President Dieter Uchtdorf - Of Things That Matter Most

it's remarkable how much we can learn about life by studying nature for example scientists can look at the rings of trees and make educated guesses about climate and growing conditions hundreds and even thousands of years ago one of the things we learn from studying the growth of trees is that during seasons when conditions are ideal trees grow at a normal rate however during seasons where growing conditions are not ideal trees slow down their growth and devote their energy to the basic elements necessary for survival at this point some of you may be thinking that's all very fine and good but what does it have to do with flying an airplane [Laughter] well well let me tell you have you ever been at an airplane and experienced turbulence the most common cause of turbulence is a sudden change in air movement causing the aircraft to pitch yaw and roll while planes are built to withstand far greater turbulence than anything you would encounter on a regular flight it still may be disconcerting to passengers what do you suppose pilots do when they encounter turbulence a student pilot may think that increasing speed is a good strategy because it will get them through the turbulence faster but that may be the wrong thing to do professional pilots understand that there's an optimum turbulence penetration speed that will minimize the negative effects of turbulence and most of the time that would mean to reduce your speed as we all know the same principle applies also to speed bumps on a road therefore it is good advice to slow down a little study the course and focus on the essentials when experiencing adverse conditions this is a simple but critical listen to lesson to learn it may seem logical when put in terms of trees or turbulence but it's surprising how easy it is to ignore when it comes to applying these same principles in our own daily lives when stress levels rise when the stress appears when tragedy strikes too often we attempt to keep up the same frantic pace or even accelerate thinking somehow that the more rushed our pace the better off we will be one of the characteristics of modern life seems to be that we are moving at an ever-increasing rate regardless of turbulence or obstacles let's be honest it's rather easy to be busy we all can think of a list of tasks that will overwhelm our schedule some might even think that their self-worth depends on the length of their to-do list they flood the open spaces in their time with lists of meetings and minutiae even during times of stress and fatigue because they unnecessarily complicate their lives they often feel increased frustration diminished joy and too little sense of meaning in their lives it is said that any virtue when taken to an extreme can become advice over scheduling our days would certainly qualify for this there comes a point where milestones can become millstones and ambitions albatrosses around our innate the wise understand and apply the lessons of tree rings and turbulence they resist the temptation to get caught up in the frantic rush of every day life they follow the advice there's more to life than increasing its speed in short they focus on the things that matter most elder Dallin age oaks in a recent General Conference heart we have to forego some good things in order to choose others that are better or best because they develop faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and strengthen our families the search for the best things inevitably leads to the foundational principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ the simple and beautiful truths revealed to us by a caring eternal and all-knowing father in heaven these core doctrines and principles though simple enough for a child to understand provide the answers to the most complex questions of life there is a beauty and clarity that comes from simplicity that we sometimes do not appreciate in our thirst for intricate solutions for example it wasn't long after astronauts and cosmonauts orbited the earth as they realized ballpoint pens would not work in space and so some very smart people went to work solving the problem it took thousands of hours and millions of dollars but in the end they developed a pen that would ride anywhere in any temperature and on nearly any surface but how did the astronauts and cosmonauts get along until the problem was solved they simply use a pencil Leonardo da Vinci is quoted as saying that simplicity is the ultimate sophistication when we look at the foundational principles of the plan of happiness the plan of salvation we can recognize and appreciate in its plainness and simplicity the elegance and beauty of our Heavenly Father's wisdom then turning our ways to his ways is the beginning of our wisdom the story is told that the legendary football coach Vince Lombardi had a ritual he performed on the first day of training he would hold up a football show it to the athletes who had been playing the sports for many years and say gentlemen this is a football he talked about its size and shape how it can be kicked carried and passed he took the team out onto the empty field and said this is a football field he walked them around describing the dimensions the shape the rules in how the games the game is played this coach knew that even these experienced players and indeed the team could only become great by mastering the fundamentals they could spend time practicing intricate trick plays but until they mastered the fundamentals of the game they would never become a championship team I think most of us intuitively understand how important the fundamentals are it is just that we sometimes get distracted by so many things that seem more enticing printed material white ranging media sources electronic tools and gadgets all helpful if used properly can become hurtful diversions or heartless chambers of isolation yet amidst the multitude of voices and choices the humble man of Galilei stands with hands outstretched waiting his is a simple message come follow me and he does not speak with a powerful megaphone but with a still small voice it is so easy for the basic gospel message to get lost amidst the deluge of information that hits us from all sides the Holy Scriptures and the spoken word of the Living prophets give emphasis to the fundamental principles and doctrines of the gospel the reason we return to these foundational principles to the pure doctrine is because they are the gateway to truth of profound meaning they are the door to experience and to experiences of sublime importance that would otherwise be beyond our capacity to comprehend these simple basic principles are the key to living in harmony with God and men they are the keys to opening the windows of heaven they lead us to the peace joy and understanding that Heavenly Father has promised to his children who hear and obey Him my dear brothers and sisters we would do well to slow down a little proceeded at the optimum speed for our circumstances focus on the significant lift up our eyes and truly see the things that matter most let us be mindful of the foundational presets our Heavenly Father has given to his children that will establish the basis of a rich and fruitful mortal life with promises of eternal happiness they will teach us to do all these things in wisdom and order for it is not requisite that we should run faster than we have strength but it is expedient that we should be diligent and thereby win the prize my dear brothers and sisters diligently doing the things that matter most will lead us to the savior of the world this is why we talk of Christ we rejoice in Christ we preach of Christ we prophesy of Christ that we may know to what source we may look for a remission of our sins in the complexity confusion and rush of modern living this is the more excellent way so what are the basics as we turn to our Heavenly Father and seek his wisdom regarding the things that matter most we learn over and over again the importance of four key relationships with our God with our families with our fellow men and with ourselves as we evaluate our own lives with a willing mind we will see where we have drifted from the more excellent way the eyes of our understanding will be opened and we will recognize what needs to be done to purify our heart and refocus our life first our relationship with God is most sacred and vital we are his spirit children he's our Father he desires our happiness as we seek him as we learn of his son Jesus Christ as we open our hearts to the influence of the Holy Ghost our lives become more stable and secure we experience greater peace joy and fulfillment as we give our best to live according to God's eternal plan and keep his Commandments we improve our relationship with our Heavenly Father by learning of him by communing with him by repenting of our sins and actively following Jesus Christ for no man cometh unto the father but by Christ to strengthen our relationship with God we need some meaningful time alone with him quietly focusing on daily personal prayer and scripture study always aiming to be worthy of a current ember recommend these will be some wise investments of our time in efforts to draw closer to our Heavenly Father let us heed the psalmist's invitation be still and know that I'm God our second key relationship is with our families since no other success can compensate for failure here we must place high priority on our families we built deep and loving family relationships by doing simple things together like family dinner and family home evening and by just having fun together in family relationships love is really spelled TI m e time taking time for each other is the key for harmony at home we talk with rather than about each other we learn from each other and we appreciate our differences as well as our commonality we established a divine bond with each other as we approach God together through family prayer the gospel study and Sunday worship the third key relationship we have is with our fellow men we build this relationship one person at a time by being sensitive to the needs of others serving them in giving of our time and talents I was deeply impressed by one sister who was burdened with the challenges of age and illness but decided that although she couldn't do much she could listen and so each week she watched for people who look troubled or discouraged and she spent time with them listening what a blessing she was in the lives of so many people the fourth key relationship is with ourselves it may seem odd to think of having a relationship with ourselves but we do some people can't get along with themselves they criticize and belittle themselves all day long until they begin to hate themselves may I suggest that you reduce the rush and take a little extra time to get to know yourself better walk in nature watch the Sun Rise enjoy God's creations ponder the truths of the restored gospel and find out what they mean for you personally learn to see yourself as Heavenly Father sees you as his precious daughter or son with divine potential brothers and sisters let us be wise let us turn to the pure doctrinal waters of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ let us joyfully partake of them in their simplicity and plainness the heavens are open again the gospel of Jesus Christ is on earth once more and it's simple truths are a plentiful source of joy brothers and sisters indeed we have great reason to rejoice if life in its rushed pace and many stresses have made it difficult for you to feel like rejoicing then perhaps now is a good time to refocus on what matters most strength comes not from frantic activity but from being settled on a firm foundation of truth and light it comes from placing our attention and efforts on the basics of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ it comes from paying attention to the divine things that matter most let us simplify our lives a little let us make the changes necessary to refocus our lives on the supplying beauty of this simple humble path of Christian discipleship the path that leads always toward a life of meaning gladness and peace for this I pray as I leave you my blessing in the sacred name of Jesus Christ amen

Channel: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

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Keywords: General, Conference, Saturday, LDS, Mormon, Jesus, Christ, Deiter, Uchtdorf, Simple, Purpose, Life, Service

Id: 8w1zMRJ-Sq4

Length: 19min 12sec (1152 seconds)

Published: Sat Oct 02 2010