- Whoever you are and wherever you may be, you hold in your hands the happiness of more people than you can now imagine. Every day and every hour you can choose to make or keep a covenant with God.
He notes that our greatest happiness in life comes from family relationships that are eternal.
- The happiness of eternal life comes through family bonds which continue forever.
He tells us that making and keeping sacred covenants with God requires faith to stay faithful.
- It takes faith in Jesus Christ as our Savior to keep sacred covenants for a lifetime.
God and Jesus Christ are our ultimate examples of righteousness. Their plan for our happiness gives us peace and hope if we make the right decisions, and gives us uncertainty and unhappiness when we make the wrong decisions. The only path to long-term, true happiness, is found in making and keeping sacred covenants with God.
- Heavenly Father and the Savior are our perfect examples of what we can and must do. They never force righteousness because righteousness must be chosen. They make righteousness discernible to us, and They let us see that its fruits are delicious.
- God makes it attractive to choose the right by letting us feel the effects of our choices. If we choose the right, we will find happiness—in time. If we choose evil, there comes sorrow and regret—in time. Those effects are sure. Yet they are often delayed for a purpose. If the blessings were immediate, choosing the right would not build faith. And since sorrow is also sometimes greatly delayed, it takes faith to feel the need to seek forgiveness for sin early rather than after we feel its sorrowful and painful effects.
President Eyring points out that some of our family members may choose a different path that the one we would choose for them. He says that our efforts as they have grown up will not be forgotten. He says that words of scriptures and words of hymns are often impressed upon them for long periods of time and give them remembrance of things they know are true.
- The Holy Ghost can bring all things to their remembrance, but the words of scriptures and hymns will last the longest.
We should try to see those that struggle in a long view and love them through the issues and decisions they make. We have been blessed to have the truth and we need to remember that God loves them and will help them in their needs.
- We will need the long view when those we love feel the pull of the world and the cloud of doubt seems to overwhelm their faith. We have faith, hope, and charity to guide us and to strengthen them.
He speaks of the great faith of prophets that he has served with. Those prophets have has the vision that all will work out since this is the work of the Savior. We can adopt that same view with our families. All will work out if we are keeping our covenants and trying to take care of our families.
- If you let Him be the leader of your family, things will work out.
If we do all we can, the Lord will bless us. Those blessings will not only be given to us, they will be given to our families and those that we love. God loves us and wants to bless us.
- After all we can do in faith, the Lord will justify our hopes for greater blessings for our families than we can imagine. He wants the best for them and for us, as His children.
I am impressed with President Eyring's comments about bring scriptures and music to the minds and hearts of those that wander. Since my kids were very young, we have sang sacred hymns before our family prayers each night. This tradition is part of our family heritage and one that I know my kids at times have used to strengthen their testimony of the Savior and His love for them. Although some nights are irreverent and playful when our song is "Once There Was A Snowman," there are other nights where songs like "Come Follow Me" and "A Child's Prayer" bring the spirit of love and hope into our hearts. My kids have sacred memories of praying for those in need, pleading with God to bless others, and sharing the desires of their heart for blessings we seek to obtain from God. These memories will never be erased and as my kids grow, I know they will remember the hope and love we have felt in those sacred moments. If I don't leave anything else for them, they will always remember the love that they have felt from the Savior when we came together to seek His love and guidance. President Eyring says that this heritage is priceless. I would agree, I would not give these sacred moments up for any price.