To Become Closer to the LordWe seldom perform to the level of our knowledge; well at least I haven’t yet. This brings me to the subject of what everyone thinks of at the beginning of every New Year, resolutions—resolutions to conform our lives more closely to what we already know about the gospel. While many of us take seriously our New Year’s resolutions, some of us may not have made any because of our prior problems in keeping them. We must not overlook the power that making good resolutions can have in helping make our lives happier and more successful—regardless of our past performance, so that means that I will continue to make them and hope that I can accomplish them.
May I suggest a few resolutions that might help you or that you might have interest in?
For resolution number one: I will make an extreme effort in preserving and strengthening my physical health. The Lord reveled a health code, the Word of Wisdom that can make all the difference in how we feel and perform. With good health, we can be happier and more successful. Without it, we are curtailed in almost every way.
Resolve to get an adequately balanced diet. Follow the do’s in the Word of Wisdom: eat plenty of fresh fruits, vegetables, and grains. Sister Madsen can give you insight on your food storage.
Another resolution might read: I resolve to be a truer friend. Learn to be the kind of person with whom others of high standards enjoy associating. We all would like to have more friends, and to this end our Relief Society Presidency already initiated a program to have the sister’s meet and greet those that they don’t know or haven’t met. Good work Relief Society Presidency. Here are a few more thoughts of what we can do.
- Become genuinely interested in other people.
- Smile. (Remember, the Lord commands us to “be of good cheer.”)
- Be a good listener. Encourage others to talk about themselves.
- Be the kind of friend that you’d like to have.
Now for a resolve that would give us direction today and in the future; this one is the one that most of us would like to improve on.
I will grow spiritually—I will increase in favor with God.
Here are few things that would help us to achieve this goal.
We need to improve our relationship with Heavenly Father and our Savior, when we pray do we really pray and not just say prayers. There is a big difference here. Learn to pour out the real in-depth feelings of your heart to your Heavenly Father.
We are commanded to pray always to the Father in the name of the Son. We are promised that if we pray sincerely for that which is right and good and in accordance with God’s will, we can be blessed, protected, and directed. Always be grateful for your blessings, let the Lord know that in spite of all trials and tribulations that you here for Him that you are willing to serve Him in anyway.
Remember President Brigham Young’s counsel that if we don’t feel like praying, that is the time to pray until we do feel like it.
Next, if you are really serious about growing spiritually, then “remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
There is some essential work that must be done on the Sabbath, and occasionally the ox does get in the mire. But usually, through poor organization or procrastination, we may give the ox a little nudge.
After attending our meetings and fulfilling other Church duties, we don’t have to sit and fold our hands on Sunday. President Spencer W. Kimball suggested many things we can do to make the Sabbath special: meditate; serve others; read the scriptures, conference reports, Church publications, and uplifting literature; study the prophets’ lives and teachings; prepare Church lessons and family home evenings; visit relatives and friends; write in our journals or to missionaries and others; enjoy uplifting music; read with a child; do family history research; develop appreciation for the cultural arts; friendship nonmembers; and visit the sick, the aged, and the lonely.
Temple attendance we are so blessed to have so many temples just a few minutes away.
The temple allows us to focus on eternal matters. Often, we bring away from our temple experience a greater ability to love, to serve, to understand the scriptures, and to progress toward living with our Heavenly Father again. Ordinances of the temple relate to personal progress and to the redemption of departed ancestors as well. “For their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, they without us cannot be made perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.” Service in their behalf provides repeated opportunities for temple worship. And that service deserves commitment to a planned schedule. By doing for others what they cannot do for themselves, we emulate the pattern of the Savior, who wrought the Atonement to bless the lives of other people.
Obviously we all have different things that we need to work on for improvement these are just a few but I am convinced that if we make and keep resolutions in areas that we know we need to improve on, we will receive strength to see them through.
It will take energy and effort to keep the resolutions we have made together. I pray that we will do this so that we can, as Jesus did, increase in wisdom, in stature, and in favor with God and man. In so doing, we will become happier, more successful, and more like the Savior every day for the rest of our lives.
Rosecrest 3rd Ward Bishopric
