I was reading today and came across this quote by President Howard W. Hunter, 14th prophet in this dispensation.
If our lives and our faith are centered on Jesus Christ and his restored gospel, nothing can ever go permanently wrong. On the other hand, if our lives are not centered on the Savior and his teachings, no other success can ever be permanently right.
(The Teachings of Howard W. Hunter, ed. Clyde J. Williams [1997], 40)
This quote kind of puts things into perspective, huh? Remember the article of the week a few weeks ago by Elder Scott, "Peace of Conscience and Peace of Mind" that talked about if we are living right then we have peace of conscience? As we go throughout life and experience hardships and good times, the trials are lessened and the good times are enhanced by the knowledge that we are doing what we are supposed to do.
From last week's article came the quote by Elder Christofferson, "come what may, we can face life with hope and equanimity, knowing that we will succeed in the end because we have God's promise to us individually, by name, and we know he cannot lie."
The second half President Hunter's quote is equally as powerful. No matter what success the world tells us we have, no matter the amount of money we make or lofty positions we hold, all of it is all temporary if our lives are not in line with the teachings of our Savior. We have temporary happiness or pleasure but none of it is lasting if we are not build on the foundation of Jesus Christ. If we do have our priorities straight, then we can use our money or positions to do good, advance the work, and bless the lives of God's children. Our life will be successful and we will feel fulfilled.
Think of the word permanent. President Hunter is referring to the eternal perspective, not just the time spent in this life. If something in our lives goes wrong, if we lose our job, or our house, or a loved one, or even if our shoelace breaks in the middle of a bad day and it's too much, none of it is permanent and in the end, all that is wrong is made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
Jeremy
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