"Remember, no one can reach upward on your behalf. Only your faith and prayers will cause you to lift yourself and have the mighty change of heart. Only your resolve to be obedient can change your life. Because of the Savior’s atoning sacrifice for you, the power is in you. (See D&C 58:28.) You have your agency, you have strong testimonies if you are obedient, and you can follow the Spirit that guides you....
"In the Church, when important decisions must be made, we often hold council meetings. Family councils serve a similar purpose. You may want to conduct what I’ll call a 'personal council.' After praying, spend some time alone. Think about what is ahead. Ask yourself: 'What areas of my life do I want to strengthen so that I can strengthen others? Where do I want to be a year from now? two years from now? What choices do I need to make to get there?' Just remember, you are a pilot, and you are in charge. I testify that as you come to yourself, your Heavenly Father will come to you. By the comforting hand of His Holy Spirit, He will help you along."
- Robert D. Hales, "Meeting the Challenges of Today’s World," General Conference, October 2015, Saturday afternoon session
Click here to read the full talk
Elder Hales reminds us of the individual, personal responsibility to act on our own behalf in our commitment to obedience, our efforts to purify our hearts, our use of agency as we follow the Spirit in efforts that can lead to true change and growth.
His suggestion on how to make more progress in those efforts is to employ a "personal council" — a self-evaluation during which we carefully consider where we stand and where we want to be in the future. With inspiration from above, such introspection can lead to promptings and resolution to progress in wonderful ways!
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