What will YOU do with the time?

"It is our duty to make popular
that which is sound and good."
--Joseph Smith

Yesterday was a special day for me. It marked 17 years to the day since I was baptized a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Now, I know that for many who read this such a milestone may seem trivial or minute, but the anniversary for me nonetheless caused me to reflect, and ask this question: "What have you done with those 17 years?"

Such a question in all of us should conjure up in our memories the promises we have made to follow the Savior, described well in Mosiah Chapter 18:

And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon (for thus were they called) and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light;

Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life—

Now I say unto you, if this be the desire of your hearts, what have you against being baptized in the name of the Lord, as a witness before him that ye have entered into a covenant with him, that ye will serve him and keep his commandments, that he may pour out his Spirit more abundantly upon you? --Mosiah 18: 8-10

According to this passage, "following the Savior" can be measured by committing oneself to being numbered among His people, bearing one another's burdens, showing empathy unto those who are pained, comfort unto the comfortless, and standing as a witness of God in all aspects of life. This includes all times; that is, we should stand as a witness of God in every waking moment of our lives, including when no one is watching.

It is this type of virtue that gets noticed, observed, and eventually becomes the object of curiosity, even amidst a world in which sin becomes more prevalent, and dreadfully more accepted in the public eye. Thirty years ago, Elder M. Russell Ballard said to youth of the Church:

There have been some who have predicted earthquakes and destruction of all kinds to be upon us momentarily. The Savior himself tells us about many devastating times that lie ahead. (See Matt. 24.) But none of us knows exactly when those times are going to occur. So I would suggest that you follow the advice that I once heard Elder Boyd K. Packer give. He said something like this: “Plant your fruit trees. Cultivate them, fertilize them, watch them grow, and enjoy the fruit thereof. If the end comes during the process, so what? Do not deprive yourself of enjoying the fruits of your labors by living in fear of the world’s problems that lie ahead.”

On a day to day basis, we are flexing the time given us by staying the course in spite of hardship that might ensue. As true saints of Christ's true church, we don't give heed to the ways of the world, because we remember the covenants we made at baptism and beyond, and are in constant touch with the promised blessings from staying true to those covenants. We follow the eternal Compass, even when the adversary puts way points in our immediate path, for we know that if we look upon the Savior, we might gain eternal life (see Helaman 8: 15; Alma 33: 19; 37: 46). As we do so, people take notice of our peculiarity, but only when find joy in serving and striving to live the commandments. Elder Ballard continued:

If I were your age and thinking about life and its meaning, there is one characteristic that I would strive to develop. That characteristic is to have a positive attitude.
...I believe in the principle that you ought to act “as if” you were the person you would like to become. As you do that, you will grow into that kind of person. Ultimately your very actions, your attitude, will lead you into being the kind of person that you want to be.

...There should not be anyone here tonight who has a low self-image. How dare you or I to have a low self-image! We are the sons and daughters of God! We belong to Him. We are His children. He gave us birth. He gave us life. That knowledge alone causes every man and every woman, when they understand it, to rise and walk with their head held high.

As we do this, we follow the Prophet Joseph's admonition to make popular that which is sound and good. Yes, I believe this is what we should do with the time we are given. We spread the light of the Savior everywhere we go. It means sharing a simple testimony of our knowledge of the Savior, His divine mission, and the restoration of His true Church. It means becoming aware of the great impact that living righteously has on others. It means being constantly in tune with the Spirit, that we may know when it is prudent to take advantage of this awareness, that we might pierce the hearts of the children of men, that our testimony of the Savior might hit to the very core, Spirit speaking to spirit.

After receiving a simple, hour-long training on how to conduct therapy at the clinic where I work, our supervisor simply said, "go get 'em, guys." At first, I was disconcerted, because I knew nothing about how to really be a therapist. But as I pondered on the simplicity of the thing, I realized that my superiors trusted me to do good, as I had made it this far. Likewise, you who read this have made it this far, and have all the tools necessary to follow the admonition to make popular that which is sound and good.

It comes as the Lord trusts us to follow Him, and take part in the supernal gift that is His Atonement. I know the Atonement is real. It brings me out of my lowest points on a daily basis, and helps me stay positive amidst a world that denigrates that which is good. I know that the Lord trusts me to be a light unto this world, and that I have been saved for this time for that very purpose. We all have been saved for the latter-days for this purpose. It is my prayer that we be constantly in touch with this purpose.

Have a great week!