followers of my faith [Mormon Monday 67]

Last night I watched the Worldwide Young Adult Devotional presented by Brother Randall L. Ridd of the General YM Presidency. He asked us to post the answers to three questions on social media. A blog is like social media, right?

The questions are:

1. Can I do it?
2. Will it work?
3. Is it worth it?

I kind of feel like my answers to these questions (spoiler alert: the answer's Yes) make a little more sense with some context. Which means that, hold on, I have to watch the whole devotional again. Here's the link if you want to join the fun.

Brother Ridd discussed the importance of living life with real intent. He suggested three small and simple things that, if we would prioritize them in our lives, will make all the difference:

1. Keep the sacramental covenant to "Always remember Him"
2. Pray with real intent
3. Study the scriptures

So, can I do these things? Sure, but not by myself. Do you know how many times I've determined to do these things in my life? So many. I need help to do it. I'm not talking a roommate chart (though that has been helpful in the past), I need to truly understand the 'why' behind it -- and that means I need to have more love for God. Because if I have that, of course I'll do these things that He wants -- and I'll have His help every step of the way.

In RS yesterday we discussed this quotation:

Why did God put the first commandment first? Because He knew that if we truly loved Him we would want to keep all of His other commandments. “For this is the love of God,” says John, “that we keep his commandments” (1 John 5:3; see also 2 John 1:6).We must put God in the forefront of everything else in our lives. He must come first, just as He declares in the first of His Ten Commandments: “Thou shalt have no other gods before me” (Exodus 20:3).When we put God first, all other things fall into their proper place or drop out of our lives. Our love of the Lord will govern the claims for our affection, the demands on our time, the interests we pursue, and the order of our priorities (Teachings of Ezra Taft Benson, Chapter 1)

So that's the goal. While I'm waiting for the love and the habit to kick in, I hope to have the willpower to do it. I can do it.

Will it work? Probably. People wouldn't talk about how glad they are to have these habits in their lives if it didn't work for them. The times in my life that I've been really determined about this I've been happier, even if circumstances weren't the best.

And I am pretty sure it's worth it. I think everything I want in life is tied to my faithfulness to the small and simple things like this. No longer to struggle through an ordinary life, but to be immensely successful and fill the measure of my creation. All I want, to be honest. So why wouldn't it be worth it?

Now, to throw down a hashtag:

#ldsdevo

(That works, right?)