Change can be a scary thing, but it doesn’t always have to be. Once we understand the need for change in our life, we can learn to appreciate it.
Change can be difficult, but it is inevitable and important. It is only through change in life that we can become who God wants us to be. In the talk “Progress through Change,” Elder Marvin J. Ashton suggests four important steps that individuals can take to make change a valuable tool in their lives.
Photo by Akil Mazumder
Understand that change is necessary. Recognizing our need for change is the first step toward improving anything in our life. Although by recognizing the need for change we have already started the change process, Elder Ashton says, “The recognition of the need to change has to be a greater force than the luxury of staying the same.”
Know how, what, where, and why to change. The gospel of Jesus Christ helps us know and understand who we are, where we came from, why we are here on earth, and where we are going. This knowledge allows us to have greater strength to grow and improve by giving us confidence in our futures.
Establish a system for change. Elder Ashton says that our change should be planned and ordered (exactly how God runs his Church). By having a system for change and by following through with it, we will ensure our ability to fully change.
Be completely committed to your plan for change. This step is arguably the most important step in the process. When we are committed to the plan, we ensure that we receive a return on the investment of time we have spent on the previous steps.
Change is going to be a part of everyone’s earthly life, and instead of fearing change, we can learn to progress through it and even embrace it.
Read inspiring stories of personal change and more about what Elder Marvin J. Ashton has to say about the blessings that come from our desires and plans to change in the full talk, “Progress through Change.”
Source: General Conference
—Kenzie Holbrook, Latter-day Saint Insights
FEATURE IMAGE BY GREG SHIELD
Find more insights
Read Wendy L. Watson’s BYU Speech “Change: It’s Always a Possibility!” to learn more about how change can be a positive aspect of your life.
Take a look at “The Power Behind the Change” by Laura Bushman on Latter-day Saint Insights to hear what Church leaders have to say about change.