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| Neil L. Andersen |
Even though he is talking to the youth, this talk is completely relevant in my own life right now. I'm betting you'll feel the same way.
It seems this talk is better watched on video than read - at least once. If you want a delightful, meaningful pick-me-up, or some enlightened personal gospel study, perhaps try this today:
Spiritual Whirlwinds
One part which really stood out to me was this quote:
"My young friends, the world will not glide calmly toward the Second Coming of the Savior. The scriptures declare that “all things shall be in commotion.” Brigham Young said, “It was revealed to me in the commencement of this Church, that the Church would spread, prosper, grow and extend, and that in proportion to the spread of the Gospel among the nations of the earth, so would the power of Satan rise."
Elder Andersen makes a point not all of us may be aware of - personal calamities increase along with the more tangible ones.
We can see the escalating natural disasters, unrest, wars, protests...the list goes on.
This verse in D&C 5 talks about those kinds of calamities, in fact it is quite dramatic! But the main point matches both what Brigham Young and Elder Andersen references - as the gospel goes forth and grows and spreads, so do the calamities:
18 And their testimony shall also go forth unto the condemnation of this generation if they harden their hearts against them;
19 For a desolating scourge shall go forth among the inhabitants of the earth, and shall continue to be poured out from time to time, if they repent not, until the earth is empty, and the inhabitants thereof are consumed away and utterly destroyed by the brightness of my coming. (D&C 5:18-19)
Elder Andersen's point is along with the tangible, visible calamities - our personal whirlwinds will increase. So I guess, like the verses above suggest, we should resist hardening our hearts (i.e. becoming indifferent or casual about our religion) especially amid our private lives at home.
Instead, we need to develop more flexible strength which brings us to Elder Andersen's analogy of the cells of a tree:
"In nature, trees that grow up in a windy environment become stronger. As winds whip around a young sapling, forces inside the tree do two things. First, they stimulate the roots to grow faster and spread farther. Second, the forces in the tree start creating cell structures that actually make the trunk and branches thicker and more flexible to the pressure of the wind. These stronger roots and branches protect the tree from winds that are sure to return."
"You are infinitely more precious to God than a tree. You are His son or His daughter. He made your spirit strong and capable of being resilient to the whirlwinds of life. The whirlwinds in your youth, like the wind against a young tree, can increase your spiritual strength, preparing you for the years ahead."
The visuals which went along with this quote were awesome! My teenagers are watching this one in FHE soon.
Hope you have a wonderful Sabbath tomorrow!