by Elder Carlos A. Godoy
The Lord has a plan for us
The Lord Loves us
The Lord desires to bless us with what is BEST for us.
That is how I would summarize this talk.
"We are children of Almighty God. He is our Father, He loves us, and He has a plan for us. We are not here in this life just to waste our time, grow old, and die. God wants us to grow and achieve our potential."
"I know that the Lord has a plan for us n this life. He knows us. He knows what is best for us. Just because things are going well does not mean that we should not from time to time consider whether there might be something better. . . "
QUESTION:
"If you continue to live as you are living, will the blessings in your patriarchal blessing be fulfilled?"
(The ones Heavenly Father desires to bless you with.)
This was quite a profound question. Something I had never thought of. Recently I heard someone comment that "It is not enough to know, the time has come to become." She said, in order to now what she is to become and how, she reads and studies her Patriarchal Blessing daily - for it is our personal word of God, given specifically for us. Our blessings hold the answers.
I was so inspired by this woman that I decided to start "Patriarchal Blessing Fridays". Each Friday, I read, study, and pray about my patriarchal blessing. It has become something I look forward to each week. Each time I read it, something new is brought to my attention. It has been very rewarding.
Elder Godoy also turned his attention to his patriarchal blessing asking himself, "If [I] continue to live as [I] am living, will the promised blessings be fulfilled?"
"After some pondering, I had the feeling that some changes were necessary. . . It was not a decision between what was right and wrong but between what was good and what was better. . . "
Elder Godoy then shares with us 3 principles he learned that can ensure us that we are making the best decision:
1. Consider Our Options with the End in Mind
"Understanding who we are, why we are here, and what the Lord expects from us in this life will help give us the broader vision we need."
"We have the scriptures, the temple, living prophets, our patriarchal blessings, inspired leaders, and, above all, the right to receive personal revelation to guide our decisions."
2. Be Prepared for the Challenges that Will Come
"Are we willing to pay the price for our decisions? Are we prepared to leave our comfort zones to reach a better place?"
"We are children of Almighty God. He is our Father, He loves us, and He has a plan for us. We are not here in this life just to waste our time, grow old, and die. God wants us to grow and achieve our potential."
Get out of your comfort zone and go for it! The Lord has your back.
3. Share This Vision with the People We Love
Once you know what you are to do, share and discuss it with your loved ones - parents, spouse, children- They will be affected too. "Ideally they should be able to see what we see and share our same convictions."
To end, I'll repeat Elder Godoy's words
"Just because things are going well does not mean that we should not from time to time consider whether there might be something better. . . "
Don't become so content you that you miss some blessings that could have been yours.
The Lord Loves us. He has a plan for us. And he wants to bless us, we just have to do our part.