Your Heavenly Father Expects You To Grow

I believe that our Heaven Father expects us to strive to become like Him and His Son, Jesus Christ. As such He sent us here to learn, struggle and grow. Further it is only as we struggle that we build the strength, faith and discipline necessary for our salvation and the salvation of those we love.  Additionally, as priesthood holders, we are under sacred covenant to progress, to become better, more powerful servants in His hands.

As such, I feel it important that we strive to identify not only our weaknesses, but our strengths. To repent of those things we need, and build upon what we are good at.  This requires an honest personal evaluation, and then the courage to move forward. As Eldred G Smith said in General Conference, April 1954, "As long as we are not perfect, we are in need of repentance, for all improvement comes as a result of repentance. Each should take daily inventory of himself and try to do better each day. Repentance is a daily affair."

From Marvin J Ashton, General Conference, April 1984, stated, “Set your goals—without goals you cannot measure your progress. But don’t become frustrated because there are no obvious victories. Remind yourself that striving can be more important than arriving. If you are striving for excellence—if you are trying your best day by day with the wisest use of your time and energy to reach realistic goals—you are a success.”

And last, from President Kimball, General Conference, April 1976, “Accept the reality that personal improvement on the part of each priesthood holder is expected by our Father in heaven. We should be growing and we should be developing constantly. If we do, others will sense the seriousness of our discipleship and can then more easily forgive us our frailties which we sometimes show in the way in which we lead and manage.”

“It is most appropriate for Aaronic Priesthood youth, as well as Melchizedek Priesthood men, to quietly, and with determination, set some serious personal goals in which they will seek to improve by selecting certain things that they will accomplish within a specified period of time. Even if the priesthood holders of our Heavenly Father are headed in the right direction, if they are men without momentum they will have too little influence. You are the leaven on which the world depends; you must use your powers to stop a drifting and aimless world.” 

Please take this early month of 2021 to seriously consider your path, determine to change as necessary, and work towards a significantly better you.