Transform Your Membership into Discipleship

Suspecting (or should I say, realizing) that my longer posts go unread, this post is a shortened excerpt from what I consider to be one of the most important talks ever given. The longer excerpt is in the post that follows. To read the talk in its entirety click here.

"I will share today just three gospel fundamentals learned along [my own gospel journey].
. . .

"First is the motivating, transforming power of faith in Jesus Christ. Such faith is like spiritual oxygen. As we allow faith to freely flow within us, it awakens and enlivens our spiritual senses. It breathes life into our very souls. As faith flows, we become sensitively attuned to the whisperings of the Spirit. Our minds are enlightened, our spiritual pulse quickens, our hearts are touched. Faith fuels hope. Our perspective changes; our vision becomes clearer. We begin to look for the best, not the worst, in life and in others. We gain a deeper sense of life’s purpose and meaning. Despair gives way to joy.

. . .

"Second, as we serve we grow. President George Albert Smith taught, “It is not what we receive that enriches our lives, it is what we give.” Selfless service is a wonderful antidote to the ills that flow from the worldwide epidemic of self-indulgence.

. . .

"Third, discipleship does not guarantee freedom from the storms of life. Even as we are wending our way carefully and faithfully along the strait and narrow path, we encounter obstacle and challenge. There are days, perhaps even months and years, when life is just hard. We experience our fair share of adversity, heartache, loneliness, pain, grief—sometimes, it seems, more than our fair share. What to do when adversity strikes? There is only one thing to do. Stand steady and see it through. Stay steadfast, constant, and true. The real tragedy in the whirlwinds of life comes only when we allow them to blow us off our true course.

. . .

"It is my witness that as we cultivate our faith, grow through service, and stay constant and true come what may, . . . our membership is transformed into discipleship. We are strengthened, cleansed, refreshed, spiritually and emotionally healed."

- David S. Baxter, “Faith, Service, Constancy,” Ensign, Nov 2006, 13–15