I've been thinking about you recently. And I want to tell you something: I know you can do it. I know you've got what it takes. How do I know this? Well, it's because I know certain things about you. I know them because they're true of everyone on this earth.
You see, before you or anyone else was born here, you still existed. You lived as a spirit in heaven, with God, your Heavenly Father. He created you; you are and were his child. You grew up as a spirit in His presence, living and learning. You noticed that He, unlike you, had a physical body, and He also had all wisdom and knowledge. Perhaps, on a whim, you may have wondered if you'd ever become like Him, but more often than not you were content with your life with Him and all your brothers and sisters.
It probably surprised you, then, when God called for a great gathering of His family, a "council in heaven." As you took your spot, you may have been a bit apprehensive, but felt your worries ease a little when you saw Jesus, God's firstborn and your older brother, sitting at God's side. You looked up to Him, and trusted Him.
While we don't have a specific record of what happened next, I imagine it went something like this: when everyone was present and accounted for, God stood to speak. He smiled warmly at all of you. He expressed His love for each and every one of His children. He talked of how happy He was to see all of you learning and progressing. He told you how much he cares for you and how often He thinks about what He can do to make you happy.
With that in mind, Heavenly Father announced something incredible. He told you of a plan that He had created, a plan in which every one of His children, you and all of your brothers and sisters, would be given an amazing opportunity. God said He would create a place for all of you to go, in order to gain a physical body (like His) and continue learning and growing in ways not possible in your then-current state. Then, everyone would have the opportunity to return and live with Heavenly Father again, but now with perfect physical bodies and enhanced understanding. It was a plan in which all of God's children could become more like Him.
You likely were taken aback, amazed at this incredible opportunity. Thousands of questions could have sprung to mind, but in that moment, a feeling of peace probably entered your being. You knew, as incredible as it seemed, that this plan was right.
As you pondered these news, though, another voice sounded, one of discontent. Another one of God's older children stood, and, to your astonishment, spoke out against God's plan. Whether or not he'd heard of this plan before the council, you weren't sure, but he seemed to be more familiar with it than most. You listened intently as he pointed out what he saw to be a flaw in the plan. Though all of the spirit children would, indeed, be given an equal opportunity to succeed, to prove themselves worthy of the great blessings God promised, their success wasn't guaranteed. As God had outlined the plan, every one would have Agency, or the ability to choose. And, as this son pointed out, many of God's children could easily choose wrong, and lose their privilege of returning to God's presence, forever.
You were likely stunned; it hadn't occurred to you before that so much of your success would be dependent on on your choices and actions. What's more, God had said that, in order for the plan to work the way He intended, everyone would forget their previous lives. Doubt perhaps crept into your thoughts; could you really choose the right without anything to guide you?
Perhaps, at this point, Jesus spoke up, reiterating that the children of God would not be left completely alone; God had promised to send them blessings such as Prophets, the Scriptures, and the Holy Ghost to aid in their journey. He also described that Agency was what Heavenly Father treasured most, and to take it away would spoil the entire purpose of the plan But this wasn't enough for the other son. In his mind, a plan in which failure was a possibility was imperfect, and to be discarded.
Then, turning to the rest of you, this son began to tell you of his wonderful news; that he had devised a plan as well. The plan was similar to Heavenly Father's, but with one marked difference: there would be no choice. Every child of God would come to the world prepared for them, receive their physical body, and automatically do everything required to merit returning to God's presence. Not a single soul would be lost, he promised, and all he asked for was the credit of coming up with such an amazing scheme.
You pondered this idea in your mind. It seemed to be the perfect solution; and yet, something didn't feel right. That feeling, that assurance that you'd felt before was missing.
Uneasily, you turned to look at God again. He looked sad, pained by His son's proposal. Jesus then spoke:
"Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever." (Moses 4:2)And thus began a war in heaven. Whether it was a war of words or a war of weapons or a war of some other sort, we don't know. What we do know is that a "third part" of God's children sided with the rebellious son. They balked at the chance of losing everything, and flocked to the assurance that his plan seemed to offer. In the end, though, they lost the war. God, Jesus, and the rest of His children fought against the other souls, and won. As a result, all those who rebelled were cast out of the presence of God. They lost any opportunity to receive a physical body and progress. The rebellious son was then known as Satan, and from that point on he and his followers have sought the destruction of God's children.
So, what does all this have to do with you, right here, and right now? Well, before the war in heaven was fought, you and everyone else had a choice to make. Both God's plan and Satan's plan were laid out in front of you completely and thoroughly. You had absolutely all the information you needed. And then you maid a choice. You saw Satan's plan, which appeared easy and attractive. You'd be guaranteed a place back in heaven with God, and you didn't even really have to do anything.
Then, you looked at God's plan, and frankly, it didn't seem easy. You'd forget your entire life in heaven from beforehand. You'd be born into a world with natural disasters, sickness, and wars. You'd have to make your own choices and then live with the consequences of those choices. You'd have to walk by faith and not by sight. And there was a very real possibility that you could fail and lose everything you held dear.
But you looked to God, and you said "I'll do it."
Isn't it incredible? Isn't it amazing? All that time ago, you had the faith to accept God's plan. You trusted that He wouldn't ask you to do anything out of your power. You felt that, as hard as His plan appeared, it was the right thing to do. So, unlike so many others, you rejected the offer to do what was easy, what was comfortable. Where countless souls faltered because there was a chance they could fail, you stepped forward with faith, trusting that there was a chance that you could succeed and that God would help you.
When asked to do something that perhaps wasn't easy, but was worth it, You Already Said Yes.
So take courage in this! As much as you've grown and changed throughout your life, you're still that same spirit that accepted God's plan. Look deep within yourself, and find the resolve you've already shown. If you can't seem to find it, then ask God, your Heavenly Father, to help you. He'll aid you to recover what you once had, and then he'll multiply it a thousand times over.
You can do it. I know you can. Keep up the faith. Keep doing your best. Keep Moving Forward.
I know that God lives and loves us. I know that He created a plan so that we could be happy. I know He wants each and every one of us to succeed, and is actively working to help us do so (see my favorite scripture, 1 Nephi 3:7). I know that he'll help you in whatever trial you face. I know this because He's helped me in countless occasions. He's helped me when I've lacked the strength to do better, to be better. He's helped me when I've been lost and confused, unsure of how to proceed.
He's helped me, even when I haven't felt worthy of it.
I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
-Elder Richmond
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| Photo Courtesy of LDS.org |
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