"Your Heavenly Father has known you for a very long time. You, as His son or daughter, were chosen by Him to come to earth at this precise time, to be a leader in His great work on earth. You were chosen not for your bodily characteristics but for your spiritual attributes, such as bravery, courage, integrity of heart, a thirst for truth, a hunger for wisdom, and a desire to serve others.
"You developed some of these attributes premortally. Others you can develop here on earth as you persistently seek them.
"A pivotal spiritual attribute is that of self-mastery—the strength to place reason over appetite. Self-mastery builds a strong conscience. And your conscience determines your moral responses in difficult, tempting, and trying situations.... Why the need for self-mastery? God implanted strong appetites within us for nourishment and love, vital for the human family to be perpetuated. When we master our appetites within the bounds of God's laws, we can enjoy longer life, greater love, and consummate joy."
- Russell M. Nelson, "Decisions for Eternity," Ensign, Nov 2013, pp. 106-109
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It's a comforting thing, I think, that "Heavenly Father has known [us] for a very long time" and has purposes and plans for our mortal experiences. He knows our "spiritual attributes" and knows what we are capable of developing through our efforts here.
Elder Nelson singles out a critical attribute that we should be aware of and seeking to develop in our characters. It's one that seems to be declining in the world today.
I appreciate the promise: "When we master our appetites within the bounds of God's laws, we can enjoy longer life, greater love, and consummate joy."
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