President Howard W. Hunter on growth and progress

President Hunter (1907-1995) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1959.  He served as Church President from June 5, 1994 to his death on March 3, 1995.

"Part of our difficulty as we strive to acquire spirituality is the feeling that there is much to do and that we are falling far short. Perfection is something yet ahead for every one of us; but we can capitalize on our strengths, begin where we are, and seek after the happiness that can be found in pursuing the things of God. We should remember the Lord’s counsel:

Wherefore, be not weary in well-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of small things proceedeth that which is great.

Behold, the Lord requireth the heart and a willing mind; and the willing and obedient shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days. (D&C 64:33–34.)

"It has always been encouraging to me that the Lord said it is the 'willing and obedient [who] shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.' All of us can be willing and obedient. If the Lord had said the perfect shall eat the good of the land of Zion in these last days, I suppose some of us would be discouraged and give up.... 

"The place to begin is here. The time to start is now. The length of our stride need be but one step at a time. God, who has, 'designed our happiness,' will lead us along even as little children, and we will by that process approach perfection." 

- Howard W. Hunter, "Developing Spirituality," General Conference April 1979
Click here to read the full talk

It's easy to get discouraged when we find ourselves "falling far short" of the goal of perfection. It's very common to wish we were doing better, achieving more, being more faithful and obedient. In the midst of feelings of inadequacy, this reminder about perspective is helpful. We don't need to be perfect—yet.  We just need to be "willing and obedient."

The key is to be willing to start now, to make consistent progress toward the goal. The progress can be slow and gradual; that is less important than the fact that we are progressing. What a hopeful message!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2021)
January 8, 2015

Elder Neil L. Andersen on recognizing our divine potential

Elder Neil L. Andersen (born August 9, 1951) served as a Seventy beginning in 1993, and was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 2009.

The following report of a talk he gave to a group of Seminary students includes direct quotes and summaries; a full transcript is not available.

"You are a child of God with eternal possibilities available to you, and one of the greatest things you can do with your life is to accept who you are, where you came from, and where you are going," he said. "Now, with a monarch butterfly it is very innate. We as sons and daughters of God feel this is true, but we must confirm it and believe it."

Sharing a story of his young grandson singing the Primary song "I Am a Child of God," Elder Andersen said that youth today need to believe those sacred words.

"Come to believe it," he said. "Sometimes when you feel like you are a caterpillar and say to yourself: 'I’m not smart, I’m not very coordinated, I’m different, I don’t have this, I don’t have that'—keep in mind who you are. We don’t all have to be the same. We come in different sizes, different shapes, different colors. Some have some talents, some have others; we don’t have to be exactly like someone else." ...

Individuals must look on their potential and think, "One day I will fly," Elder Andersen taught.

- Neil L. Andersen, "Lessons Learned from a Butterfly," address to seminary students in Bountiful, Utah 1/6/2012
Click here to read a report of the address

According to this report published in the Church News, Elder Andersen was speaking to a group of Seminary students in Bountiful, Utah. Using imagery of caterpillars and butterflies, he shard "four spiritual lessons individuals can learn from the monarch butterfly." These included:

1. You are a child of God with eternal possibilities available to you.
2. To become who God would have you become, you will need the gifts of the Savior and your own correct choices.
3. Your spiritual senses are refined and delicate and are protected by honesty and obedience.
4. As you see beyond yourself, you begin to see who the Lord would have you become.

There are good insights in Elder Andersen's comments, worth reviewing and pondering.

When we struggle, when we know we have many shortcomings and much to learn and experience, Elder Andersen counsels us to remember: "One day I will fly," Profound advice!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin on making a masterpiece of our life

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917-2008) served as a Seventy from 1976 to 1986, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1986 until his passing in 2008 at age 91.

"The third quality of those who live abundant lives is that they, with the help of their Heavenly Father, create a masterpiece of their lives.

"No matter our age, circumstances, or abilities, each one of us can create something remarkable of his life.

"David saw himself as a shepherd, but the Lord saw him as a king of Israel. Joseph of Egypt served as a slave, but the Lord saw him as a seer. Mormon wore the armor of a soldier, but the Lord saw him as a prophet.

"We are sons and daughters of an immortal, loving, and all-powerful Father in Heaven. We are created as much from the dust of eternity as we are from the dust of the earth. Every one of us has potential we can scarcely imagine.

"The Apostle Paul wrote, 'Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.' (1 Cor. 2:9)

"How is it possible, then, that so many see themselves merely as an old, gray horse that isn’t good for much? There is a spark of greatness within every one of us—a gift from our loving and eternal Heavenly Father. What we do with that gift is up to us.

"Love the Lord with all your heart, might, mind, and strength. Enlist in great and noble causes. Create of your homes sanctuaries of holiness and strength. Magnify your callings in the Church. Fill your minds with learning. Strengthen your testimonies. Reach out to others.

"Create of your life a masterpiece."

- Joseph B. Wirthlin, "The Abundant Life," General Conference, April 2006
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

In speaking about "The Abundant Life," Elder Wirthlin discussed three characteristics of those who live that kind of richer life: first, "they drink deeply of living waters"; second, "they fill their hearts with love"; and then third, they "create a masterpiece of their lives." In this third section, he describes how any one of us, with God's help, can accomplish that.

There are times when one of the hardest things to remember, but one of the most important things to remember, is that as children of God, "created... from the dust of eternity... every one of us has potential we can scarcely imagine." We truly have the potential to become great. Elder Wirthlin gives a great key to helping us remember that detail: Love God, be deeply involved in His cause, make home a sanctuary, serve faithfully, learn continually, grow in testimony, serve. Great reminders; as we do those things, we will truly create a magnificent life.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2019)

Elder Ulisses Soares on realizing our divine potential

Elder Ulisses Soares (born October 2, 1958 in Brazil) has served as a Seventy since April 2005, and as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy since January 2013. He was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles on April 1, 2018.

"Each of us was born with the potential to become like our Heavenly Father. Through our experiences and by properly using our agency, we can turn our lives in the direction of God and become like Him. Or we can be distracted by the world and fail to achieve our potential as it was promised to us. Figuratively, we all have the potential to become beautiful works of art in the Lord’s hands. In this sense, He is the sculptor and He uses a hammer and chisel to mold us through our experiences day by day. If we allow the Lord to shape us, the result will be wonderful.

"But without question, this world offers many distractions that can pull our focus away from the primary reason we are living here on this earth. These distractions can turn into detours in our lives that prevent us from being transformed into works of art."

- Ulisses Soares, "Becoming a Work of Art," BYU devotional, Nov. 5, 2013
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

We believe in a Father in Heaven who is literally our Father; we believe He knows us, loves us, and wants to help us in this life. Elder Soares, in this message given while he was serving as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy, reminds us that we need to remember Him and "turn our lives in [His] direction" in order to avoid being distracted by the world.

The image of a sculptor working a block of marble is so appropriate. God will "mold us through our experiences day by day" as we allow Him to shape us, trusting in His wisdom even when we don't fully understand the process. The key, Elder Soares warns us, is not to allow ourselves to become distracted from our focus on God.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President Gordon B. Hinckley on the divine potential of women

President Gordon B. Hinckley (1910-2008) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1961. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency from 1981-1995, then as Church President until his death in 2008.

"To you women, I wish to issue a challenge tonight. That challenge is to rise to the stature of the divine within you. As you have been reminded, yours is a godly inheritance. 'I am a child of God' is not an idle or meaningless statement....

"Is there anything more beautiful, anything that speaks more of divinity than a lovely little girl? I have little granddaughters, bright-eyed and beautiful, who sing and smile and touch my heart with thoughts of heaven....

"I see young women, radiant in the beauty of youth, whose virtue is more precious than rubies—young women who are bright and who study with enthusiasm and diligence to learn the word of the Lord and also to equip themselves to take their places with honor and ability in the world in which they will live. I see young women who know the word of God and can quote it; who know the standards of the Church and live by them; who have a sense of worth and a wondrous sensitivity to the beauties of life and nature, music and art; who treasure truth and seek to enlarge their understanding of it; who have determined that worthiness to enter the house of the Lord for a divine endowment and an eternal sealing is the most desirable of all goals. Can anyone doubt that there is something divine within such?

"I see young mothers. I have three daughters and two daughters-in-law who love and honor their husbands, who nurture and treasure and train their children, who teach and direct in the organizations of the Church, who go to the house of the Lord with unselfishness in their hearts, who love life and face its challenges and adversities as well as drink deeply of its enriching experiences and beauties....

"I observe older women, mature from the living of many years. In their hearts is a solid, unshakable residual of faith. In their souls is a great residual of love to be widely spread for the blessing of others. In their minds is an appreciation for goodness and truth and beauty. In their hearts is an understanding for and a love of God our Eternal Father and His Beloved Son, our Redeemer.

"These are among those who rise to the stature of the divine inheritance they carry."

- Gordon B. Hinckley, "Rise to the Stature of the Divine within You," General Conference Women's Meeting October 1989
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

President Hinckley shared these remarks with a General Women's Meeting in the October 1989 conference. He was trying to convey his sense of the role of women in mortality through the different phases of their lives, their divine potential now and eternally, and the opportunities they have to do good.

The challenge to "rise to the stature of the divine within you" is a profound one. It conveys a sense of the faith we have in our divine heritage, as children of God, bearing His nature and potential. It invites us to become more like him as we progress through the stages of life, learning through faith and study, through service and experience. What a profound invitation it is for each of us to ponder!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland on God's love for each one

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (born December 3, 1940) served as Church Commissioner of Education from 1976-1980, as the president of BYU from 1980-1989, as a Seventy from 1989-1994, and as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1994.

"Your Father in Heaven knows your name and knows your circumstance. He hears your prayers. He knows your hopes and dreams, including your fears and frustrations. And He knows what you can become through faith in Him. Because of this divine heritage you, along with all of your spiritual sisters and brothers, have full equality in His sight and are empowered through obedience to become a rightful heir in His eternal kingdom, an '[heir] of God, and joint-[heir] with Christ.' (Rom. 8:17.)

"Seek to comprehend the significance of these doctrines. Everything Christ taught He taught to women as well as men. Indeed, in the restored light of the gospel of Jesus Christ, a woman, including a young woman, occupies a majesty all her own in the divine design of the Creator. You are, as Elder James E. Talmage once phrased it, 'a sanctified investiture which none shall dare profane.' (James E. Talmage, 'The Eternity of Sex,' Young Woman’s Journal, Oct. 1914, 602.)"

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "To Young Women," General Conference October 2005
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

One of the great truths of the Restoration is the very personal nature of God. Joseph Smith discovered this truth in his First Vision: God knew his name, and knew his circumstances. Elder Holland testifies that we all have that same assurance of His individualized love and concern for us:

Because we are, truly, His daughters and sons, there are powerful promises that await us, even that we may each "become a rightful heir in His eternal kingdom." There is nothing greater we could hope for!

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

Elder Dale G. Renlund on the faithful disciple's walk in life

Elder Dale G. Renlund (born November 13, 1952) served in the First Quorum of Seventy starting in 2009, until his call to the Quorum of Twelve in October 2015.

"[Former South African president Nelson] Mandela frequently deflected accolades by saying, 'I’m no saint—that is, unless you think a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying.'

"This statement—'a saint is a sinner who keeps on trying'—should reassure and encourage members of the Church. Although we are referred to as 'Latter-day Saints,' we sometimes flinch at this reference. The term Saints is commonly used to designate those who have achieved an elevated state of holiness or even perfection. And we know perfectly well that we are not perfect.

"Our theology does teach us, though, that we may be perfected by repeatedly and iteratively 'relying wholly upon' the doctrine of Christ: exercising faith in Him, repenting, partaking of the sacrament to renew the covenants and blessings of baptism, and receiving the Holy Ghost as a constant companion to a greater degree. As we do so, we become more like Christ and are able to endure to the end, with all that that entails. In less formal terms, God cares a lot more about who we are and who we are becoming than about who we once were. He cares that we keep on trying."

- Dale G. Renlund, "Latter-day Saints Keep on Trying," Ensign, May 2015, pp. 57-58
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

A lot hinges how we interpret the word "saint." Mandela's definition is perfect; it's just someone who keeps on trying. It's a disciple who is firmly on the path and doing his or her best to progress. That progress comes through the Master whom we follow:

And now, my beloved brethren, after ye have gotten into this strait and narrow path, I would ask if all is done? Behold, I say unto you, Nay; for ye have not come thus far save it were by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save. (2 Nephi 31:19, emphasis added.)

I love the phrase "relying wholly upon" that Elder Renlund quotes. It requires a total and unrestrained commitment to Him in order to walk the path; partial or occasional reliance won't do. Elder Renlund then elaborates:

It's a powerful reminder that God is much more concerned with our present state and direction, than He is about where we came from. We should never forget that!