Keep Scrolling below. There are two talks today!
by President Thomas S. Monson
President Monson first reminds us of our purpose here on earth. The first is to gain a body, the second was to gain experience "that could only come through separation from our heavenly parents", and the third reason was to see if we would keep the commandments.
"When we came to earth, we brought with us that great gift from God -- even our agency. In thousands of ways we are privileged to choose for ourselves. Here we learn from the hard taskmaster of experience. We discern between good and evil We differentiate as to the bitter and the sweet. We learn that decisions determine destiny."
"[Heavenly Father] did not send us here without direction and guidance. Rather, He has given us the tools we need, and He will assist us as we seek His help and strive to do all in our power to endure to the end and gain eternal life."
Then President Monson talks about some of the tools we have - scriptures, and prophets, and the most important tool of all - Jesus Christ and His perfect example.
"Of paramount importance, we have been provided with a perfect example to follow -even the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ- and we have been instructed to follow that example."
"As we examine the path Jesus walked, we will see that it took Him through many of the same challenges we ourselves will face in life."
Similarities- Jesus faced that we too face or that we're encouraged to do:
"When we came to earth, we brought with us that great gift from God -- even our agency. In thousands of ways we are privileged to choose for ourselves. Here we learn from the hard taskmaster of experience. We discern between good and evil We differentiate as to the bitter and the sweet. We learn that decisions determine destiny."
"[Heavenly Father] did not send us here without direction and guidance. Rather, He has given us the tools we need, and He will assist us as we seek His help and strive to do all in our power to endure to the end and gain eternal life."
Then President Monson talks about some of the tools we have - scriptures, and prophets, and the most important tool of all - Jesus Christ and His perfect example.
"Of paramount importance, we have been provided with a perfect example to follow -even the example of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ- and we have been instructed to follow that example."
"As we examine the path Jesus walked, we will see that it took Him through many of the same challenges we ourselves will face in life."
Similarities- Jesus faced that we too face or that we're encouraged to do:
1. "Jesus walked the path of disappointment." - Luke 13:34
"Each of us will walk the path of disappointment, perhaps because of an opportunity lost, a power misused, a loved one's choices, or a choice we ourselves make."
2. "Jesus walked the path of temptation." -Matthew 4
"The path of temptaion too will be the path of each. We read in the 29th section of the Doctrine and Covenants: 'And it must needs be that the devil should tempt the children of men, or they could not be agents unto themselves.'"
3. "Jesus walked the path of pain" -In the Garden of Gethsemane and on the Cross
"Likewise, we shall walk the path of pain. We, as servants, can expect no more than the Master, who left mortality only after great pain and suffering."
"We will find on our path bitter sorrow, we can also find great happiness."
4. "We, with Jesus, can walk the path of obedience.
5. "We, like Jesus, can walk the path of service."
"A glowing searchlight of goodness is the life of Jesus as He ministered among men. He brought strength to the limbs of the cripple, sight to the eyes of the blind, hearing to the ears of the deaf."
6. We can walk "the path of prayer."
"He taught us how to pray by giving us the beautiful prayer we know as the Lord's Prayer. And who can forget the prayer in Gethsemane, "Not thy will, but thine, be done"?"
"Other instructions given to us by the Savior are at our fingertips, found in the holy scriptures. IN His Sermon on the Mount, He tell us to:
-Be merciful
-Be humble
-Be righteous
-Be pure in heart
-Be peacemakers
-Stand up bravely for our beliefs, even when we are ridiculed and persecuted.
-Let our light shine so that others may see them and may desire to glorify our Father in Heaven.
-Be morally clean in both our thoughts and our actions.
-It is far better to lay up treasures in heaven than on earth."
Through His parables, he teaches us to:
- love and serve our neighbors (Parable of the Good Samaritan)
-improve ourselves and to strive for perfection (Parable of the Talents)
-go to the rescue of those who have left the path and have lost their way (Parable of the Lost Sheep).
"As we look to Jesus as our Exemplar and as we follow in His footsteps, we can return safely to our Heavenly Father to live with Him forever."
"The Savior's example provides the framework for everything we do, and His words provide an unfailing guide. His path will take us safely home."