Forget Me Not

image: public domain from wikipedia, phrases added - quoted from talk by Dieter F. Uchtdorf at General Relief Society Meeting 9.24.2011

By far, my favorite talk of the evening (and that's saying something) was Elder Uchtdorf's inspiring talk. (To read a transcript, watch a video or listen to the talk, please visit lds.org) He spoke about the special connection he has had throughout his life with the forget-me-not flower. His message was one doctrine for each petal of the flower.

First: "Forget not to be patient with yourself". This was a boon to me. I have a tendency to beat myself up. Don't get me wrong, I probably deserve the flagellation, but I am beginning to realize that it is not a productive self-help methodology! He said the we as sisters are beating ourselves up for not meeting expectations that are impossible to meet. If we stay on the path of discipleship, he said, we will become perfect.

photo: churchnews.lds.org

It's OK that you're not quite there yet. Keep working on it, but stop punishing yourself...Please remember 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 improvements. 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...Our journey toward perfection is long, but we can find wonder and delight in even the tiniest steps in that journey.

The second petal is: "Forget Not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice." He asked us to ask ourselves - am I committing my time and energy to what matters most? The sacrifice God asks for is the sacrifice of "something good for something far greater in an eternal perspective."

The next petal is "Forget Not to be happy NOW." This one was FABULOUS!

photo: sucasa-furniture.com

He said that some think they will not be happy without a GOLDEN TICKET - the ticket they believe holds the key to the happiness they have always dreamed about

• a perfect marriage
• a magazine cover home
• freedom from stress/worry

My question to myself - What is my golden ticket (what is yours?) What is stopping you from enjoying your chocolate bar?

He said:

In all her yearning for her golden ticket, she failed to notice the blessings she DID have. 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...The happiest people I know are not those who find their golden ticket. They 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 that are truly happy.

I believe I am doing that despite my lack of a golden ticket. Who needs an everlasting gobstopper?

Next petal was: "Forget Not the WHY of the gospel"

I thought this was particularly poignant along with the incredible first petal. If we understand the WHY we don't get as hung up on perfection, but we look for results. The gospel brings results. I testify of that. In the Doctrine & Covenants, section 130 it states: "And when we obtain any blessing from God, it is by obedience to that law upon which it is predicated." When it comes right down to it, that means if you are blessed - and come on, you know you are - it is because you have been obedient to God's laws. That is greatly relieving to me! I have been obedient. Something I've done has worked! I believe that the Savior is very merciful in his definition of obedience, but His grace is sufficient.

When viewed as a lifestyle that can bring us great peace and happiness, the gospel no longer resembles a long, demanding to-do list. As President Uchtdorf puts it:

The gospel 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...while understanding the WHAT and the HOW of the gospel is necessary, the eternal fire and majesty of the gospel springs from the WHY...when we understand WHY our Heavenly Father has given us this pattern for living, when we remember WHY we committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the gospel ceases to be a burden and instead becomes a joy and a delight. It becomes precious and sweet....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

Let me repeat a beautifully expressed line:
The WHY of obedience sanctifies our actions, transforming mundane into the MAJESTIC. It magnifies our small acts of obedience into holy acts of consecration.

What a blessing it is to have such inspired leadership. I believe that is what I am beginning to understand. The atonment of Jesus Christ allows me to committ holy acts of consecration. 

The last petal: "Forget Not that the Lord loves you."

All from President Uchtdorf:

You are not forgotten!
No matter how dark your days may seem
No matter how insignificant you may feel
No matter how over-shadowed you think you may be

Your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you.

photo: lds.institute.org

I testify that is the case. I know He loves me, He knows my name. He knows my sorrows, He knows my happiness. He is actively involved in my life. I know that I am not special - we are all spirit daughters and sons of a loving Heavenly Father. Of all the professions he could do perfectly, He chose to address Himself as Father. Compared to God we are nothing...To God we are everything. That is the truth. If you don't know it's the truth, ask Him to confirm it to you. He did to me through the Holy Ghost. I felt in my heart AND in my mind the truth of it. I testify of Christ and His atonement that makes so much of happiness possible. I testify that He lives and is at the head of this church. I testify that President Thomas S. Monson is His prophet and that Henry B. Eyring and Dieter F. Uchtdorf are also prophets, seers and revelators. I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, AMEN!