Families, communities, and nations are strengthened
when we forget not the important things of life. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Second
Counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints, spoke to the Relief Society sisters in September 2011 about five things
we should never forget. I love to listen
to President Uchtdorf because he seems to see into my soul and know what I need
to hear. In his talk entitled
"Forget Me Not" he used the forget-me-not flower as a metaphor and the five petals of this
flower to represent "five things we would be wise never to forget."
The forget-me-not is one of President Uchtdorf's
favorite flowers from his childhood in Germany Alaska
"First,
forget not to be patient with yourself….
God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect…. God is also fully
aware that the people you think are perfect are not. And yet we spend so much time and energy
comparing ourselves to others - usually comparing our weaknesses to their
strengths. This drives us to create
expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet. As a result, we never celebrate our good
efforts because they seem to be less than what someone else does….
"Dear sisters, many of you are endlessly
compassionate and patient with the weaknesses of others. Please remember also to be compassionate and
patient with yourself.
"In the meantime, be thankful for all the
small successes in your home, your family relationships, your education and
livelihood, your Church participation and personal improvement. Like the forget-me-nots, these successes may
seem tiny to you and they may go unnoticed by others, but God notices them and
they are not small to Him. If you
consider success to be only the most perfect rose or dazzling orchid, you may
miss some of life's sweetest experiences…."
"Our journey toward perfection is long, but
we can find wonder and delight in even the tiniest steps in that journey."
"Second,
forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish
sacrifice. An acceptable sacrifice
is when we give up something good for something of far greater worth….
"Every person and situation is different,
and a good sacrifice in one instance might be a foolish sacrifice in another.
"How can we tell the difference for our own
situation? We can ask ourselves,
"Am I committing my time and energies to the things that matter
most?" There are so many good
things to do but we can't do all of them.
Our Heavenly Father is most pleased when we sacrifice something good for
something far greater with an eternal perspective….
"Third,
forget not to be happy now.... In this classic children's story [Charlie and the Chocolate Factory], people
all over the world desperately yearn to find a golden ticket. Some feel that their entire future happiness
depends on whether or not a golden ticket fall into their hands. In their anxiousness, people begin to forget
the simple joy they used to find in a candy bar. The candy bar itself becomes an utter
disappointment if it does not contain a golden ticket.
"So many people today are waiting for their
own golden ticket - the ticket that they believe holds the key to happiness
they have always dreamed about. For
some, the golden ticket may be a perfect marriage; for others, a magazine-cover
home or perhaps freedom from stress or worry.
"There is nothing wrong with righteous
yearnings - we hope and seek after things that are `virtuous, lovely, or of
good report or praiseworthy.' The
problem comes when we put our happiness on hold as we wait for some future
event - our golden ticket - to appear….
"The lesson here is that if we spend our
days waiting for fabulous roses, we could miss the beauty and wonder of the
tiny forget-me-nots that are all around us.
"This is not to say that we should abandon
hope or temper our goals. Never stop
striving for the best that is within you.
Never stop hoping for all of the righteous desires of your heart. But don't close your eyes and hearts to the
simple and elegant beauties of each day's ordinary moments that make up a rich,
well-lived life.
"The happiest people I know … are those who,
while in pursuit of worthy goals, discover and treasure the beauty and sweetness
of the everyday moments. They are the
ones who, thread by daily thread, weave a tapestry of gratitude and wonder
throughout their lives. These are they
who are truly happy."
"Fourth,
forget not the `why' of the gospel.
Sometimes, in the routine of our lives, we unintentionally overlook a
vital aspect of the gospel of Jesus Christ, much as one might overlook a
beautiful, delicate forget-me-not. In
our diligent efforts to fulfill all of the duties and obligations we take on as
members of the Church, we sometimes see the gospel as a long list of tasks that
we must add to our already impossibly long to-do list, as a block of time that
we must somehow fit into our busy schedules.
We focus on what the Lord
wants us to do and how we might do
it, but we sometimes forget why.
"My dear sisters, the gospel of Jesus Christ is
not an obligation; it is a pathway, marked by our loving Father in Heaven,
leading to happiness and peace in this life and glory and inexpressible
fulfillment in the life to come. The gospel
is a light that penetrates mortality and illuminates the way before us….
"The `what' and `how' of obedience mark the
way and keep us on the right path. The
`why' of obedience sanctifies our actions, transforming the mundane into the
majestic. It magnifies our small acts of
obedience into holy acts of consecration."
Fifth,
forget not that the Lord loves you….
You are not forgotten. Sisters,
wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, you are not
forgotten. No matter how dark your days may
seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you
think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you. In fact, He loves you with an infinite love….
"He who created and knows the stars knows
you and your name - you are the daughters of His kingdom. The Psalmist wrote: `When I consider thy heavens, the work of thy
fingers, the moon and the stars, which thou has ordained;
"`What
is man, that thou art mindful of him? …
"`For
thou hast made him a little lower than the angels, and hast crowned him with
glory and honour' (Psalms 8:3-5).
"God
loves you because you are His child. He
loves you even though at times you may feel lonely or make mistakes. The love of God and the power of the restored
gospel are redemptive and saving. If you
will only allow His divine love into your life, it can dress any wound, heal
any hurt, and soften any sorrow.
"My
dear Relief Society sisters, you are closer to heaven than you suppose. You are destined for more than you can
possibly imagine. Continue to increase
in faith and personal righteousness.
Accept the restored gospel of Jesus Christ as your way of life. Cherish the gift of activity in this great
and true Church. Treasure the gift of
service in the blessed organization of Relief Society. Continue to strengthen homes and
families. Continue to seek out and help
others who need your and the Lord's help."
President
Uchtdorf summarized his talk by saying:
"Sisters, there is something inspiring and sublime about the little
forget-me-not flower. I hope it will be
a symbol of the little things that make your lives joyful and sweet. Please never forget that you must be patient
and compassionate with yourselves, that some sacrifices are better than others,
that you need not wait for a golden ticket to be happy. Please never forget that the `why' of the
gospel of Jesus Christ will inspire and uplift you. And never forget that your Heavenly Father
knows, loves, and cherishes you."
I
have many friends who do not enjoy Mother's Day because they think that they do
not measure up to the wonderful words given to mothers. I always feel better when I remember that
Heavenly Father knows me completely - all my strengths as well as all my
weaknesses - and He trusted me to be a mother.
Even though I am not perfect, He thought I was good enough to trust that
He could trust some of His children with me.
Happy Mother's Day!
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