My heart sank during a recent meeting
with wonderful Latter-day Saints.
The question was asked, "Who desires to live
with Heavenly Father again?"
Every hand went up.
The next question was "Who has confidence you'll succeed?"
Sadly, and surprisingly, most hands went down.
When we perceive a gap between who we are now
and who we desire to become, many of us
are tempted to choose to lose faith and hope.
Because "no unclean thing can dwell with God," in order
to live with Him again, we will need
to be cleansed of sin and sanctified.
If we had to do this alone, none of us would make it.
But we are not alone.
In fact, we are never alone.
We have heaven's help because of Jesus Christ and His Atonement.
The Savior said, "If ye will have faith in me
ye shall have power to do whatsoever thing is
expedient in me."
When faith is exercised, faith increases.
Let's consider together three principles
that will help us on our journey back to our Father in Heaven.
Our youngest grandson illustrates
the first principle.
After learning to crawl and then stand,
he was ready to try walking.
During his first few attempts, he fell, cried,
and gave a look that said, "I will never--ever--try that
again!
I'm simply going to keep crawling!"
When he stumbled and fell, his loving parents
did not feel that he was hopeless
or that he would never walk.
Instead they held out their arms while calling to him,
and with his eyes on them, he tried again
to move toward their loving embrace.
Loving parents are always ready with outstretched arms
to welcome even our smallest step in the right direction.
They know that our willingness to try and try again
will lead to progress and success.
The Savior taught that to inherit the kingdom of God,
we must become as a little child.
So, spiritually speaking, the first principle
is that we need to do what we did as children.
With childlike humility and willingness
to focus on our Father in Heaven and our Savior,
we take steps toward Them, never giving up hope,
even if we fall.
Our loving Heavenly Father rejoices
in each and every faithful step, and if we fall,
He rejoices in each effort to get back up and try again.
A second principle is illustrated
by two faithful Saints, each deeply desirous
of finding an eternal companion.
Both prayerfully took faith-filled steps.
Yuri, a Russian Latter-day Saint,
sacrificed and saved to take a long trip to the temple.
On the train he noticed a beautiful woman
with a bright countenance, and he
felt that he should share the gospel with her.
Not knowing what else to do, he began reading
from his Book of Mormon, hoping that she might notice.
Yuri didn't realize that the woman, Mariya, was already
a Latter-day Saint.
Not knowing that he too was a member,
and following a prompting she had
to share the gospel with him, Mariya
began reading in her Book of Mormon as well,
hoping that he might notice.
Well, when they simultaneously looked up,
Yuri and Mariya were astonished to see the Book of Mormon
in each other's hands--and yes, after falling in love,
they were sealed in the temple.
[LAUGHTER]
Today, Yuri and Mariya Kutepov of Russia,
as eternal companions, contribute significantly
to the growth of the Church in Russia.
The emphasis here is not only on this couple's willingness
to act in faith.
It's also about a second principle--the Lord more than
matches our willingness to act in faith.
Our willingness to take a step is not just met--it is exceeded
by the Lord's promised blessings.
Heavenly Father and our Savior are eager to bless us.
After all, They only ask for one-tenth
of what They bless us with and then promise
that the windows of heaven will open!
Whenever we willingly act with faith in Jesus Christ
and take another step, especially
an uncomfortable step requiring change or repentance,
we are blessed with strength.
I testify that the Lord will guide us to--and through--our
next steps.
He will more than match our efforts with His power
if we are willing to keep trying, repenting, and moving
forward with faith in our Heavenly Father
and His Son, Jesus Christ.
Spiritual gifts are promised not only
to those who love God and keep all of His commandments
but also, gratefully, to those of us who "seeketh so to do."
Strength is given to those who keep seeking and trying.
Two essential weekly signposts that mark our journey back
to our Father in Heaven are the perpetual covenants
of the ordinance of the sacrament and our Sabbath day
observance.
President Russell M. Nelson taught
us last general conference that the Sabbath is
the Lord's gift to us.
Our devoted weekly observance of the Sabbath
is our sign to the Lord that we love Him.
Each Sabbath day we witness that we are willing--willing to take
upon ourselves His name, to always remember Him,
and to keep His commandments.
In return for our repentant heart and our commitment,
the Lord renews the promised remission of sin
and enables us to "always have his Spirit to be with [us]."
The Holy Spirit's influence improves, strengthens, teaches,
and guides us.
If, in remembering Him each Sabbath,
we turn our hearts to the Savior through these two
important signposts, our efforts are again
more than matched by the Lord by His promised blessings.
We are promised that with devoted Sabbath day observance,
the fulness of the earth will be ours.
The path back to our Father in Heaven
leads to the house of the Lord, where
we are blessed to receive saving ordinances
for ourselves and for our departed loved ones.
President Boyd K. Packer taught that ordinances and covenants
become our credentials for admission
back into God's presence.
I pray that each of us will always be worthy of
and use our temple recommends to serve regularly.
A third principle is this: we must counter the natural man's
tendency to procrastinate, to put off, or to give up.
As we progress along the covenant path,
we will make mistakes, some multiple times.
Some of us struggle with behaviors or addictions
we feel powerless to overcome.
But faith in Heavenly Father and in Jesus Christ
is a principle of action and power.
If we are willing to act, we will
be blessed with strength to repent and with the strength
to change.
We fail only if we fail to make another faithful step forward.
We will not, we cannot fail if we are faithfully yoked
to the Savior of the world--He who has never failed and will
never fail us!
I promise that each faith-filled step will
be met with help from heaven.
Guidance will come as we pray to our Heavenly Father,
rely on our Savior and follow Him,
and listen to the Holy Spirit.
Strength will come because of the atoning sacrifice
of Jesus Christ.
Healing and forgiveness will come because of God's grace.
Wisdom and patience will come by trusting
in the Lord's timing for us.
Protection will come by following God's living prophet,
President Thomas S. Monson.
You were created "that [you] might have joy,"
joy you will feel when you worthily
return to your Heavenly Father and your Savior
and step into Their warm embrace.
I bear witness of these absolute truths.
Your loving Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, live.
They know you.
They love you.
They lovingly invite you to take your next step toward Them.
Don't wait.
Take it now.
In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.