Sister Rebecca Craven of the Young Women General Presidency said in April 2022 General Conference:
. . . .In a dream, the Lord told the prophet Lehi, “Blessed art thou Lehi, because of the things which thou hast done.”1 Being a disciple of Jesus Christ involves more than just hoping or believing. It calls for effort, movement, and commitment. It requires that we do something, being “doers of the word, and not hearers only.”2 . . . .
I had a sweet experience with a darling young woman who asked a very sincere question: “Sister Craven, how do you know that anything about the Church is true? Because I feel nothing.”Before jumping to an answer, I first asked her some questions. “Tell me about your personal scripture study.”She replied, “I don’t read the scriptures.” I asked, “What about with your family? Do you study Come, Follow Me together?” She said, “No.”I asked about her prayers: “What do you feel when you pray?” Her answer: “I don’t pray.”
My response to her was simple: “If you want to know anything, you will have to do something.”
Isn’t that true with anything we want to learn or know? I invited my new friend to start doing the gospel of Jesus Christ: praying, studying, serving others, and trusting in the Lord. Conversion won’t come while doing nothing. It comes through the power of the Holy Ghost as we intentionally make an effort to know by asking, seeking, and knocking. It comes by doing.
In the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord occasionally says, “It mattereth not.”4 It makes me ponder that if some things matter not, or matter less, there must be things that matter most. In our efforts to do something or do anything, we might ask ourselves, “What mattereth most?”
Advertisers often use slogans such as “Essential” or “Must Have” in the hope of luring us to believe the product they are selling is necessary for our happiness or well-being. But is what they are selling really essential? Must we really have it? Does it really matter?
Here are some thoughts to consider. What mattereth most?
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How many “likes” we get on our social media posts? Or how much we are loved and valued by our Heavenly Father?
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Wearing the latest trend in clothing? Or showing respect for our bodies by dressing modestly?
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Finding answers through an internet search? Or receiving answers from God through the Holy Ghost?
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Wanting more? Or being content with what we have been given?
President Russell M. Nelson teaches: “With the Holy Ghost as your companion, you can see right through the celebrity culture that has smitten our society. You can be smarter than previous generations have ever been. … “Set a standard for the rest of the world!”5
It takes effort to stay focused on what is truly essential for lasting joy. Satan would love nothing more than for us to misplace our eternal values, leading us to waste precious time, talents, or spiritual strength on things that matter not. I invite each of us to prayerfully consider those things that distract us from doing what mattereth most. For Sister Craven’s complete talk click ‘Do What Matters Most’.
