In his talk “Today Is the Time” Elder Walter F Gonzalez speaks of the need to prepare ourselves now. He opens his talk by sharing the story of the saints in Peru and their reaction to a devastating earthquake. Elder Gonzalez shares accounts of leaders who immediately went in search of fellow ward members, as soon as they had made sure their families were safe. He spoke of the dangers that they faced and how they worked for several days to find missing members among the ruin.
Elder Gonzalez then asks if we know when we will be hit by earthquakes in our lives. He points out that they might not be literal earthquakes, but rather temptations or trials that we have to face. We need to begin to prepare for these times now. He uses the example of Joseph and Potiphar’s wife, as well as Nephi and their reactions to their trials. They had prepared themselves to react during that time. He says of these leaders:
“What these great leaders did was allow the Spirit to write gospel principles in their souls. This writing doesn’t happen overnight. Profoundly exposing our souls to the principles of righteousness will make a difference in our preparation for spiritual quakes. This exposure can be enhanced by pondering and by cutting off bad influences.”
Elder Gonzalez talks about what we can do to help us to prepare in a similar way. It is important to study the scriptures, but it is also important to pray and ponder the words we read in the scriptures so that we can make them a part of our daily lives. We also need to pray that we can better apply it to our lives. He also talks about the importance of distancing ourselves from bad influences. This includes friends, and media influences.
This is a wonderful talk. I think that Elder Gonzalez makes a good point that we need to prepare ourselves spiritually as well as physically for trials and difficult times. Our testimonies give us strength to face the most difficult things, because our belief in Jesus Christ can sustain us. He will be there to help us through the toughest times in our lives as we turn to him.
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