"That day I remembered and understood better the prophetic words of the Prophet Joseph Smith: 'A man filled with the love of God, is not content with blessing his family alone, but ranges through the whole world, anxious to bless the whole human race' (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 426).
"We see such love in the lives of Latter-day Saints everywhere....
"That faith, put into action, which requires selfless sacrifice, brings the change of heart that allows them to feel the love of God.
"Our hearts, however, remain changed only as long as we continue to follow the prophet’s counsel. If we stop trying after one burst of effort, the change will fade.
"Faithful Latter-day Saints have increased their faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, in the Book of Mormon as the word of God, and in the restoration of priesthood keys in His true Church. That increased testimony has given us greater courage and concern for others of God’s children. But the challenges and the opportunities ahead will require even more.
"We cannot foresee the details, but we know the larger picture. We know that in the last days, the world will be in commotion. We know that in the midst of whatever trouble comes, the Lord will lead faithful Latter-day Saints to take the gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. And we know that the Lord’s true disciples will be worthy and prepared to receive Him when He comes again. We need not fear.
"So, as much as we have already built faith and courage in our hearts, the Lord expects more from us—and from the generations after us. They will need to be stronger and braver because they will do even greater and harder things than we have done. And they will face increasing opposition from the enemy of our souls."
- Henry B. Eyring, "Fear Not to Do Good," General Conference October 2017
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I love the quote from Joseph Smith. When we truly feel the love of God in our hearts, it is reflected in our actions; our great desire becomes the blessing and happiness of those around us. Belief and devotion are translated into action; service to others becomes a motivating desire. And further, the selfless sacrifice of sincere service brings a change of heart that is one of life's greatest blessings.
A changed heart only remains changed when the conditions that brought about the change are maintained! What a great insight.
The final paragraph of this excerpt provides an interesting insight and a great challenge. President Eyring reminds us that "the Lord expects more from us" in order to deal with the challenges ahead. We will be asked to "do even greater and harder things than we have done" as the opposition becomes greater than ever. A frightening forecast, perhaps, but with the assurance of God's help, we can have faith that all will be well.
(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)
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