Andersen - Never Leave Him - October 2010

Elder Andersen starts his talk reminding us of some simple truths:

• The Lord has not left us alone in our quest to return to Him.
  
• No one of us is immune from the influences of the world.
  
• Life is no spiritual picnic.

He reminds us of our life's journey to return to our Heavenly Father started at the time we entered the waters of baptism:

• We enter the waters of baptism with joy and anticipation. The Savior beckons, “Come unto me,” and we respond, taking His name upon us. Not one of us wants this journey to be a brief flirtation with spirituality or even a notable but finite chapter. The road of discipleship is not for the spiritually faint of heart.

Although making great steps to keep the commandments of God, there are trials and bumps along the path that have the ability to challenge our commitment to the things we know are true.

• Approached with faith, these refining experiences bring a deeper conversion of the Savior’s reality. Approached in a worldly way, these same experiences cloud our view and weaken our resolve. Some we love and admire slip from the strait and narrow path and “[walk] no more with him.”
  

Elder Andersen talks about being offended by others and ashamed of the commitments we have made to the Savior.  He reminds us that we are different and that we need to act differently from the world.  The Lord expects more from us.

• As disciples of Christ, we stand apart from the world. There may be times we feel uncomfortable as the fingers of scorn mock and dismiss what is sacred to us.
  

The footnotes in the talk reference comments by President Boyd K. Packer.

• “Largely because of television [and the Internet], instead of looking over into that spacious building, we are, in effect, living inside of it” (“Finding Ourselves in Lehi’s Dream,” Liahona, Aug. 2010, 29; Ensign, Aug. 2010, 23).
  

How vital it is to me to reevaluate myself and make sure that I am not one of those that President Packer states is living inside and mocking those that are doing their best to live the gospel on the outside.  He reminds us of the tremendous responsibility we have on our shoulders since we have received a fullness of the truth that God has for us in this life.

• As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, having a witness of His reality not only from the Bible but also from the Book of Mormon; knowing His priesthood has been restored to the earth; having made sacred covenants to follow Him and received the gift of the Holy Ghost; having been endowed with power in His holy temple; and being part of preparing for His glorious return to the earth, we cannot compare what we are to be with those who have not yet received these truths. “Unto whom much is given much is required.”
  

Elder Andersen summarizes his words with this:

• Perfection does not come in this life, but we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and keep our covenants. We push our spiritual roots deep, feasting daily on the words of Christ in the scriptures. We trust in the words of living prophets, placed before us to show us the way. We pray and pray and listen to the quiet voice of the Holy Ghost that leads us along and speaks peace to our soul. Whatever challenges arise, we never, never leave Him.
  

Elder Andersen points out that we have obligations on each of us as members of the church to follow the Savior throughout our entire lives.  I have made covenants to follow Him, strengthen others on their journey, and stay committed to living His gospel throughout my life.  The obligation on you and me in this life comes because we have been blessed by the Savior to have his full gospel revealed to us and accepted by us through the covenants we have made.  If we follow His directions and stay faithful to our covenants, we will never leave Him and He will never leave us.  Being offended by others or ashamed of the gospel we have accepted, will put barriers between us and the Spirit and make our journey harder.  I can choose to not be offended by others and ashamed of the covenants I have made.