The Todd's Life

I inherited the responsibility of being the high council companion speaker in Sacrament Meeting when I became Primary President. I want to thank Stephanie and her husband, Mike, for making the effort to come to our church that day to support me. Rick's mom came also. I'm going to post the talk-most of it-just because I want it for posterity. I like the idea of most of my talks being written done for others to have the opportunity to read.  --- I gave the talk on the 15th of August.  I'm just getting around to posting it.

ACT IN DILIGENCE
My assignment was to talk about President Eyring’s talk from the 2010 April Conference to the Priesthood Session. The title is: ACT IN DILIGENCE. President Eyring was inspired to talk about this subject because of the new booklets prepared by the church for the My Duty to God program. In reading these booklets, he realized they were describing what President Brigham Young had promised many years ago. President Young said, “to those that are diligent over a lifetime, and continues faithful to his or her calling, who delights in doing the things God requires, will secure for their selves not only the privilege of receiving, but the knowledge of how to receive the things of God”.---I looked up the word diligence in the dictionary. It is: hard working, putting care and effort into what one does. That goes right along with the information that President Eyring got out of the Duty to God booklet. President Eyring said that we are to learn what the Lord expects of us, make a plan to do it, then, act on that plan with all diligence. DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS SECTION 75 : 29 Let every man be diligent in all things. And the idler shall not have place in the church, except he repent and mend his ways.
I decided to go directly to the Duty to God booklet for information. The very first page has a message from the 1st Presidency of the church. They said that we live in a world of great challenges and opportunities. Heavenly Father has great confidence & trust in us & has important missions or responsibilities for us to fulfill. They said that as we turn to Him in prayer, listen for the promptings of the spirit, obey the commandments, and keep the covenants that we have made; Heavenly Father will bless us. In D&C 84:33-38, the Lord promises that if we fulfill our duties, we will be sanctified by the Spirit.
President Eyring mentioned that all of us know people that serve with diligence. He too, knows people that have served diligently. Because of their example, he has learned and wants us to know what he has learned. He has come to an understanding that we must learn who we are truly serving. In all truthfulness, we are serving Heavenly Father & Jesus Christ. When that is embedded in our hearts, that’s when we will begin to serve with diligence. President Eyring said we are to learn our duty from the Lord, and then we are to act in all diligence, never being lazy or slothful. Yes, there will be times when we will be tempted to rest from our labors. Sometimes when we come home tired, it may be easier to set down and watch T.V. instead of going to Mutual or the Primary activity or making the appointments that we were supposed to do. Sometime it may be easier to stay home instead of going to the Ward Activity that you’re in charge of. When we are tempted to rest from our labors, we need to remember what the Savior experienced on our behalf. Out of love for His Father and for us, He allowed Himself to suffer on the cross. None of us truly know the agony that He experienced there, but can imagine how bad it was for Him. The Savior’s example gives us courage to press on. He knew we would have trials. He knows our weaknesses and yet, He still trusts us. By our faithful service and through His Atonement, we can come to want what He wants and to become the person that we must be -to bless other people. The Savior taught His disciples, “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it” (Luke 9:24). President Monson believes the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others, grow and flourish—and in effect, save their lives." As we serve the Savior long enough and with diligence, our hearts will be changed. As we remember Him, we will be determined to perform our duties to the best of our abilities. That can become a pattern in our life that will increase our power to be diligent in every duty given to us.
For some time now, Rick’s mom has had the responsibility or calling to be the greeter at church. She enjoys her calling. She shakes their hands, asks how they are and sometimes even gives hugs. She makes them feel welcome. I know she makes every effort to be the best greeter she can be. She goes out of her way to do the very best she can.
Some of us have larger responsibilities than others. Does that mean that the rest of us do not have to act with diligence? No, it doesn’t. We can be diligent in obeying the commandments. We can be diligent in being a good example to our friends. We can be diligent in being reverent in Sacrament meeting so others may feel the Spirit. We can be diligent in studying the scriptures. Whatever we’ve been asked to do, we can and should be diligent. All of us should put forth our best efforts in the work assigned to us. No assignment is too small in the eyes of the Lord, for each has eternal consequences. DOCTRINE AND COVENANTS SECTION 75:3 Behold, I say unto you that it is my will that you should go forth and not tarry, neither be idle but labor with your might— President John Taylor warned us, “If you do not magnify your callings, God will hold you responsible for those whom you might have saved if had you done your duty”.--(D&C 58:6.) -- Behold, verily I say unto you, for this cause I have sent you—that you might be obedient,…I believe there should be consistent daily effort by every one of us. We should lengthen our stride and quicken our pace and try harder to do our duty diligently. We should make a renewed effort in doing our very best.
In 1989, President Hinckley was speaking to another Priesthood Session of Conference. He repeated the Scout oath: “On my honor I will do my best to do my duty to God and my country and to obey the Scout law, to help other people at all times; to keep myself physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight.” Then, he slightly changed it for the purpose of that meeting. I too, will slightly change it. “On my honor I will do my best to magnify whatever calling or duty I receive and serve diligently.” President Hinckley said that he understood the word magnify to mean enlarge and to strengthen. ----All of us have the responsibility of magnifying our duties. We are responsible for the welfare and the growth and development of other people. As we serve or fulfill our duties with diligence, we lift and strengthen and build convictions of righteousness in those whose lives we touch. To give less than our best effort to our duties, takes away from what God wants for us. Duty does not require perfection, but it does require diligence. Fulfilling our duties with diligence is a test of our faith.
I’ll finish with a scripture that President Eyring included in his talk.
D&C 107:99-100 says: Wherefore, now let every man learn his duty, and to act in the office in which he is appointed, in all diligence. He that is slothful shall not be counted worthy to stand, and he that learns not his duty and shows himself not approved-shall not be counted worthy to stand.