It has been said that the
two most important days in your life are
the day you are born and the day that you find
out why you were born. Because we have the
gospel, we don't have to spend our entire life
trying to discover its purpose. Instead, we can focus on
fulfilling that purpose. I want to emphasize three
small and simple ways to look to God that will
help us maintain our focus on our eternal purpose. First, as we partake of
the sacrament, too often we just go through the motions. Notice the focus that is
placed on remembering, and consider why
that is so important. There are countless ways
we can keep our promise to always remember the Savior
in the course of a day. How will you always
remember Him? Most would say pray and
study the scriptures. And you'd be right, if--and
that's a big if--they are done with real intent. Praying and studying
the scriptures are the next two small
and simple things that I would like to stress. Prophets past and present
have pleaded with us to do the small
and simple things, like praying and
studying the scriptures. So why doesn't everyone do them? Perhaps one reason is
that we don't necessarily see dramatic,
negative consequences if we miss a day or two. Years ago, I planted two
trees of the same species and the same height
in my backyard. I planted one where it
got a little sun daily, and I planted the other where
it enjoyed full sunlight. Over the next year, I didn't
notice much difference in the growth of the two trees. But then my wife and I left
on a three-year mission. When we returned, I was
shocked at the big difference. The compounding effect of
a little more sun each day made a huge difference over
time in the growth of the trees. The same thing
happens in our lives, as we expose ourselves each
day to the source of all light. This simple idea, the
compounding effect of daily disciplines with
purpose and real intent can make a big difference
in all areas of your life. It can mean the difference
between struggling through an ordinary life or
being immensely successful and filling the measure
of your creation.