With countless worldly voices vying for our time and attention, shifting our focus and priorities toward eternity is more important than ever before. The key is desire.
PHOTO BY HÉCTOR LÓPEZ
As human beings, what do we really want? We all have basic human needs—food, shelter, sleep, friendship (to name just a few). Most people care a lot about eating good food, getting enough sleep, drinking enough water, doing yoga every night, etc., but these are ways that we take care of only our physical needs. What about our spiritual needs?
With everything going on in our lives, it can seem like a lot of pressure to not only take care of ourselves physically but also improve ourselves daily and nourish our spirits. Where do we start?
It all starts with desire. In his April 2011 general conference talk titled “Desire,” Elder Dallin H. Oaks talks about the importance of our desires and making sure they are eternal. He says, “Righteous desires cannot be superficial, impulsive, or temporary. They must be heartfelt, unwavering, and permanent.” Our righteous desires are more powerful than we often think and can point us in the direction of who we eventually become.
Elder Oaks quotes Elder Neal A. Maxwell and says, “What we insistently desire, over time, is what we will eventually become and what we will receive in eternity.” If we start with a sincere desire, if we are consistent, and if we do our best, we can little by little become what our Heavenly Father knows we can be. Having a righteous desire and letting that drive our actions is the perfect place to start.
Discover more by reading Elder Dallin H. Oaks’s talk “Desire.”
Source: General Conference
—Talia Erickson, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY STÉPHANE FELLAY
Find more insights
Take a look at Carol F. McConkie’s talk titled “The Soul’s Sincere Desire” to learn more about genuine desire.
Watch this video titled “Righteous Desires” of Neal A. Maxwell to learn more about the responsibility we have to use righteous desires for good.