I have always held a fair amount of curiosity. While I was never smart enough to understand or retain the things I learned, I still liked learning. The big picture always held a certain allure. The reason something ticked interested me. I just enjoyed knowing the why.
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Sustaining the Prophets
By Russell M. Nelson
This was one of the prevalent themes from the last conference. Sustaining the living prophet.
Getting home
Missives to the Missing: Learning the Language of the Spirit
This is the second letter of advice to my phantom child. Sound weird? I’ve done weirder things than dole out counsel to a phantom child. Sad, yes, but true. So, this is the talk I’ve never been able to have with my 14 year old child – who doesn’t exist.
In Hindsight…
Somewhere, sometime in my younger days I had a lesson on talents. I can’t remember the exact setting. I might have been in the end of my Young Women’s era or in the first days of my institute years. It was, however, definitely a church-oriented message. The gist of it entailed me praying earnestly for the gift or talent I most wanted in life.
We all have certain gifts already given to us. But if we apply ourselves and pray with pure sincerity, we can acquire more talents. I took it to heart. I came home, knelt by my bed and prayed one of the most heartfelt prayers I have ever uttered.
No Regrets!
“No regrets!” that’s the naive mantra of youth. At one time in my life, more than a decade ago, it was my motto, also. To live a life with no regret is synonymous with living life to the fullest and always making the right choice. Or, at least, being content with the decisions you make. Regret means to “feel sorry for something” (Word dictionary). The ingenuous of youth looks at this definition and thinks, “It’s wrong to feel sorrow.”
To live a life with no regrets is only possible in one of two ways:
One, you always make the right choice. You never, ever make a wrong decision. This is technically impossible. You will make the wrong choice from time to time. If you’re foolhardy enough to never second guess yourself, well, bully for you! But that doesn’t mean you choose wisely in every decision that you make.
Two, you never learn better. You remain locked in a state of immaturity that never lets you gain wisdom. I wish there was a better way to learn than by trial and error. But sometimes, there isn’t. Some things you do will work. Some won’t. It’s a part of life. But to never regret or feel sorrow for making a wrong decision, that implies a prideful will too stubborn to see error. Personally, I don’t want to be that kind of person.
I am going to continue to make mistakes. Some I will recognize instantly and others other time. In both cases I may feel the pangs of regret. But that’s okay because it shows I’m growing and getting wiser. The youth can keep their infallibility and boldly declare, “No regrets!” As for me, I prefer the wisdom that comes from penitence.
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