Farewell Talk

Talk given in Silver City Second Ward on April 15, 2018

By Divine Design

Remarks taken from Elder Rasband talk - "Divine Design"

I'm really into art and most things crafty, so I'm going to give you a painting analogy.  You decide to do a paint-by-number.  So you go to the store and you get paint, brushes, maybe an easel, and a paint-by-number.  Then you go home and get everything set-up.  You have your water, and your newspaper, everything you need to do this paint-by-number.  Then you open your paint-by-number box and you take it out and the canvas is blank... no numbers... The artist or the creator had something specific in mind, but without the numbers, you're on your own.  If you're incredibly talented and may even really hard working you might be able to come up with something beautiful on your own... but it won't be what the creator had planned for you. 

Some of you may be thinking that you could paint a beautiful picture just fine without the numbers and then it could be whatever you wanted it to be.  You would work alone and have sole responsibility over this painting.  That isn't the point.  The point is to create something that was already planned for you.  Something that you know will be great! Our Heavenly Father has a grand plan, a divine design for each of us.  Alma 7:23 says "And now I would that ye should be humble, and be submissive and gentle; easy to be entreated; full of patience and long-suffering; be temperate in all things; being diligent in keeping the commandment of God at all times; asking for whatsoever things ye stand in need, both spiritual and temporal; always returning thanks unto God for whatsoever things ye do receive."

I had a talk with my mom once about how in order to follow God's will for us we have to be submissive like a little child.  For some reason I didn't agree.  I thought I could do whatever I wanted as long as I was being righteous.  I quickly realized that I was wrong.  It's funny how fast correction can come.  Heavenly Father has important work for us to do that will help us realize our potential.  It's always better than what we can plan for ourselves.  

If we think we don't need God's hand in our lives guiding us, we're being prideful and if we reference our good friends the Nephites, pride leads to disaster every time.  Last month in institute choir we sang "My Kindness Shall Not Depart from Thee" and there's a line in it that says "the Son of Man hath descended below all things, Art thou greater than He?"  The first time I heard that I felt humbled to my core.  When we say we don't need divine design we are saying that we are greater than He.  When our Savior Jesus Christ performed the atonement, He didn't just suffer and die for us.  He divinely designed every tender mercy, a solution to every problem, and every act of kindness and service.  The Creator of the Universe is in the small details of our lives.  

Elder Rasband asks us, "What should you be looking for in your own life?  What are God's miracles that remind you that He is close, saying "I'm right here"?  Think of those times, some daily, when the Lord has acted in your life - and then acted again.  Treasure them as moments the Lord has shown confidence in you and in your choices.  Allow Him to make more of you than you can make of yourself on your own.  Treasure His involvement.  Sometime we consider changes in our plans as missteps on our journey.  Think of them more as first steps to being "on the Lord's errand."

When those times arise when you feel like you can't be confident in yourself, be confident in the Lord.  If God is for you who can be against you?  Elder Uchtdorf had a young adult devotional in January.  He reminded us to do the small things perfectly.  He said, "In a sense, your small and simple sacrifices are the dots of daily living that make up the masterpiece painting of your life.  You may not see how the dots connect now, and you don't need to yet.  Simply have faith enough for the moment you are living in now.  Trust in God, and "out of small things will come that which is great."

If you feel like Heavenly Father isn't guiding you are answering your prayers please give extra effort to the small things.  Read your scriptures daily.  I promise you so much power comes from spending real devoted time with the Book of Mormon every day.  It will change your life.  Pray morning and night and really talk to your Heavenly Father.  Try to picture Him sitting in the room with you.  One of  my favorite scriptures right now is D&C 6:14-15 "Verily, verily, I say unto thee, bless art thou for what thou hast inquired of me, and behold, as often as thou hast inquired thou hast received instruction of my spirit.  If it has not been so, thou wouldst no have come to the place where thou art at this time.  Behold, thou knowest that thou hast inquired of me and I did enlighten thy mind; and now I tell thee these things that thou mayest know that thou hast been enlightened by the Spirit of truth."  So even when you don't think He's listening, He is.  I think sometimes we just forget to look for God's hand in our lives.

So we're gonna do it now - take a look back at your life.  Think of the times you were gripped with a problem you thought would never end, and then think about how you overcame it.  Think of how much you've grown and changed from when you were a child, a teen, a young adult, and look at how much has changed in the past year.  If you're in a better place it's because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the work of divine design in your life.  If you still need to get to a better place, know that true and complete change can come through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I know there is no way I could have made it to where I am now without God's hand in my life.  Not all of the answers you are looking for will be given to you right away, but in the Lord's time and I promise that His time and His plan is so much better than our own.  

I want to talk about President Nelson for a second.  I think the timing and the experience and the characteristics of our prophets, when they are called is one of the biggest tells of Divine design.  I saw a post someone made soon after President Nelson became the Prophet that just amazed me.  Someone wrote it addressing President Nelson.  "I just wanted you to know that I sustain you with all my heart.  Speaking of hearts... it's interesting that you've been called to serve as the prophet of the Church at this time.  Your entire life has revolved around fixing other people's hearts, literally.  You performed the first successful cardiac operation in Utah.  You are known around the world as being one of the most important pioneers in the field of cardiology.  You repaired a bad heart valve and save the life of a precious prophet and president of the church Spencer W. Kimball.  You know hearts... maybe better than anyone on this earth.  I don't thinks that's a coincidence.  I don't think so for a minute.  Consider the symbolism and imagery involved as we live in a day in which the Lord states "The whole earth shall be in commotion and men's hearts shall fail them".  You just happened to find yourself positioned in these last days to help repair those spiritually broken hearts through your teachings, testimony, and love the the Atoning sacrifice of Jesus Christ".  That makes me feel so safe.  I want you to know that I sustain President Nelson with my whole heart and if we follow him everything will be okay, we will be protected.