Don't Plan to Stay as You Are

 

Elder Holland 

"Come as you are,” a loving Father says to each of us, but He adds, “Don’t plan to stay as you are.” We smile and remember that God is determined to make of us more than we thought we could be." (2017)

Q. So how do we allow God to make more of us than we thought we could be?

A. Pres Nelson 

"We begin by learning about Him. In D&C 131:6 we find that “It is impossible for [us] to be saved in ignorance.” The more we know about the Savior’s ministry and mission—the more we understand His doctrine and what He did for us—the more we know that He can provide the power that we need for our lives." (2017

Q. This scripture which teaches us we can not feign ignorance and still be saved is interesting to me. How do we overcome this issue of ignorance?

A. Joseph Smith

"A man is saved no faster than he gets knowledge, for if he does not get knowledge, he will be brought into captivity by some evil power in the other world, as evil spirits will have more knowledge and consequently more power than many men who are on the earth….Add to your faith virtue, to virtue knowledge and seek for every good thing."

(Teachings of the Prophet Joseph Smith, p. 217)

Q. How do we get knowledge?

A. Pres Nelson

"Daily immersion in the word of God is crucial for spiritual survival, especially in these days of increasing upheaval. As we feast on the words of Christ daily, the words of Christ will tell us how to respond to difficulties we never thought we would face.” (April 2020)

Elder Richard G Scott "Don’t yield to Satan’s lie that you don’t have time to study the scriptures. Choose to take time to study them. Feasting on the word of God each day is more important than sleep, school, work, television shows, video games, or social media. You may need to reorganize your priorities to provide time for the study of the word of God. If so, do it!  (October 2014, Make the Exercise of Faith Your First Priority)

Q. It sounds like feasting upon the word of God is really important! To make scripture study such a high priority will take a lot of diligence?

A. Pres Nelson

"The answer to each of your challenges is to increase your faith. That takes work. Lazy learners and lax disciples will always struggle to muster even a particle of faith. To do anything well requires effort. Becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ is no exception. Increasing your faith and trust in Him takes effort." ( April 2021)

Q. Besides building our knowledge what other benefits to studying the scriptures are there?

A. President Ezra Taft Benson 

“Success in righteousness, the power to avoid deception and resist temptation, guidance in our daily lives, healing of the soul—these are but a few of the promises the Lord has given to those who will come to His word.” (The Power of the Word, 1986).

Q. How does increasing in knowledge and faith manifest in our lives?

A. Elder Wong of the Seventy

"As our faith grows, we increase our study and knowledge, and we begin to apply the principle of hope. Faith and hope together mold us and guide us in the paths that the Savior walked, and we start to embrace the qualities of charity." (Liahona Dec 2016)

Q. When we increase in knowledge and faith,we also increase in charity, why is that important? 

A. Moroni 7:46-47

46 Wherefore, my beloved brethren, if ye have not charity, ye are nothing, for charity never faileth. Wherefore, cleave unto charity, which is the greatest of all, for all things must fail— 

47 But charity is the pure love of Christ, and it endureth forever; and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day, it shall be well with him. 

Q. How does this charity manifest itself in our lives?

A. Moroni 7:45

And charity suffereth long, and is kind, and envieth not, and is not puffed up, seeketh not her own, is not easily provoked, thinketh no evil, and rejoiceth not in iniquity but rejoiceth in the truth, beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things. 

Q. It sounds like Charity is something we become. How do we  acquire said Charity? 

A. Moroni: 7:48

Wherefore, my beloved brethren, pray unto the Father with all the energy of heart, that ye may be filled with this love, which he hath bestowed upon all who are true followers of his Son, Jesus Christ; that ye may become the sons of God; that when he shall appear we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is; that we may have this hope; that we may be purified even as he is pure. Amen.

Q. What knowledge will help us understand that this purity and Charity is available to us in this life and can help us with our relationships? 

A. Elder Gong

 "When we belong by covenant to the Lord, we also belong by covenant to each other." (September Liahona 2023)

Q. We belong by covenant to each other, I haven't thought much about this?

A. Mosiah 18:9

"Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life."

Q.I recognise this as part of our baptismal covenants and can see that we promised to love and support each other. How is standing as a witness of God related to this?

A. Pres Nelson 

"It means overcoming the temptation to care more about the things of this world than the things of God. It means trusting the doctrine of Christ more than the philosophies of men. It means delighting in truth, denouncing deception, and becoming “humble followers of Christ.” (Oct 2022)

Q. So overcoming the world as we have covenanted to do will help us develop Charity and become a disciple of God?

A. Pres Nelson 

"Do whatever it takes to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ by increasing your understanding of the doctrine taught in His restored Church and by relentlessly seeking truth. Anchored in pure doctrine, you will be able to step forward with faith and dogged persistence and cheerfully do all that lies in your power to fulfill the purposes of the Lord." (April 2020)

Q. How do we know when our faith conforms to the will of our Heavenly Father and He approves of that which we seek? 

A. Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin

"We must know the word of God. One of the reasons we immerse ourselves in the scriptures is to know of Heavenly Father’s dealings with man from the beginning. If the desires of our heart are contrary to scripture, then we should not pursue them further.” (Shall He Find Faith on the Earth?, October 2002)

Q. That is a great warning which teaches us that as we gain knowledge through our studies of the scriptures we will want to align our desires with God.  How else can we align ourselves with God?

A. Elder Bednar

"We abide in Him by truly feasting upon the words of Christ. The Savior’s doctrine draws us, as children of the covenant, closer to Him and will tell us all things what we should do.

The Savior’s promise to His followers is twofold: if we abide in Him, He will abide in us. But is it indeed possible for Christ to abide in you and me—individually and personally? The answer to this question is a resounding yes!

My beloved brothers and sisters, is the Word in us? Are the truths of the Savior’s gospel written in the fleshy tables of our hearts? Are we coming unto and gradually becoming more like Him? Is the tree of Christ growing in us? Are we striving to become “new [creatures]” in Him? (April 2023)

Q. So Charity will enable us to become new creatures and as a result Christ will abide in us. That sounds like a lofty goal?

A. Pres Nelson

As you demonstrate the charity that true followers of Jesus Christ manifest, the Lord will magnify your efforts beyond your loftiest imagination. (April 2023)

Q. That's a great promise, I'm guessing although it sounds simple enough, it's probably not that easy?

A. Pres. Nelson

"It is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures."(Oct 2021)

Q .Extraordinary measures and unprecedented measures, what could that mean?

A. Elder Rasband in his Ensign College address reemphasized the words of Pres Nelson and the need to take "extraordinary" and "unprecedented" measures to prepare ourselves for the days ahead.(I Shall Not Be Moved September 2023)

Extraordinary

Going beyond what is usual, regular, or customary 

Unusual

Exceptional

Uncommon

Peculiar

Exceeding

Unprecedented

Is not known, experienced or done before

Novel

Unfamiliar

New

Unique

Unaccustomed

Q. Okay, so we really are being asked to step up and take action to prepare to receive the Lord?

A. Pres Nelson

"As I have stated before, the gathering of Israel is the most important work taking place on earth today. One crucial element of this gathering is preparing a people who are able, ready, and worthy to receive the Lord when He comes again, a people who have already chosen Jesus Christ over this fallen world, a people who rejoice in their agency to live the higher, holier laws of Jesus Christ." (Oct 2022)

Q. It sounds like President Russell M Nelson amongst others, is giving us some very direct counsel?

A. Pres Nelson

"With the power of the holy apostleship vested in me, I bless you in your quest to overcome this world. I bless you to increase your faith in Jesus Christ and learn better how to draw upon His power. I bless you to be able to discern truth from error. I bless you to care more about the things of God than the things of this world. I bless you to see the needs of those around you and strengthen those you love. Because Jesus Christ overcame this world, you can too. I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen." (Oct 2022)

So in summary, to prepare for the coming of the Saviour we need to overcome the world and choose to live a higher and holier law.  We need to cleave unto charity to enable Jesus Christ to abide in us. We do this through increasing in faith and knowledge, and we do this by studying or feasting upon the scriptures. As we implement extraordinary and unprecedented measures to have the word in us and have His truths written on our hearts, then we will be prepared to receive the Lord when He comes again. It is my testimony that as we do as Moroni instructs and pray with all the energy of heart, the Lord will be in us and He will make of us more than we ever thought we could be.