Elder Richard G. Scott on finding peace and beauty in life

Elder Richard G. Scott (1928- ) served as a Seventy from 1977-1988, when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

"Personally, I am enthusiastic about the future. You can be too. You are living in the most exciting period of time in history. Many reasons could be cited for that optimism. Yet your greatest source of hope and assurance is that you have the fulness of the teachings of the Master. They will show you how to live a good life. You can receive ordinances and covenants that when righteously lived assure true happiness and significant attainment. 

"Life is beautiful when you make the effort to find beauty in it. In some of the most materially deprived parts of the world, I have seen the sunrise in all of its splendor and heard birds joyously welcoming a new day. I have seen beauty reflected in a small pot of flowers by a humble shelter or in the shy, beaming grin of a child at play, intent on discovering the world around him. 

"You can become depressed if all of your interests are focused on the media with its explicit details of the most worrisome world events. With care you can find much to reverently appreciate in this world Father in Heaven has given you. Begin by remembering that you are a son or daughter of God with divine potential. He will help you have a joyful, fulfilling life." 

- Richard G. Scott, "The Power of Righteousness," General Conference October 1998
Click here to read the full talk

This excerpt is full of realistic optimism and sound advice. If we understand God's plan for our eternal progress, there certainly is much to be enthusiastic about:

It's a pretty simple formula: righteous living and commitment to covenants will assure true happiness.

Elder Scott often speaks of finding the beauty in the world around us—noticing the grandeur of God's creations. We can find beauty even in "some of the most materially deprived parts of the world." There is much reason to be happy and peaceful when we are surrounded by the evidence of God's love, and we "reverently appreciate" the gifts we receive from God.

And the process begins as we remember our divine origins. That is such an important key to keeping perspective in our sometimes challenging world!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
March 14, 2015