This week I'm focusing on talks by Elder Neil L. Anderson. I think for the next 15 weeks, I'm going to focus on each apostle's teachings one week at a time. It gives me something to really focus on and study.
Like I mentioned before, what I got out of conference was I need to make better use of my time, and to really study the scriptures and teachings of the church more. I just read Elder Anderson's talk called "Never Leave Him". He gave it last October.
He speaks about how in order to never stray from Jesus Christ, we need to choose 2 things: to not be offended and to not be ashamed. I'll admit, the not be offended part was something I needed to read. I love this doctrine and believe it with all my heart, but I do sometimes have a hard time not being slightly offended at the people in the church. More like, the "church culture". Reading this is helping me remember that the doctrine is perfect, but the people are not. At least, not yet. I have no room to judge others when I have my own weaknesses and faults. Who knows how many people sometimes have a hard time with me? Elder Anderson states in the talk that there will be times that we are offended, or hurt by others in the church, but we need to learn to put those things up on a shelf and carry on.
Forgiveness is taught frequently in our church. I need to be quicker to forgive, or else how can I expect the Lord to forgive me? I need to put aside the irritations I sometimes feel in my ward from others. I can't judge their lives. I don't know what's going on behind closed doors, and they don't know the same about me. I want to focus on seeing people the way Christ sees them. Seeing their potential instead of their flaws. How awful and hopeless would it be if Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father only focused on my flaws? Both wouldn't seem very approachable to me, and my relationship with them would struggle. I'm here on earth to learn how to be like them, and that includes interacting with people the same way they would.
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