Live for God

(This is a talk I once gave in sacrament meeting. Because it is a talk it does not flow the same as writing and it is directed to a very specific audience. But I think it is appropriate to post it here.)

How will you be remembered when you die?
How do you want to be remembered?
How will you choose to be remembered?

Winston Churchill once said, “History will be kind to me for I intend to write it.” I believe he was true to that statement and I challenge you to do the same. A blank sheet of paper is before you, the future is yours to author, what will it say?

Be sure that it says what you want it to because the world will remember it and even write it for you if you do not. The best way to prevent this is to decide what you want, but in this is where most people make their first fatal mistake of mortality. They choose to live for that which has no worth. Their sights are set on the things of this world which are good and for our use, but they are only rays of light, they are not the source. The joys that they bring to our lives are as the light of a candle when compared to the light of the sun the gospel gives us. Our sights must be set higher than the things of this mortal world. If we live for clothes our sights are too low. If we live for iPods our sights are too low. If we live for cell phones, TV shows and computers games our sights are too low. Even if we live for our education and careers our sights are too low. The challenge that I want to make to all of you here today is to live for God. Only then will all things be added unto you.

Most of us have already accepted this challenge. We did so when we were baptized. It was then that we covenanted to keep all of God’s commandments and that we would always remember Him and in return we are promised that we will always have His spirit to be with us. Every week we renew this covenant, promising that we will live for God and every week, though we fail to keep this promise perfectly, we should progressively be becoming better and better people.

If we turn to the scriptures we find many excellent examples of individuals who have dedicated their lives to serving God. When we think of all the great prophets of history we do not remember them for how talented, rich or good looking they were. In fact, such details are rarely given or are not deemed to be significant. In the Book of Mormon it does say that the prophet Lehi was fairly wealthy having “gold and silver and all manners of riches.” (1 Ne. 3:16) But it does not dwell on how he obtained it. He may have been a merchant, a business man, an educator or a lawyer for all we know. The fact of the matter is that he was not remembered for his riches and worldly positions. He was remembered because he was a true Disciples of Christ. All other things were merely details and a result of his choice to live for God.

Ezra Taft Benson once said,
“Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, strengthen their muscles, lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace.”


All of this does not mean that we should be spiritual and prophetic all the time. Joseph Smith, the man who “has done more, save Jesus only, for the salvation of men… that any other man.” is a perfect example of this, for even though he was a prophet we know that he had a fun loving, playful personality. Such was probably the case with other prophets like Nephi, Alma and Moroni. 2 Nephi 2:25 explains that “Adam fell that man might be; and men are, that they might have joy.” Our Heavenly Father wants us to find happiness and experience the joys of this mortal life, but we must recognize that the joy that we were meant to live for can only be obtained through obedience to His commandments. And think of this, all the great prophets are remembered for their powerful testimonies of Jesus Christ, not for the great positions they held. They understood the purpose of life and they truly lived it.

There are many great examples of people who truly live life in the world today, but there is one in particular that I want to mention here and he is my father. The many blessing I have personally received because my Father chose to live his life are innumerable and I will be forever grateful to him for his righteous example.

Live your lives and start living today. (Alma 34: 32-34) “The day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors… Therefore I beseech of you that ye do not procrastinate the day of your repentance.”

The time given us on this earth is a great gift from God. We must care for it and not loose any of it. Be jealous of your time, do not spend it on frivolous fancies but invest it in a good cause. For the time will come when we shall all stand before the judgment seat where we will be asked to give an accounting of our lives to our Heavenly Father. What do we want to be able to tell Him?
We must all live our lives right now in a way that we would not be ashamed to tell our Heavenly Father about. We must do it now because later may be too late. The Apostle James said in James 4: 14, “Whereas is your life? It is even a vapor, that appeareth for a little time and then vanisheth.” Life is too fragile to handle carelessly. We must have a firm grasp on it for how well we use it will largely determine the type of life we will have in the eternities. Today is all we have yesterday is gone forever and tomorrow will always be tomorrow. So do not put off till tomorrow what should be done today.

The wicked exist. The apathetic, survive. Only the righteous ever really live. Live your lives brothers and sisters, live for God.