Fall is quickly approaching and for
many of us that means we are rushing around making preparations for school or
rededicating ourselves at work. Gone are
the lazy days of summer but let’s be honest for many of us that saying doesn’t
apply as our Summer’s have become just as busy as any other time of the
year. Let me share an excerpt from a
story I often think of when my days seem crowded with more tasks then seem
possible. “Satan called a worldwide
convention of demons. In his opening address he said, "We can't keep the
Saints from going to church. We can't keep them from reading their Bibles and
knowing the truth. We can't even keep them from forming an intimate
relationship with their Savior. Once they gain that connection with Jesus, our
power over them is broken. So let them go to their churches; let them have
their covered Dish dinners, but steal their time, so they don't have time to
develop a real relationship with Jesus Christ." "This is what I want
you to do", said the devil. "Distract them from gaining hold of their
Savior and maintaining that vital connection throughout their day! "How
shall we do this?" his demons shouted. "Keep them busy in the
nonessentials of life and invent innumerable schemes to occupy their minds, for
those who resist all the temptations of worldly pursuits, crowd their lives
with so many good causes that they have no time for inner search. Soon they
will be working in their own strength, sacrificing their health and family for
the good of the cause."
Elder Uchtdorf echoed this when
he stated, “Let’s be honest; it’s rather easy to be busy. We all can
think up a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedules. Some might even
think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list. They
flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutia—even
during times of stress and fatigue. Because they unnecessarily complicate their
lives, they often feel increased frustration, diminished joy, and too little
sense of meaning in their lives. It is
said that any virtue when taken to an extreme can become a vice. Overscheduling
our days would certainly qualify for this. There comes a point where milestones
can become millstones and ambitions, albatrosses around our necks.”
Elder Dallin H. Oaks, in
a recent general conference, taught, “We have to forego some good things in
order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in
the Lord Jesus Christ and
strengthen our families.”
So what
is the solution? May we suggest that it
would be to focus on the basics of the Gospel.
Let us strive to build our relationship with our loving Father in Heaven
through learning of him and by turning to him in prayer. To strengthen our ties to our family and
loved ones by spending time together through things like Family Home Evening
and family prayer. We are also very
blessed to have a Temple that if we attend we will be blessed with a peace the
world cannot provide. President Monson
stated, “The world can be a challenging and difficult place in which to live.
We are often surrounded by that which would drag us down. As you and I go to
the holy houses of God, as we remember the covenants we make within, we will be
more able to bear every trial and to overcome each temptation. In this sacred
sanctuary we will find peace; we will be renewed and fortified.”
It is
our wish that we take a moment to reflect on our lives and see if we are
choosing the good or if we are striving for the best. May we make whatever sacrifices are necessary
to build a relationship with our Father in Heaven, with our families and striving
to attend the temple that we may have the spirit of the temple in our hearts
and in our homes.
