When. . .

{Sorry about the double post today, but sometimes I just can't help it!}


I'm going to be brutally honest in this post because I think you all deserve it. Okee-dokee?

Moving on.

It seems like I go through periods where I find myself becoming lax in the small and simple things I should do each day to stay close to my Heavenly Father. For example, I become a drone when I say my prayers each night.

"Dear Heavenly Father, I thank thee for this beautiful day. I'm grateful for the health and strength of my family. . ."

Let's just say that I wish I had a buck for every time I said that phrase at the beginning of my prayers. Then I usually go on to say basically the same sentences every night but I shake up the order if I'm feelin' wild.

I also breeze through my scriptures, assuming I remember to read them at all. I finish reading a chapter and I hardly remember anything I read. These days, 90% of the time I'm reading them from my phone with one eyeball because I'm sprawled out in bed half asleep.

Not so good.

I've noticed that when I stop doing those little things, bigger issues start to creep into my life. And while they're busy creeping, I find myself distanced from the Spirit. My temper gets shorter and shorter to where I blow a fuse when something doesn't go my way. {just ask the bookmark I was trying to sew earlier this evening. After attempt # 65,432 I just sat at the sewing machine and cried until I felt life would continue.}. When I don't do the small and simple things, I start to groan when I think of the looooong list of "To Do"s that the Church asks of us. In short, I become a punk. It's a vicious circle because when I distance myself from the guidance of the Holy Ghost, I do things that don't bring me closer to Heavenly Father. The farther I go, the farther I get. Make sense?

I was reading this article here earlier and thought seriously about closing out the screen. I wasn't really hooked and I could think of better things to do. But for some reason, I suddenly felt the urge to keep reading. I did so, and came to the paragraph toward the bottom of the article that told a story about Elder {now President} Eyring.

The story {as told by Elder Robert C. Oaks} goes on to explain that when Elder Eyring was a teenager, his family moved to a new location and Elder Eyring was none too pleased about it. "He sulked a bit until the Spirit spoke directly to him about who he was in God's plan and how he ought to proceed. One day the Spirit instructed, 'When you find out who you are, you will be sorry you didn't try harder.'"

Um, HELLO.

  "When you find out who you are, you will be sorry you didn't try harder."


In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, we believe that we are sons and daughters of God, the Father. We also believe in The Plan of Salvation {that link is definitely worth the read, albeit long}. We believe that we lived as spirits with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ before we came to this earth to gain a body. We know them personally {even though we can't currently remember thanks to the veil}, and They know us. We were valiant in the cause of truth, otherwise we wouldn't be alive here and now.

We don't currently remember who we were before this life. But we were awesome. Face it. We might not know a lot of specifics when it comes to our preexistence, but we know enough to know we were just plain awesome. :) All of our knowledge will be restored after we pass on, and we will be able to see the big picture. We'll remember who we were and what we did when we lived in heaven, and we'll remember who we became and all that we did in this life. When we piece the two together, what will we think? Will we be proud of ourselves? Will we want to kick ourselves?

"When you find out who you are, you will be sorry you didn't try harder."

I need to try harder, ya'll. I don't need to do it all overnight and become a wiz at scripture mastery and have eloquent 45 minute long prayers tomorrow. But what I DO need to do is resort back to those tiny things that keep me on the right path. The things we often let slip through the cracks in our busy lives are those that open the windows of heaven and allow Heavenly Father to speak to us personally about things of importance. If you and I are not at least trying to do the right things {the things He has asked us to do}, how can we expect to magically find ourselves on the cusp of exaltation in His presence?

We were awesome before we came here, and we have INSANE potential to become even more so in the life to come. Seriously, folks. I'm not pulling your leg.

Just don't give up. You're not perfect. I'm not perfect. The chick in the car next to you as you drive down the road isn't, either. Come to think of it, the dude picking out fruit at the grocery store isn't perfect. None of us are perfect. Not yet. But we can be if we keep trying. Through the sacrifice and Atonement of Jesus Christ, our Savior, we can become perfect even as He is. Isn't that just the coolest thing ever? Yup. I daresay it is.

So ask yourself: When you find out who you are {and I mean, REALLY are}, will you be sorry you didn't try harder?

{After all, we only have one shot at this life. Sorry. No chances for 'round 2' as a Caterpillar ;)}