Family and Friends,
My time is short this week but I want to quickly share a couple things that I learned from my studies this week and from an interview I had with President Mangum. I read a talk by Elder Oaks entitles "Desire." He opens by a very powerful statement:
"Desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. The desires we act on determine our changing, our achieving, and our becoming."
-We all have the potential of BECOMING Gods and Goddess.
-When we repent we make a CHANGE in our lives.
"Readjusting our desires to give highest priority to the things of eternity is not easy. We are all tempted to desire that worldly quartet of property, prominence, pride, and power. We might desire these, but we should not fix them as our highest priorities." " If our righteous desires are sufficiently intense, they will motivate us to cut and carve ourselves free from addictions and other sinful pressures and priorities that prevent our eternal progress."
-We must evaluate ourselves and make necessary changes
-Sacrifice is simply giving up something good for something better. Its not always easy but it is worth it.
"...all of us face potential traps that will prevent progress toward our eternal destiny."
-Thankfully we have the atonement that helps us overcome these traps.
-Choosing good friends will in many ways lessen these traps.
He then goes on to close with this very exact statement:
"Let us remember that desires dictate our priorities, priorities shape our choices, and choices determine our actions. In addition, it is our actions and our desires that cause us to become something, whether a true friend, a gifted teacher, or one who has qualified for eternal life."
"We should remember that righteous desires cannot be superficial, impulsive, or temporary. They must be heartfelt, unwavering, and permanent."
President Mangum asked that in our district meetings we take some time to write down our desires to see if its just a dream/wish or a true desire. If what we are priorities are, are choices are, and the way we act connect back to our desires we are on the right track, if not we need to make some readjustments. I did this and I testify that it was through inspiration that we were all given this assignment. The Lord will pick us up where we lack and cheer us on when we're trying. I love you all.
Elder O'Neil
