In this last General Conference, Elder M. Russell Ballard spoke in the Priesthood Session to all of the young adult men about raising the bar for their generation. Though his talk "
The Greatest Generation of Young Adults" was directed to the young men in conference, it can and should be applied to everyone - children, grandparents, young men and young women, mothers and fathers - since each of us needs to continually ponder the strength of our spirit and testimony.
Like I mentioned Elder Ballard shared that it is time to raise the bar. He said:
"What we need now is the greatest generation of
young adults in the history of the Church.
We need your whole heart and soul.
We need vibrant, thinking, passionate young adults
who know how to listen and respond to the
whisperings of the Holy Spirit as you
make your way through the daily trials and temptations
of being a young, contemporary Latter-day Saint."
He asked that you imagine sitting down in a one-on-one interview with him where he would ask the following questions to determine the strength of your testimony and devotion to God. My hope in re-sharing his questions is that you will take the time to really answer these questions during your scripture study, while writing in your journal, or in prayer. It is also a great topic for FHE if you are in the charge of the lesson :)
The questions are:
1. Do you search the scriptures regularly?
2. Do you kneel in prayer to talk with your Heavenly Father each morning and each night?
3. Do you fast and donate a fast offering each month—even if you are a poor, struggling student who can’t afford to donate much?
4. Do you think deeply about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice for you when you are asked to prepare, bless, pass, or partake of the sacrament?
5. Do you attend your meetings and strive to keep the Sabbath day holy?
6. Are you honest at home, school, church, and work?
7. Are you mentally and spiritually clean? Do you avoid viewing pornography or looking at websites, magazines, movies, or apps, including Tinder and Snapchat photos, that would embarrass you if your parents, Church leaders, or the Savior Himself saw you?
8. Are you careful with your time—avoiding inappropriate technology and social media, including video games, which can dull your spiritual sensitivity?
9. Is there anything in your life you need to change and fix, beginning tonight?
Take the time to ponder your testimony, your heart, your actions. Where do you stand with God?
And if you'd like to watch Elder Ballard's talk you can do so below or
here:
