger and thirst for? If so, you have a sense of the sacredness of the calling of prophets as the witnesses and messengers of the Son of God."
I love this talk because I feel like as members of the Church we should never feel self-righteous or pompous but we should also never settle for mediocrity. We are a chosen people and there is nothing conceited about that. We shouldn't live an ordinary life. We should be always engaged in good cause and look to always represent ourselves and our Savior in the best light possible.
He highlights four important points
1. Prophets and Scripture
2. The Body—a Temple of God
3. Sacred Places and Occasions
4. Speech
5. Godly Fear
These are some of my favorite points
"If we ignore the Lord and His servants, we may just as well be atheists—the end result is practically the same. ""You might ask yourself, “Do I see the calling of the prophets and apostles as sacred? Do I treat their counsel seriously, or is it a light thing with me?...Do your actions show that you want to know and do what he teaches? Do you actively study his words and the statements of the Brethren? Is this something you hunger and thirst for? If so, you have a sense of the sacredness of the calling of prophets as the witnesses and messengers of the Son of God."
"Some say dress and hair don’t matter—it’s what’s inside that counts. I believe that truly it is what’s inside a person that counts, but that’s what worries me. Casual dress at holy places and events is a message about what is inside a person. It may be pride or rebellion or something else, but at a minimum it says, “I don’t get it. I don’t understand the difference between the sacred and the profane.” In that condition they are easily drawn away from the Lord. They do not appreciate the value of what they have. I worry about them. Unless they can gain some understanding and capture some feeling for sacred things, they are at risk of eventually losing all that matters most. You are Saints of the great latter-day dispensation—look the part."
"Rather than drifting into carelessness, may your life be one of increasing exactness in obedience. I hope you will think and feel and dress and act in ways that show reverence and respect for sacred things, sacred places, sacred occasions."
There is a level of dignity, sophistication and honor we must uphold as members of the Church. I loved that Elder Christofferson highlights that when we take the sacrament each week and promise to be representatives of Christ that implies we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy to be called ones who follow Christ.
There is a level of dignity, sophistication and honor we must uphold as members of the Church. I loved that Elder Christofferson highlights that when we take the sacrament each week and promise to be representatives of Christ that implies we conduct ourselves in a manner worthy to be called ones who follow Christ.
