I have a confession to make. I didn't get to listen to or watch conference talks from the Saturday sessions of the October 2009 general conference, and due to moving twice after conference and not having internet for quite awhile, I have only just begun watching the conference online and hearing the amazing words of our prophets.
Thus, you probably all heard this talk and were completely inspired by it when President Uchtdorf gave it three months ago, but it was absolutely beautiful to me when I heard it last week for the first time. The following quote really stood out to me, and I bolded my favorite part.
"God the Eternal Father did not give that first great commandment because He needs us to love Him. His power and glory are not diminished should we disregard, deny, or even defile His name. His influence and dominion extend through time and space independent of our acceptance, approval, or admiration. No, God does not need us to love Him. But oh, how we need to love God! For what we love determines what we seek. What we seek determines what we think and do. What we think and do determines who we are—and who we will become."
What an amazing statement! I've been thinking a lot about this during the past week as I've failed at a few of my New Year's resolutions (and almost failed at this one, writing in my blog weekly, because I couldn't think of anything to say). I'm really hard on myself. I want to look perfect, say the right things, be a friend to everyone and do something extraordinary with my life. I come home from church resolved to be a better person and find myself doing the same things the next few days I promised myself I wouldn't do.
That's why President Uchtdorf's words have stuck with me, because I want to love God, and I know that when I do love God, I do better at what I'm supposed to be doing. So here's my suggestion to all of you who beat yourselves up like I do every time you forget to work out or think something really mean about your coworker: Remember that Heavenly Father is a loving parent who knows you and put you here for a reason. Remember that He loves you and knows what you are capable of doing. And remember that when you love Him, you love other people and you in turn can love yourself.
So don't get down. Pick yourself up and resolve to do better. "Oh, how we need to love God." But oh, how we need to love ourselves, too, no matter how bad things get.
What an amazing statement! I've been thinking a lot about this during the past week as I've failed at a few of my New Year's resolutions (and almost failed at this one, writing in my blog weekly, because I couldn't think of anything to say). I'm really hard on myself. I want to look perfect, say the right things, be a friend to everyone and do something extraordinary with my life. I come home from church resolved to be a better person and find myself doing the same things the next few days I promised myself I wouldn't do.
That's why President Uchtdorf's words have stuck with me, because I want to love God, and I know that when I do love God, I do better at what I'm supposed to be doing. So here's my suggestion to all of you who beat yourselves up like I do every time you forget to work out or think something really mean about your coworker: Remember that Heavenly Father is a loving parent who knows you and put you here for a reason. Remember that He loves you and knows what you are capable of doing. And remember that when you love Him, you love other people and you in turn can love yourself.
So don't get down. Pick yourself up and resolve to do better. "Oh, how we need to love God." But oh, how we need to love ourselves, too, no matter how bad things get.
Thank you for the reminder Lindsay. :)
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