Blast of Living the Past
I have had the opportunity today to reflect on my life. I started re-living my past vicariously though my children. I don't know whether that is good or bad. Many times we hear of parents saying, "some day you will be blessed with a child who is just like you, then you will understand..." I don't remember, but I am sure that I put my parents through moments like that. So, today, I re-lived some of that blessing. I re-learned a lesson that I learned many years ago. Hopefully, those involved will learn from my experiences as well.
As many of you know, I spent a good portion of my youth living in a state on the West Coast. I was thinking about it the other day. I went to school more years in that state than any other state. I learned some very valuable lessons in that state. I would like to share a little of my perspective.
When I entered high school, I was informed that we would be moving. It was heart wrenching. I had a strong group of good friends. Everything I dreamed of was going to be taken away from me. I thought my life would end. Just so you know, it didn't. There were moments that were rough, but when I look back on them, I think that I made them worse. I had to learn that what joy I had was all up to me. When I started living that way, things changed in my life. But that is a different lesson.
Because I was moving, I wanted to spend as much time as I possibly could with my friends. I wanted to build bonds that would last a life time. My father was living in another state, preparing the way for our arrival. My mother was left to endure all the torture a young teenage boy could inflict. She did her best I am sure. My father, did his best from the distance with what resources he had. The two combined were pretty good at it.
A topic of particular concern were Sundays. You see, my group of friends did not all live in my ward, especially those of the female persuasion. I remember asking if I could attend church at a different ward, some 30 miles away. My parents were not too hip to the idea, yet I also have a feeling they felt bad about moving us. So, the conditions were: Take care of you Priesthood responsibilities and then you can go. We would go to church prepare, bless, and pass the sacrament and then instead of staying for the meeting, we would jump in the car and fly to the other ward. The memories were great.
However, I don't know that I could tell you about the lessons we learned in Sunday School and Priesthood. This is where I started learning a lesson. You see, the behavior continued for several weeks. In fact, I found myself complaining about even going to church in my ward. In fact, when General Conference came around, we chose to drive all the way to the other ward to attend General Priesthood Session. Why, because afterwards, we could hang out with those friends.
It was at this time that a very wise man met with us. I have a feeling a very wise father had some influence in the matter as well. It was at this priesthood session that I received a wake up call. As we were getting ready to leave the meeting, the bishop of the ward we were attending asked us if we had a few minutes. He also happened to be the father of one of those young ladies we were visiting. It was in this meeting that the lesson started being learned.
He reminded us that each of us had accepted and made sacred covenants as priesthood holders. He asked us to look forward in life, to the temple, and step away from the present we were living in at the time. We went over the questions that would be asked in a temple recommend interview. One of those questions was, "Do you attend your priesthood meetings?" Well, we were going to priesthood, but we were not attending our priesthood meetings.
It was here that I started learning that I was part of a quorum. The leaders that had been called to serve and had stewardship over us were not in the ward we were attending the the ward that we were trying to escape from. He reminded us that we had agency, but that it was time for us to start taking thing a little more seriously. We needed to know for ourselves. We needed to be able to answer certain questions. Were we going to church for the right reasons or were we just going to have fun? If the young ladies we were interested in meant anything to us, were we doing them any good living in the present? Were we thinking about their future?
The good bishop did not tell us to end our relationships, but to make sure we were building better relationships. He bore his testimony about how much stronger our relationship would be if we founded them on the gospel of Jesus Christ. If the young ladies we built our relationships with did the same thing. Together, with the same goals, that relationship would be a foundation for future generations.
I did not learn all the lesson that night. I just started learning. As I started applying that counsel to my life, I have continued to learn. When I understand one point, the Lord provides an opportunity for me to add to it. My person testimony and resolve started building at that time. As I proved to the Lord and myself that I was committed to these things, he added to it. He continues to add to it today.
So, as that lesson began today for someone else, I hope that you can learn from my experiences that yours will be easier and stronger. I pray you will use your agency wisely.
As many of you know, I spent a good portion of my youth living in a state on the West Coast. I was thinking about it the other day. I went to school more years in that state than any other state. I learned some very valuable lessons in that state. I would like to share a little of my perspective.
When I entered high school, I was informed that we would be moving. It was heart wrenching. I had a strong group of good friends. Everything I dreamed of was going to be taken away from me. I thought my life would end. Just so you know, it didn't. There were moments that were rough, but when I look back on them, I think that I made them worse. I had to learn that what joy I had was all up to me. When I started living that way, things changed in my life. But that is a different lesson.
Because I was moving, I wanted to spend as much time as I possibly could with my friends. I wanted to build bonds that would last a life time. My father was living in another state, preparing the way for our arrival. My mother was left to endure all the torture a young teenage boy could inflict. She did her best I am sure. My father, did his best from the distance with what resources he had. The two combined were pretty good at it.
A topic of particular concern were Sundays. You see, my group of friends did not all live in my ward, especially those of the female persuasion. I remember asking if I could attend church at a different ward, some 30 miles away. My parents were not too hip to the idea, yet I also have a feeling they felt bad about moving us. So, the conditions were: Take care of you Priesthood responsibilities and then you can go. We would go to church prepare, bless, and pass the sacrament and then instead of staying for the meeting, we would jump in the car and fly to the other ward. The memories were great.
However, I don't know that I could tell you about the lessons we learned in Sunday School and Priesthood. This is where I started learning a lesson. You see, the behavior continued for several weeks. In fact, I found myself complaining about even going to church in my ward. In fact, when General Conference came around, we chose to drive all the way to the other ward to attend General Priesthood Session. Why, because afterwards, we could hang out with those friends.
It was at this time that a very wise man met with us. I have a feeling a very wise father had some influence in the matter as well. It was at this priesthood session that I received a wake up call. As we were getting ready to leave the meeting, the bishop of the ward we were attending asked us if we had a few minutes. He also happened to be the father of one of those young ladies we were visiting. It was in this meeting that the lesson started being learned.
He reminded us that each of us had accepted and made sacred covenants as priesthood holders. He asked us to look forward in life, to the temple, and step away from the present we were living in at the time. We went over the questions that would be asked in a temple recommend interview. One of those questions was, "Do you attend your priesthood meetings?" Well, we were going to priesthood, but we were not attending our priesthood meetings.
It was here that I started learning that I was part of a quorum. The leaders that had been called to serve and had stewardship over us were not in the ward we were attending the the ward that we were trying to escape from. He reminded us that we had agency, but that it was time for us to start taking thing a little more seriously. We needed to know for ourselves. We needed to be able to answer certain questions. Were we going to church for the right reasons or were we just going to have fun? If the young ladies we were interested in meant anything to us, were we doing them any good living in the present? Were we thinking about their future?
The good bishop did not tell us to end our relationships, but to make sure we were building better relationships. He bore his testimony about how much stronger our relationship would be if we founded them on the gospel of Jesus Christ. If the young ladies we built our relationships with did the same thing. Together, with the same goals, that relationship would be a foundation for future generations.
I did not learn all the lesson that night. I just started learning. As I started applying that counsel to my life, I have continued to learn. When I understand one point, the Lord provides an opportunity for me to add to it. My person testimony and resolve started building at that time. As I proved to the Lord and myself that I was committed to these things, he added to it. He continues to add to it today.
So, as that lesson began today for someone else, I hope that you can learn from my experiences that yours will be easier and stronger. I pray you will use your agency wisely.
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