After baptism, I (naively) was surprised that there were people who had the gospel their whole life and didn’t care, or didn’t do anything about it. I was heartbroken after sacrificing and losing and changing so much to join this church— I guess just the contrast of living so long without it and seeing how much better everything became because of it, it literally just didn’t cross my mind that could even happen among people.
You mean to tell me people had the Book of Mormon their whole life and haven’t read it?! My life would have been so different if I had that sooner! I would have killed to know that there IS a God and I can talk directly to Him, yet how many people don’t.
Of course, conversion has to happen to everyone, whether you’re born in the church or not. And the only way for that to happen is to act.
The secret to losing weight? work.
The secret to good grades? work.
The secret to getting a strong testimony? work.
The secret to keeping your testimony strong? work.
It’s heartbreaking to know some people who have this gospel at their fingertips will never take that step, but that’s a different matter. (And to be fair, I know if i grew up in the church, I know for a fact I would be numbered among those who “didn’t care.” I know I needed that contrast in my life to really know).
But it’s not about if you’re a convert or not. It’s about ALL of us at all stages of our lives—
Do we realize what we’re a part of?! Do we realize this is actually real? Do we realize and remember the power we have?! Do we realize and remember that what we do now effects our forever? And are we living in a way to aligns with that? Are we treating it as we should?
And if we don’t know yet, are we doing something about it?
Because how incredibly sad and eternally devastating it would be to make it to the next life and realize we didn’t receive the Celestial Kingdom—returning with God & loved ones—simply because we were too idle. Simply because our priorities were out of order.
How sad it would be to miss out on all the progress, the blessings, the miracles and guidance and SUBLIME HAPPINESS & ETERNAL BLISS in our every days simply because we put off talking to God. Because we didn’t give Him the time He deserves.
We only get to do this mortal thing once—let’s not take it for granted. Now is the time to put forth the effort, if we haven’t yet. Now is the time to do a self-check to make sure if we do know, if we are continuing to act as we should, or if we need to re-evaluate our time and efforts.
Let’s make taking care of us and our soul a priority. Make God a priority. This gospel is not our last option, it is our only option. Because this isn’t just wishful thinking— it’s real. And once we know it, let’s do everything we can to hold on to it and stay focused.
Because how hallow life is without experiencing it the way God intended. Because how painfully empty it will be to get to the judgement bar and realize life, and our chance at it, just slipped away from us and we can’t do anything to get it back.
So let’s all remember why we’re really here and what we need to be doing. Let’s recommit to act. Let’s recommit to read. Let’s recommit to study, really study. To learn. To turn to Him. To talk to Him. To preach. To participate. To always exercise our change of heart muscle. And to keep going. Let’s recommit to Him. To trusting Him, His commandments, and His path for us. Because every single bit of it is worth the sacrifice, the time, the trust, the loss… Because sacrifice, suffering, loss, etc…—all of that—doesn’t even come close to what we receive in return.
Because His promises are real. And He will show us. But we have to continuously put in the effort.
We have to act. We have to give this a real go at it! Every day. We have to continuously choose Him over the fleeting things of this world. We have to stay focused. Because we are meant for something so much greater than this— so much greater than the here and now, greater than the worldly “happiness” that isn’t even a sliver of the godly and heavenly that’s available to us through the simple principals of the gospel so many so often overlook.
✨ “Shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory!” (D&C 128:22).
xox
AL
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