Joy In The Journey Radio
  • Home
  • Radio 4 LDS Singles
    • Recent Shows >
      • 9 Nov 22
      • 2 Nov 22
    • Archive 2022
    • Archive 2021
    • Archive 2020
    • Archive 2019
    • Archive 2018
  • LDS Singles Blog
  • Members
    • Members-only
  • World of TED
  • Firesides
  • Books
  • FAQ
  • Volunteer
  • Home-centered Church
  • Donate
  • Contact

continue the conversation

Where will this lead?

7/31/2019

0 Comments

 
I love more that applying his present topic to LDS singles might not be so obvious.
As long-time audience members know, I love going back to the latest General Conference and looking more closely at an address that time on the program directly after Conference would not permit.  Certainly President Oakes’s contribution to the Priesthood session, entitled “Where Will This Lead?,” is in that camp.

Of course, I love that President Oakes quotes himself.  But I love more that applying his present topic to LDS singles might not be so obvious.  That aspect, however, presented me with a problem.  How do I approach a radio program around President Oakes’s address?  Do I focus just on the less obvious ways his remarks apply to LDS singles?  Or do I get more personal and discuss the great effect this address has had on my relationships with family members?
Audience members may find the personal approach more interesting, but that may require revealing deeply personal information.  That might be OK about myself, but other close family members?  That could be disastrous.  Focusing on the less obvious applications to LDS singles avoids those problems, but it may not be as interesting for many audience members.

Those who know me well won’t be surprised at my immediate response to find a way to have both.  Let’s see how I do with that.

Results follow action

Picture
President Oakes begins his remarks by sharing what I call the Parable of the Squirrel and the Dog.  College students watched a dog slowly inch his way towards an unsuspecting squirrel near a tree.  When the unsurprising capture of the squirrel in the dog’s mouth appeared, it was too late to save the poor creature.  Everyone knew what would happen, but no one did anything to prevent it.

Of course, the point of the parable is to look ahead and take appropriate action.  As President Oakes remarked,


Where the consequences are immediate and serious, we cannot afford to do nothing. We must sound appropriate warnings or support appropriate preventive efforts while there is still time.
That may seem obvious, but it’s application is less ubiquitous.  How many LDS singles are like those students watching the dog?  They see the years go by, they see themselves no closer to the temple marriage they desire, and yet they do nothing.  They think the blessings they desire will magically appear because they’ve been righteous.

Results come from one thing and one thing only, and that’s action.  If you take one action, you get one result.  If you take another action, you get another result.  If you take no action, you get no result.

Examine your thinking

Picture
That realization undoubtedly frustrates many LDS singles who know nothing is happening for them but don’t know what to do to change that.  And the change they’re looking for often resides outside themselves.

Of course, that pursuit usually augments rather than resolves the frustration.  That’s because the place to begin to change your world and your life is not outside yourself.  True positive change starts from within.  You have to begin to think about yourself in new and different ways before you can live your life in new and different ways.  And you must reinforce that thinking with appropriate self talk.

Unfortunately, the self talk of LDS singles reinforces thinking that produces undesired results.  They place artificial limits upon their potential, resulting in a standard of living far below their possibilities.

That’s why I love President Oakes’s counsel:


“Where will this lead?” is also important in choosing how we label or think of ourselves. Most important, each of us is a child of God with a potential destiny of eternal life. Every other label, even including occupation, race, physical characteristics, or honors, is temporary or trivial in eternal terms. Don’t choose to label yourselves or think of yourselves in terms that put a limit on a goal for which you might strive.
If the messages that you give yourself say something different, then seeing different results in your life shouldn’t shock you.

Consider your sacrifice

Picture
To get different results, you need to take different actions.  Often that means sacrifice.  Consider the greatest achievements in any field of endeavor and find one that didn’t involve some sacrifice.  You can’t do it because sacrifice is part of the price we must pay for high-quality results.

What are you willing to sacrifice to get what you want?  Many successful people will tell you they needed to sacrifice treasured relationships to achieve their success.  When those relationships are with family, I wouldn’t call their achievements success.  So I ask, What less important thing could you sacrifice to get the more important results you want?

I love President Oakes’s comments about a Columbian couple who traveled five days by bus to Peru so they could be married in the temple.


What impressed me in her talk was this sister’s statement that she was grateful she and her husband had been able to go to the temple in this way, because it changed the way they felt about the gospel and the way they felt about marriage in the temple. The Lord had rewarded them with the growth that comes from sacrifice. She also observed that their five-day trip to the temple accomplished a great deal more in building their spirituality than many visits to the temple that were sacrifice-free.
You get what you give.  When you consider the habits you have in how you live your life and how your pursue your goals and dreams, what could you sacrifice to get what you want?

The answers to that question might just give you the breakthrough you need to change your approach to one that yields better results.  When you get off the couch and start moving, you can find your way better.  Then, when you partner with the Lord, His light will illuminate your path.  And that will bring you more joy in your journey.
You can listen to the monologue from today's episode of Joy In The Journey Radio here.  Please also feel free to continue the conversation by leaving a comment below.  Want to hear more?  Listen to the whole show by going to the show page for this episode.
Picture
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Picture

    Author

    Howdy! I'm Lance, host of Joy in the Journey Radio. I've been blogging about LDS singles life since 2012, and since 2018 I've been producing a weekly Internet radio show and podcast to help LDS singles have  more joy in their journey and bring all Latter-day Saints together. Let's engage a conversation that will increase the faith of LDS singles and bring singles and marrieds together in a true unity of the faith.

    Comment

    Joy in the Journey Radio encourages the free discussion of ideas but reserves the right to remove and/or block comments which do not conform to LDS standards.

    Donate

    Joy in the Journey Radio offers many free resources to help LDS singles everywhere, but it certainly isn't free!  Help Joy in the Journey Radio in its mission to improve the lives of LDS singles by donating today.

    Posts by Month

    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019
    September 2019
    August 2019
    July 2019
    June 2019
    May 2019
    April 2019
    March 2019
    February 2019
    January 2019
    December 2018
    November 2018
    October 2018
    September 2018
    August 2018
    July 2018
    June 2018
    May 2018
    April 2018
    March 2018
    February 2018
    January 2018
    December 2017
    November 2017
    October 2017
    September 2017
    August 2017
    July 2017
    June 2017
    May 2017
    April 2017
    March 2017
    February 2017
    January 2017
    December 2016
    November 2016
    October 2016
    September 2016
    August 2016
    July 2016
    June 2016
    May 2016
    April 2016
    March 2016
    February 2016
    January 2016
    December 2015
    November 2015
    October 2015
    September 2015
    August 2015
    July 2015
    June 2015
    May 2015
    April 2015
    March 2015
    February 2015
    January 2015
    December 2014
    November 2014
    October 2014
    September 2014
    August 2014
    July 2014
    June 2014
    May 2014
    April 2014
    March 2014
    February 2014
    January 2014

    Categories

    All
    Adrian Ochoa
    Agency
    Assumptions
    Atonement
    Attitude
    Attraction
    Autopilot
    Balance
    Becky Craven
    Believe
    Best Life
    Bradley R Wilcox
    Camille N Johnson
    Change The Culture
    Changing LDS Singles Culture
    Christ
    Christmas
    Clark G Gilbert
    Confidence
    Conscious Choices
    Covenant Mindset
    Dale G Renlund
    Dallin H Oaks
    Dating
    David A Bednar
    Depression
    Dieter F Uchtdorf
    Discipleship
    Donald L Hallstrom
    D Todd Christofferson
    Face To Face
    Faith
    Family
    Family History
    Fear
    Filters
    Finances
    Focus Determines Reality
    Full Life: Body
    Full Life: Heart
    Full Life: Mind
    Full Life: Spirit
    Future
    Gary E Stevenson
    General Conference
    Gerrit W Gong
    Goals
    Gordon B Hinckley
    Gratitude
    Habits
    Happiness
    Hope
    Jack Gerard
    Jean Bingham
    Jeffrey R Holland
    John A McCune
    John C Pingree Jr
    Journey
    Joy
    Leaders
    Legacy
    Life Of Meaning
    Live In The Moment
    Marriage
    Marrieds
    Michael A Dunn
    Michelle Craig
    Miracles
    M Russell Ballard
    Natural Mindset
    Neil Andersen
    Opportunity
    Own Your Life
    Partner With The Lord
    Peace
    Personal Ministry
    Perspective
    Philosophy
    Proclamation On The Family
    Quentin L Cook
    Real
    Reformat And Reboot
    Relationships
    Ronald Rasband
    Russell M Nelson
    Sacrament
    Self Talk
    Self-talk
    Service
    Sharon Eubank
    Stories
    Support
    Surrender To Love
    Susan H Porter
    Taylor G Godoy
    Temple
    Thinking
    Thomas S Monson
    Trials
    Unity
    Valentine's Day
    Vision
    Walk By Faith
    Yoon Hwan Choi
    Zion

    RSS Feed

Offerings

Home
Radio 4 LDS Singles
LDS Singles Blog
Books
Speaking
Recipes
Home-centered Church

Production

About
Staff

Support

FAQ
Volunteer
Donate
Contact
Joy in the Journey Radio is a production
of Aspire Mountain Media LLC.
© 2014-2022 Aspire Mountain Media LLC.
ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

  • Home
  • Radio 4 LDS Singles
    • Recent Shows >
      • 9 Nov 22
      • 2 Nov 22
    • Archive 2022
    • Archive 2021
    • Archive 2020
    • Archive 2019
    • Archive 2018
  • LDS Singles Blog
  • Members
    • Members-only
  • World of TED
  • Firesides
  • Books
  • FAQ
  • Volunteer
  • Home-centered Church
  • Donate
  • Contact