He Is the Way

When we find it difficult to follow the Savior’s call to “come unto me,” we must remember that approaching Christ is the first step to finding happiness, strength, and success.

As young adults, we can find it hard to follow the Savior’s call in Matthew 11:28 to come unto him and lay down our burdens. However, in his BYU devotional speech “Come unto Me,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland helps us remember that God is merciful to his children and only wants us to be happy. “Wherever else you think you may be going,” he says, “I ask you to ‘come unto him’ as the imperative first step in getting there, in finding your individual happiness and strength and success.”

We young adults must remember this initial step—coming unto Christ and allowing him to take on our pains and afflictions. Only then can we find the happiness, strength, and success Elder Holland speaks of.

Elder Holland talks about ways we can approach Christ: laying down our burdens, letting our souls be at peace, healing one another, and allowing Christ to watch over us. When outlining what it means to lay down our burdens, Elder Holland lovingly notes, “For anyone out there seeking the courage to repent and change, I remind you that the Church is not a monastery for the isolation of perfect people.” Throughout his speech, he gives examples from the scriptures of the blessings and happiness that occur for those who come unto Christ.

Elder Holland gently reminds us that “we all have problems, and ultimately each individual has to take responsibility for his or her own happiness.” Coming unto Christ through these methods prescribed by Elder Holland will take courage, but the blessings of doing so are incomparable.

To learn more about coming unto Christ, read Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s speech “Come unto Me.”

Source: BYU Speeches

—Brett Peper Ruff, Mormon Insights

feature image by tamara menzi

Find more insights 

See Elder Merrill J. Bateman’s Ensign article “Coming unto Christ by Searching the Scriptures.”

See Elder Robert E. Wells’s article “The Beatitudes: Pattern for Coming unto Christ.”

Read Abby Pace’s Mormon Insights article “Four Qualities Perfectionists Need to Develop” to discover how to stop letting imperfections and weaknesses prevent you from coming unto Christ.