On August 21 of this year, two rare events
occurred that captured the attention of people
around the world.
The first was the 90th birthday celebration
of our beloved prophet, President Thomas S. Monson.
At the time, I was on assignment in the Pacific Area
and was thrilled that the Saints of Australia;
Vanuatu, New Zealand; and French Polynesia
were not only aware of his personal milestone,
but they also rejoiced in celebrating it.
I felt fortunate to share in their warm expressions of faith
and love for this great man.
What an inspiration it is to see
the connection Latter-day Saints share with their prophet.
Of course, President Monson, mindful of those desiring
to wish him happy birthday, described an ideal birthday
gift: "Find someone who is having a hard time
or is ill or lonely and do something for them.
That's all I would ask."
We love and sustain you, President Monson.
The other rare and heavenly event
occurring on the same day, and captivating millions worldwide,
was a total solar eclipse.
This was the first time such an eclipse
had marched across the entire United States in 99 years.
Have you ever seen a solar eclipse?
A total solar eclipse occurs when
the moon moves between the earth and the sun,
almost completely blocking any light from the sun.
This is a marvel to me.
If you imagine the sun as the size of a common bicycle tire,
the moon, in comparison, would be scarcely the size
of a small pebble.
How is it possible that the very source of our warmth, light,
and life could be so greatly obstructed
by something comparatively insignificant in size?
Although the sun is 400 times larger than the moon,
it is also 400 times farther away from the earth.
From earth's perspective, this geometry
makes the sun and moon appear to be the same size.
When the two are aligned just right,
the moon seems to obscure the entire sun.
Friends and family of mine who were
in the zone of total eclipse described
how light was replaced by darkness, the stars appeared,
and birds quit singing.
The air became chilly, as temperatures in an eclipse
can decrease by more than 20 degrees Fahrenheit.
They described a sense of awe, astonishment, and even anxiety,
knowing an eclipse brings certain hazards.
However, they all exercised care to prevent permanent eye
damage or "spiritual eclipse" during the eclipse event.
Safety was made possible because they wore glasses equipped
with special filtered lenses that protected their eyes
from any potential harm.
In the same manner that the very small moon can
block the magnificent sun, extinguishing its light
and warmth, a spiritual eclipse can
occur when we allow minor and troublesome obstructions
to get so close they block out the magnitude, brightness,
and warmth of the light of Jesus Christ and His gospel.
Elder Neal A. Maxwell took this analogy
even further when he stated: "Even something as small
as a man's thumb, when held very near the eye,
can blind him to the very large sun.
Yet the sun is still there.
Blindness is brought upon man by himself.
When we draw other things too close, placing them first,
we obscure our vision of heaven."
Clearly, none of us wants to purposefully obscure
our vision of heaven or allow a spiritual eclipse
to occur in our lives.
Let me share some thoughts that may assist us
in preventing spiritual eclipse from causing
us permanent spiritual damage.
Do you recall my description of special eyewear used
to protect those viewing a solar eclipse from eye damage
or even eclipse blindness?
Looking at a spiritual eclipse through the protecting
and softening lens of the Spirit provides
a gospel perspective, thus protecting us
from spiritual blindness.
Let's consider some examples.
With the words of the prophets in our hearts
and the Holy Spirit as our counselor,
we can gaze at partially blocked heavenly
light through "gospel glasses," avoiding the harm
of a spiritual eclipse.
So how do we put on "gospel glasses"?
Here are some examples: Our "gospel glasses"
inform us that the Lord desires that we partake
of the sacrament each week, that we study the scriptures
and have daily prayer.
They also inform us that Satan will tempt us
not to, and that he seeks to take away
our agency through distractions and worldly temptations.
Even in Job's day, there was a spiritual eclipse, described
as: "They meet with darkness in the daytime,
and grope in the noonday as in the night."
Brothers and sisters, when I speak
of seeing through "gospel glasses,"
I am not suggesting that we don't acknowledge or discuss
the challenges we face or that we
walk blissfully ignorant of the traps and evils the enemy has
placed before us.
I am not speaking of wearing blinders--but just
the opposite.
I am suggesting that we look at challenges
through the lens of the gospel.
Elder Oaks observed, "Perspective is the ability
to see all relevant information in a meaningful relationship;
a gospel perspective expands our sight to an eternal view."
When you put on "gospel glasses,"
you find enhanced perspective, focus, and vision in the way
that you think about your priorities, your problems,
your temptations, and even your mistakes.
You will see brighter light that you could not see without them.
Ironically, it is not only the negative that
can cause spiritual eclipse.
Often, admirable or positive endeavors
can be drawn so close that they blot out gospel light
and bring darkness.
These dangers or distractions could
include education and prosperity,
power and influence, ambition, even talents and gifts.
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf has taught
that "any virtue when taken to an extreme can become a vice.
...
There comes a point where milestones
can become millstones and ambitions, albatrosses
around our necks."
Let me share in greater detail examples
that could become catalysts for avoiding
our own spiritual eclipses.
I spoke recently at BYU Women's Conference.
I described how technology, including social media,
facilitates spreading a "knowledge of [the] Savior ...
throughout every nation, kindred, tongue, and people."
These technologies include websites
like LDS.org and Mormon.org; mobile apps
such as Gospel Library, Mormon Channel, LDS Tools, and Family
Tree; and social media platforms including Facebook, Instagram,
Twitter, and Pinterest.
These modalities have generated hundreds
of millions of likes, shares, views, retweets, and pins
and are very effective in sharing the gospel.
All of the virtues and appropriate use
of these technologies notwithstanding,
there are risks associated with them, when drawn too close,
can put us in a spiritual eclipse,
potentially blocking the brightness
and warmth of the gospel.
The use of social media, mobile apps, and games
can be inordinately time-consuming
and can reduce face-to-face interaction.
This loss of personal conversation
can affect marriages, take the place
of valuable spiritual practices, and stifle
the development of social skills, especially among youth.
Two additional risks related to social media
are idealized reality and debilitating comparisons.
Many (if not most) of the pictures posted on social media
tend to portray life at its very best--often unrealistically.
We have all seen beautiful images
of home decor, wonderful vacation spots,
smiling selfies, elaborate food preparation, and seemingly
unattainable body images.
Here, for example, is an image that you
might see on someone's social media account.
However, it doesn't quite capture
the full picture of what is actually going on in real life.
Comparing our own seemingly average existence
with others' well-edited, perfectly crafted lives
as represented on social media may leave us
with feelings of discouragement, envy, and even failure.
One person who has shared numerous photos of her own
said, perhaps only partly in jest,
"What's the point of being happy if you're not
going to post it?"
As Sister Oscarson reminded us this morning, success in life
doesn't come down to how many likes we get
or how many social media "friends" or "followers" we
have.
It does, however, have something to do
with meaningfully connecting with others
and adding light to their lives.
Hopefully, we can learn to be more real, find more humor,
and experience less discouragement when
confronted with images that may portray idealized reality
and too often lead to debilitating comparisons.
Comparison apparently is not just a sign of our times.
The Apostle Paul warned the people of his day
that "they measuring themselves by themselves,
and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise."
With so many appropriate and inspired uses of technology,
let us use it to teach, inspire, lift,
and encourage others to become their finest--rather than
to portray our idealized virtual selves.
Let us also teach and demonstrate
the righteous use of technology to the rising generation
and warn against the associated hazards and destructive use
of it.
Viewing social media through the lens of the gospel
can prevent it from becoming a spiritual eclipse in our lives.
Let's now address the age-old stumbling block of pride.
Pride is the opposite of humility,
which is a "willingness to submit
to the will of the Lord."
When prideful, we tend to take honor to ourselves
rather than giving it to others, including the Lord.
Pride is often competitive; it is a tendency
to seek to become more and presume
we are better than others.
Pride often results in feelings of anger and hatred;
it causes one to hold grudges or to withhold forgiveness.
Pride is swallowed in the Christlike attribute
of humility.
Relationships, even with close family and loved
ones--especially with close family and loved ones,
even between husbands and wives--are fostered in humility
and are stymied by pride.
Many years ago, an executive of a large retailer
called me to talk about his company that was being bought
out by one of its competitors.
He and numerous other headquarters personnel
were extremely anxious that they might lose their jobs.
Knowing that I was well acquainted
with senior management of the acquiring company,
he asked if I would be willing to both introduce him and give
a strong reference on his behalf,
even to arrange a meeting for him.
He then concluded with the following statement:
"You know what they say?
'The meek shall perish!'"
I understood his comment was more than likely
intended as humor.
I got the joke.
But there was an important principle
that I felt might ultimately be of use to him.
I replied, "Actually, that isn't what they say.
It's just the opposite.
'The meek shall inherit the earth' is what they say."
In my experience in the Church, as well as
throughout my professional career,
some of the greatest, most effective people I have known
have been among the most meek and humble.
Humility and meekness fit hand in glove.
May we remember, "None is acceptable before God,
save the meek and lowly in heart."
I pray that we will strive to avoid
the spiritual eclipse of pride by embracing
the virtue of humility.
In conclusion, a solar eclipse is indeed
a remarkable phenomenon of nature
during which the beauty, warmth, and light of the sun
can be completely covered by a comparatively
insignificant object, causing darkness and chill.
A similar phenomenon can be replicated
in a spiritual sense when otherwise
small and insignificant matters are drawn too close
and block the beauty, warmth, and heavenly light
of the gospel of Jesus Christ, replacing it
with cold darkness.
Eyewear designed to protect the sight of those
in the zone of a total solar eclipse
can prevent permanent damage.
"Gospel glasses," comprised of a knowledge and testimony
of gospel principles and ordinances,
provide spiritual protection and clarity
for someone exposed to the hazards of a spiritual eclipse.
If you discover anything that seems to be blocking your light
and joy of the gospel in your life,
I invite you to look through a lens of the gospel,
to not allow insignificant and inconsequential matters obscure
your eternal view of the great plan of happiness.
In short, don't let life's distractions
eclipse heaven's light.
I bear testimony that no matter the obstruction that
may block our vision of gospel light,
the light is still there.
That source of warmth, truth, and brightness
is the gospel of Jesus Christ.
I bear testimony of a loving Heavenly Father
and His Son, Jesus Christ, and of His role as
our Savior and Redeemer.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.