“We Can Do Better and Be Better (excerpts),” New Era, May 2019, 4–5.
We Can Do Better and Be Better (excerpts)
Recently I have found myself drawn to the Lord’s instruction given through the Prophet Joseph Smith: “Say nothing but repentance unto this generation” [Doctrine and Covenants 6:9; 11:9]. This declaration is often repeated throughout scripture. It prompts an obvious question: “Does everyone need to repent?” The answer is yes. …
Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance. Repentance is not an event; it is a process. It is the key to happiness and peace of mind. When coupled with faith, repentance opens our access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.
… Experience the strengthening power of daily repentance—of doing and being a little better each day. …
… Brethren, prayerfully seek to understand what stands in the way of your repentance. Identify what stops you from repenting. And then, change! Repent! All of us can do better and be better than ever before.
There are specific ways in which we can likely improve. One is in the way we treat our bodies. …
… Because Satan is miserable without a body, he wants us to be miserable because of ours.
Your body is your personal temple, created to house your eternal spirit. Your care of that temple is important. Now, I ask you, brethren, are you more interested in dressing and grooming your body to appeal to the world than to please God? Your answer to this question sends a direct message to Him about your feelings regarding His transcendent gift to you …
Another way we can also do better and be better is how we honor the women in our lives, beginning with our wives and daughters, our mothers and sisters. …
If you have a need to repent because of the way you have treated the women closest to you, begin now. …
Brethren, we all need to repent. We need to get up off the couch, put down the remote, and wake up from our spiritual slumber. It is time to put on the full armor of God so we can engage in the most important work on earth. … The forces of evil have never raged more forcefully than they do today. As servants of the Lord, we cannot be asleep while this battle rages. …
Gratefully, the priesthood we hold is far stronger than are the wiles of the adversary. I plead with you to be the men and young men the Lord needs you to be.