Seriously, this is the BEST DAY OF THE WEEK!!! I love going to church!
There was a talk today given in Sacrament Meeting that really spoke to me and I'd like to share just a few thoughts with you.
First off we all have wants and desires. A "want" is something that we would like, but at the end of the day it is an empty wish because we are not willing to put forth the effort to make it a reality. A "desire" is something that we want and are willing to make the necessary sacrifices to obtain it. In a conference talk in 2011, Elder Dallin H. Oaks stated:
"Desires Dictate Priorities
Priorities Shape our Choices.
Choices Determine our Action."
At the end of the day, we are not only judged by our works, but by the desires of our hearts (D&C 137:9) because ultimately, what we desire is what we become.
A good way to judge what we desire is to take note of what we do in our free time. I applied this principal to myself and realized I need to work on what I desire! For example, sometimes instead of reading my scriptures, first I get on the computer and surf the net. I am sacrificing spiritual opportunities and growth because I have an unrighteous desire to be entertained by superficial media. Not to say that media is bad but it does have it's place, and it does not belong as one of the desires of my heart.
We should not leave our desires alone to develop on their own because the natural man will most definitely take over. Desires should be cared for and cultivated, so that they might grow in the right direction. Too often we try to fix the symptoms of our unrighteous desires, instead of going straight to the source and changing our desire. But changing our desires isn't easy, and we are not asked to do it on our own.
In the scriptures, when it talks about a "mighty change of heart" I believe this is referring to the spiritual state we reach when we are finally humble enough to allow God to help us shape our desires. In the hymn "Come thou Fount of Every Blessing" the ending line is a plea, a supplication to God to help us weak children develop righteous desires
"Take my heart,
oh take and seal it;
seal it for they courts above"
I love that hymn and I especially love that line. It has always resonated with me, and now I guess I know why! :) When we give our hearts to God, he is able to change it, and we will have no more disposition to do evil, thus sealing up for ourselves the most wonderful treasure in Heaven, Eternal Life.
God Loves Us
I know this is true!
~Keep Smiling!~ :)
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