The complete footage of this April 2024 message is available at www.churchofje...
Elder Steven R. Bangerter emphasizes the significance of understanding personal foreordination, highlighting that we were spiritually created by God with divine potential and specific missions for this life. He explains that while foreordination appoints opportunities, these are realized through our righteous choices and agency. Bangerter encourages youth to seek personal revelation through private moments of prayer and scripture study, which will guide them in understanding their divine identity. By protecting these private times, individuals can draw closer to God and fulfill their foreordained roles. This approach not only strengthens their spiritual connection but also enables them to experience the power of the Savior’s atonement in their lives.
First, Elder Bangerter emphasizes the importance of understanding our foreordination as God's children. Before we were born, we lived as spirit children with our Heavenly Father, where He created us spiritually and embedded within us divine natures and eternal destinies. Knowing that God prepared us with specific missions for our mortal lives brings peace and confidence, especially in a world where many struggle to find their true identity. By seeking revelation, we can discover our personal foreordination, which helps guide our decisions and strengthens our connection to God’s plan.
Second, the doctrine of foreordination teaches that while we were appointed specific opportunities in this life, these blessings are conditional upon our righteous use of agency. Elder Bangerter stresses that foreordination does not guarantee specific callings, but rather, it depends on our worthiness and choices. This means that through righteous living and by progressing along the covenant path, we can unlock our divine potential and be given the chance to participate in God's work, including serving missions and in temple ordinances.
Third, the talk highlights the importance of protecting our private moments. Elder Bangerter recounts his father's advice, which emphasizes that what we do in private has the greatest impact on how we confront both challenges and successes in life. He encourages youth to fill their private times with uplifting activities like prayer, scripture study, and wholesome recreation. These moments become opportunities for personal revelation, helping us draw closer to God and better understand His plan for us.
In conclusion, Elder Bangerter’s message invites the rising generation to seek a deeper understanding of their divine nature and purpose. By seeking to know our foreordination and protecting our private times with God, we can gain personal revelations that will guide us through life's challenges and joys. He assures that by doing so, we will feel God's love and the strength of His atoning sacrifice, allowing us to fulfill our divine potential.
18 сен 2024