Here’s the talk this week. I’ll update the post later with a video and a little more embellishment:
by Neil L. Andersen
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
In the meantime, please have a wonderful Christmas. May the whole week point you to Christ and the joy that comes with both His coming and our coming to Him.
Diapers and Divinity 
Such a fantastic talk and a reminder of how important it is to keep our spiritual roots deep. (I love that imagery of prayer/scripture study, etc, helping us deepen those roots.
Also I loved when he said “In our weakened moments, the adversary seeks to steal our spiritual promises. If we are not watchful, our injured, childlike spirit will retreat back into the cold, dark crust of our former bloated ego, leaving behind the warm, healing light of the Savior.” It is so important that we build those spiritual fortifications that will help us be protected.
Great talk to read, study and ponder this week. Thanks, Stephanie.
I am starting to really love Elder Andersen. Really.
Two quotes I loved:
“As we follow the Savior, without question there will be challenges that confront us. Approached with faith, these refining experiences bring a deeper conversion of the Savior’s reality.” When we have trials in our lives, we have a choice to either drawn closer to the Savior or to pull away from him. Challenges are so much easier to bear with His help.
“In our weakened moments, the adversary seeks to steal our spiritual promises.” I think the word “steal” is a great way to describe this. The promises are ours–they are gifts from Heavenly Father. We have to work to keep our spiritual roots deep enough that we won’t let someone take them from us.
I really believe his words when he says we will leave Christ because we are offended or ashamed. I really feel far from the Savior when I choose to be either of these things. It’s not even that I am offended by the gospel or ashamed of my faith, but more because I am offended by someone or ashamed of something. In reality what I am lacking is faith in the infinite Atonement, that the sins of others have been paid for by the Savior as well, and that I need to forgive and that my sins can also be forgiven thanks to him. What a wonderful thing to remember during Christmas!
Isn’t it funny that we leave Him for something someone else did?? I think its a mistake we humans make all the time; whether it is leaving Christ for something someone else did or leaving someone (relationships/friendships/families/etc) because of something someone else did. Makes no sense, but we do it!
Elder Anderson’s talk which reminded me of things Elder Maxwell would say as in:
“Not one of us wants this journey to be a brief flirtation with spirituality or even a notable but finite chapter.”
“The road of discipleship is not for the spiritually faint of heart.”
“Offense comes in many costumes and continually finds its way on stage.”
“In our weakened moments, the adversary seeks to steal our spiritual promises. If we are not watchful, our injured, childlike spirit will retreat back into the cold, dark crust of our former bloated ego, leaving behind the warm, healing light of the Savior.”
I also was very grateful for the notes at the end. Especially the quote from President Boyd K. Packer: “Largely because of television [and the Internet], instead of looking over into that spacious building, we are, in effect, living inside of it!” WOW!
(note #27 from Ensign, August 2010 which is part of a speech given at a BYU devotional that you can find here athttp://speeches.byu.edu/reader/reader.php?id=11528&x=56&y=7)
Loved how it was addressed in here that there will be times that we will be mocked because of our beliefs but if our testimony is deeply rooted we will be able to NOT be ashamed and we can heed them not. This is one of the ways we can never leave Him.
Each time I read this, I tried to write down different quotes depending on what hit me at the time. I think a lot of times, we criticize those who left the Savior and who didn’t believe. I’d like to believe that I would have never left him had I lived back then.
I read the talk, and thought, “what is the one quote that could best summarize this talk?” Today, I wrote down this quote: “Whatever challenges arise, we never, never leave Him.” That’s the bottom line. No matter what challenges we have in life (because we know we will have them), we can choose to partake of the one thing that is constant. HE never leaves us. We only do a disservice to ourselves by being offended or ashamed, and thus “leaving” Him.
I love everyone’s comments and would have to say everyone chose something that impacted my thoughts today. I love that words he has chosen to describe what affects us or how we may feel. Words such as “offend/ashamed” and that “we choose” to feel that way. I love how Elder Anderson describes how we may become “offended.” There are so many ways and when we do become offended then we become “weakened” so that the “adversary has the opportunity to steal our spiritual promises.”
When Elder Anderson read the part of Lehi’s dream that talks about being ashamed, my emotions overcame me. Earlier this year there was an Ensign article that talks about Lehi’s dream and how it may pertain to our own lives. As I have pondered this article I have come to realize, “I have partaken of the fruit and it has filled me with great joy.” But there are days that are so hard. There are days I don’t do everything I know I should because I am lazy, I don’t have time, and that is the “pride and wisdom of the world.” This part pierced a nail through my heart. I had never thought of my own weakness as pride, but today I have. And it doesn’t mean I am scorning or mocking others, but that I am flat out scorning and mocking the Savior by my laziness.
But then I felt hope.
“I promise you, as you choose not to be offended or ashamed, you will feel His love and approval. You will know that you are becoming more like Him.”
“Perfection does not come in this life, but we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and keep our covenants. President Monson has promised, “Your testimony, when constantly nourished, will keep you safe.” We push our spiritual roots deep, feasting daily on the words of Christ in the scriptures. We trust in the words of living prophets, placed before us to show us the way. We pray and pray and listen to the quiet voice of the Holy Ghost that leads us along and speaks peace to our soul. Whatever challenges arise, we never, never leave Him.”
I am grateful I don’t have to be perfect. I just have to keep trying, by doing my part (praying, reading scriptures, repenting, forgiving–the list could go on and on) by believing, hoping and enduring and never leaving Him.