In the April 2013 general conference meeting for the Young Women President Uchtdorf gave a talk all about enjoying your journey and what our road map back to eternal life with our father in heaven is.
As members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day saints we have a shared goal. The goal is to return to our Father in Heaven that we may be able to live as he does; eternally.
Eternity isn't something we can WAIT for. Eternity is something we have to PREPARE for.
Hence... "Preparing for Eternity not Waiting for it."
Preparing to return "home" isn't always easy, but I know it will be worth it.
How do we get Home?
What is our road-map?
How can we more fully enjoy our journey?
President Uchtdorf gives examples of "Journey Stories."
"I believe that every life is a collection of individual 'journey stories.'
I am sure you are aware that every cultural tradition is rich with journey stories. For instance, you may be familiar with the journey of Dorothy and her dog, Toto, in The Wizard of Oz. Dorothy and Toto are swept up in a tornado and deposited in the Land of Oz. There, Dorothy finds that distinctive, yellow-brick road that marks the path for a journey that eventually leads her home.
Then there is Charles Dickens’s Ebenezer Scrooge, whose journey takes him not from place to place but from time to time. It’s a journey right within his own heart that helped him to understand why he became the way he was and to see what would happen to him if he continued on his path of selfishness and ingratitude.1
One of the great classical novels of Chinese literature is Journey to the West. Written in the 16th century, it tells beautifully the adventure story and pilgrimage of a monk who, with the help of four friendly characters, journeys toward spiritual enlightenment.
And of course there is Bilbo Baggins, the small, unassuming hobbit who would have very much preferred to stay home and eat his soup. But after a knock at his door, he follows the call of the great unknown and steps out into the world, together with a wizard and a band of dwarfs, to fulfill a dangerous but vitally important mission."
Our lives are full of "Journey Stories." Some journeys are longer then others, but every journey you go through in life create who you are and who you can become. As you all clearly know, I am going through a journey of having a missionary out in the field serving the Lord. It is a journey that is forming me to become a better person and it is helping me to grow. This in not an easy journey but it is a journey that is worth it. It is a journey that I have to make the most of. That's the way it should be with every journey you go through in life. Regardless of how hard it is, you need to make the best of it! By making the best of every situation, you get more out of every situation.
"Perhaps these stories also remind us of a journey we all should be familiar with—a journey story in which each one of us plays an important part.
This story begins a very long time ago, long before the earth began spinning in its orbit, long before the sun began to reach its fiery arms into the cold of space, long before creatures great and small had populated our planet. At the beginning of this story, you lived in a faraway, beautiful place.
We do not know many details about life in that premortal sphere, but we do know some. Our Heavenly Father has revealed to us who He is, who we are, and who we can become.
Back in that first estate, you knew with absolute certainty that God existed because you saw and heard Him. You knew Jesus Christ, who would become the Lamb of God. You had faith in Him. And you knew that your destiny was not to stay in the security of your premortal home. As much as you loved that eternal sphere, you knew you wanted and needed to embark on a journey. You would depart from the arms of your Father, pass through a veil of forgetfulness, receive a mortal body, and learn and experience things that hopefully would help you grow to become more like Father in Heaven and return to His presence.
In that sacred place, surrounded by those you knew and loved, the great question on your lips and in your heart must have been “Will I return safely to my heavenly home?”
There were so many things that would be out of your control. Mortal life would be hard at times, filled with unexpected bends in the road: sickness, heartbreak, accidents, conflict.
Without a memory of your previous existence—without remembering that you once walked with your Father in Heaven—would you still recognize His voice amid all the noise and distractions of mortal life?
The journey ahead seemed so long and uncertain—so filled with risk.
It wouldn’t be easy, but you knew it was worth every effort.
So, there you stood on the edge of eternity, looking forward with unspeakable excitement and hope—and, I imagine, also with a degree of worry and fear.
In the end, you knew God would be just—that His goodness would triumph. You had participated in the great heavenly councils and knew that your Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, would provide a way for you to be cleansed from sin and rescued from physical death. You had faith that, in the end, you would rejoice and join your voice with a heavenly chorus singing praises to His holy name.
And so, you took a deep breath …
And a great step forward …
And here you are!
You have, each one of you, embarked on your own wonderful journey back to your heavenly home!"
"He didn’t send you on this journey only to wander aimlessly on your own. He wants you to come home to Him. He has given you loving parents and faithful Church leaders, along with a map that describes the terrain and identifies the dangers; the map shows you where peace and happiness can be found and will help you plot your course back home.
Now, where do you find this map?
• In the sacred scriptures.
• In the words of prophets and apostles.
• And through personal revelation from the Holy Ghost.
This map is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news, and the joyful way of a disciple of Christ. It is the commandments and example given to us by our Advocate and Mentor, who knows the way because He is the way."
"Of course, simply having a map doesn't do any good unless you study it—unless you use it to navigate through life. I invite you to make it a high priority to study and apply God’s word. Open your heart to the Holy Ghost so that He can direct you along your journey through life.
Your map is full of encouraging and instructive messages from your Heavenly Father and His Son Jesus Christ. Today I would like to share with you three of those messages that will help you to have a successful journey back to your heavenly home."
The way back to our heavenly home is through the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know that if we live the way that we are supposed to, our journey will be a lot easier. Not 100 percent blissful but much more doable!
WE WERE NEVER PROMISED IT WOULD BE EASY, WE WERE JUST PROMISED IT WOULD BE WORTH IT!!!! :)
-Thanks for reading!
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