President Thomas S. Monson on remembering God in every season

President Thomas S. Monson (b. August 21, 1927) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley before becoming Church president in 2008.

"If there is a spiritual lesson to be learned from our experience of that fateful day, it may be that we owe to God the same faithfulness that He gives to us. We should strive for steadiness, and for a commitment to God that does not ebb and flow with the years or the crises of our lives. It should not require tragedy for us to remember him, and we should not be compelled to humility before giving him our faith and trust. We too should be with him in every season.

"The way to be with God in every season is to strive to be near him every week and each day. We truly 'need him every hour,' not just in hours of devastation. We must speak to him, listen to him, and serve him. If we wish to serve him, we should serve our fellow men. We will mourn the lives we lose, but we should also fix the lives that can be mended and heal the hearts that may yet be healed."

- Thomas S. Monson, Thoughts on Sept. 11, The Washington Post 9/11/11; see "Remembering 9/11: Mormon leaders share messages of comfort," Deseret News, September 11, 2013
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These words were prepared by President Monson for a compilation of the thoughts of religious leaders on the 10th anniversary of the 9/11/01 attacks in the eastern United States. I was impressed by his efforts to find a "spiritual lesson" from the tragic events of that day. He reminds us all that it is not just in times of tragedy or profound sorrow that we should turn to God:

We should strive to "be with him in every season" of our lives, challenging or peaceful. It's that "steadiness" at all times that will provide the rock of faith to help us through the times of storm and challenge.

And President Monson reminds us how that is done: one day at a time, as we turn to God "every hour, and not just in hours of devastation." The keys are:

• Speak to him
• Listen to him
• Serve him.

And we serve God by serving those around us: comforting, mending, healing. As we follow His example, we draw near to Him and feel His power in our lives, that will bless us when the times of need come.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)