The recent Olympic Winter Games enthralled the world
as athletes representing 89 countries
competed in 98 different events.
Remarkably, 10 of these athletes were
members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, 3
of whom earned medals recently highlighted in the Church News:
Christopher Fogt, Noelle Pikus-Pace, and Torah Bright.
We offer our congratulations to all
of the athletes who competed.
Well done!
I speak of these games this morning directing my thoughts
to young men, young women, and young single adults--you who
are in your critical years which set the course for your life.
I feel a great sense of urgency in addressing you.
For you to feel that urgency,
I first share the story of Noelle Pikus-Pace, one
of those Latter-day Saint athletes.
In Noelle's event, the skeleton, athletes
build momentum as they sprint and then plunge
headfirst on a small sled.
With their faces inches above the ground,
they race down a winding, icy track
at speeds that top 90 miles an hour.
Remarkably, years of preparation would
be considered either a success or a disappointment
based on what happened in the space of four
intense 60-second runs.
Noelle's previous 2006 Olympic dreams
were dashed when a terrible accident left her
with a broken leg.
In the 2010 Olympics her dreams fell short again
when just one-tenth of a second kept her from the medal stand.
Can you imagine the anxiety she felt
as she waited to begin her first run in the 2014 Olympics?
Years of preparation would culminate
in only a sliver of time.
Four minutes total.
She spent years preparing for those four minutes
and would spend a lifetime afterward reflecting on them.
Noelle's final runs were virtually flawless!
We will never forget her leap into the stands
to embrace her family after crossing the finish line,
exclaiming, "We did it!"
Years of preparation--it pays off.
We saw her Young Women medallion around her neck
as the silver medal was placed there beside it.
It may seem unfair that Noelle's entire Olympic dreams hinged
on what she did during just four brief minutes.
But she knew it, and that is why she prepared so diligently.
She sensed the magnitude, the urgency of her four minutes,
and what they would mean for the rest of her life.
We also remember Christopher Fogt,
a member of the team that won the bronze medal
in the four-man bobsled race.
While he could have given up after a devastating crash
in the 2010 Olympics, he chose to persevere.
After a fantastic, redemptive run,
he won the prize he so diligently sought.
Now, consider how your pathway to eternal life is similar
to these athletes' "four-minute performance."
You are an eternal being.
Before you were born, you existed as a spirit.
In the presence of a loving Heavenly Father,
you trained and prepared to come to the earth for a brief moment
and, well, perform.
This life is your four minutes.
While you are here, your actions will
determine whether you win the prize of eternal life.
The prophet Amulek described, "This life is the time ...
to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the days of this life is
the day ... to perform [your] labors."
In a sense, your four minutes have already begun.
The clock is ticking.
The words of the Apostle Paul seems so fitting:
to run the race, that you may obtain the prize.
In the same way that certain steps are essential in the very
brief performance of an Olympic athlete--jumps or maneuvers
for ice skaters and snowboarders,
negotiating the turns of a bobsled run,
or carving through the gates of a downhill slalom course--so it
is in our lives, where certain things are absolutely
essential--checkpoints which move us through our spiritual
performance on earth.
These spiritual markers are the essential God-given ordinances
of the gospel: baptism, receiving
the gift of the Holy Ghost, priesthood ordination,
temple ordinances, and partaking of the sacrament each week.
"In [these] ordinances ..., the power of godliness is
manifest."
And in the same way that the discipline of training
prepares an athlete to perform elements in their sport
at the highest level, keeping the commandments
will qualify you to perform these saving ordinances.
Do you sense the urgency?
My young friends, wherever you are in your "four-minute
performance," I urge you to ponder,
"What do I need to do next to ensure my medal?"
Perhaps during this conference, the Spirit
has whispered to you what that might be:
to prepare more thoughtfully for an ordinance in your future
or to receive an ordinance that you should
have received a long time ago.
Whatever it may be, do it now.
Don't wait.
Your four minutes will pass quickly,
and you'll have eternity to think
about what you did in this life.
Self-discipline is needed.
Daily prayer, scripture study, and church attendance
must be the foundation of your training.
A consistent pattern of obeying the commandments,
keeping the covenants you've made,
and following the Lord's standard found
in For the Strength of Youth is required.
Perhaps you're aware of things in your life
that are threatening to slow or stop your spiritual progress.
If so, follow Paul's counsel: "Let
us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily
beset us, and let us run with patience
the race that is set before us."
It is not yet too late to repent.
But it soon may be, because no one really
knows when your four minutes will be over.
Now, you may be thinking to yourself, "I already blew it.
My four minutes are already a disaster.
I may as well give up."
If so, stop thinking that, and never think it again.
The miracle of the Atonement can make up
for imperfections in our performance.
As Elder Holland has taught (quote): "To those of you ...
who may still be hanging back, ...
I testify of the renewing power of God's love
and the miracle of His grace.
...
It is never too late so long as the Master ...
says there is time. ...
Don't delay" (close quote).
Remember, you're not alone.
The Savior has promised that He will not leave you comfortless.
You also have a family, friends, and leaders
who are cheering you on.
Although my remarks have been directed
to the youth of the Church, for parents and grandparents,
I offer the following: Recently Elder Bednar
described a simple way to conduct a family assessment
to mark progress on the covenant path for essential ordinances.
All that is needed is a piece of paper with two columns:
"name" and "plan for next or needful ordinance."
I did this recently, listing each family member.
Among them I noted an infant grandson, soon to be blessed;
a six-year-old grandson, whose preparation for baptism
was essential; and a son turning 18,
whose preparation for priesthood and temple endowment
was imminent.
Everyone on the list needed the sacrament ordinance.
This simple exercise assisted Lisa and me
in fulfilling our role to help each member of our family
along the covenant path with an action plan for each of them.
Perhaps this is an idea for you which
will lead to family discussions, family home evening
lessons, preparation, and even invitations
for essential ordinances in your family.
As a skier and snowboarder myself,
I was deeply impressed with the "four-minute"
silver medal-winning performance of Australian LDS athlete
and snowboarder Torah Bright in the half-pipe competition.
She dazzled the world as she finished a virtually
flawless run culminating in a backside rodeo 720.
However, even more impressive and surprising to the world
was the way she reached out and demonstrated Christlike love
to her competitors.
She noticed an American snowboarder, Kelly Clark,
who had had a bad first run in her final round
and appeared to be nervous about her second run.
"She gave me a hug," Clark recalls.
"She just held me until I actually calmed down enough
and I slowed my breathing.
It was good to have a hug from a friend."
Kelly Clark would later join Torah up
on the winners' podium as a bronze medalist.
When asked about this unusual act of kindness toward her
opponent, which could have put her own silver medal at risk,
Torah simply said, "I am a competitor--I want to do
my best--but I want my fellow competitors to do their best,
too."
With that in mind, is there someone
who needs your encouragement?
A family member or friend, a classmate, a fellow quorum
member?
How can you help them with their four minutes?
Dear friends, you are in the midst
of an exhilarating journey.
In some ways, you are racing down the half-pipe or sled
track, and it can be challenging to perform each element
or navigate each turn along the way.
But remember, you've prepared for this for millennia.
This is your moment to perform.
This is your four minutes.
The time is now.
I express my utmost confidence in your abilities.
You have the Savior of the world on your side.
If you seek His help and follow His directions,
how can you fail?
I conclude with my testimony of the blessing
we have in a living prophet, President Thomas S. Monson,
and of Jesus Christ and His role as our Savior and Redeemer,
in His holy name, Jesus Christ, amen.