On Being Genuine

On Being Genuine
Dieter F. Uchtdorf

(link to talk)

(remember I am using the "language of faith" meaning I am wording the counsel and teaching "as if" I already believe or am already doing it. All bold type is my insertion.)

• I am guarded against going to remarkable lengths to impress others with my accomplishments in an attempt to make others believe I am better than I really am in my personal life or in my church assignments.
• My desire to impress, while sometimes useful, is never deceitful.
• I listen to the repeated warning voice of prophets to beware of drawing near to the Lord with my mouth, or honoring Him with my words, but having my heart removed far from Him.
• The Savior is understanding and compassionate with me because my heart is humble and sincere and he is righteously angry with me when I try to appear righteous to win praise, influence, or the wealth of the world.
• I never oppress those I should be blessing.
• I never cover my sins or gratify my pride or my vain ambitions.
• I never leave my first love - the Lord - and appear active, prosperous or dedicated on the outside.
• I never lose my focus on the essence of the gospel. I focus on the power of the gospel, not the form of it.
• I always ask, "What is my ministry?" in my church assignment.
• Success can not always be measured by man - testimony, love of God, compassion..
• Many things we can count, do not count at all.
• Many things we cannot count, really do count.
• The Savior wants to know 
• the condition of my heart; 
• how I love and minister to those in my care, 
• how I show love to my spouse and family, 
• how I lighten their daily load; 
• how I grow closer to him and to Heavenly Father.
• I search my own heart and ask
• why do I serve in the Church of Jesus Christ and go to meetings?
• because I desire with all my heart to follow my Master, Jesus Christ
• I yearn to do all that He asks of me in this great cause
• I hunger to be edified by the Holy Spirit and hear the voice of God as He speaks through His ordained servants
• to become a better person
• to be lifted by the inspiring examples of my brothers and sisters in Christ
• to learn how to more effectively minister to those in need.
• because I love my Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ
• I am willing to make sacrifices and not just declarations to follow the Savior.
• I build on the strengths I have.
• I mature spiritually and draw closer to the Savior by applying gospel principles day by day.
• I am patient and persistent and my small acts of discipleship and tiny embers of belief become a blazing bonfire of a consecrated life.
• Though I am small and weak, I come unto Christ and he makes me strong through His grace because he is faithful and keeps his covenants; he shows mercy to me because I love Him and keep his commandments.
• Christ breathes life into me and makes me the genuine, spiritual being of light and truth that I desire to be.
• I continually embrace and live true principles in my personal circumstance and in my family so I will ultimately arrive at the throne of Christ.
• I do not hide behind personal, dogmatic, or organizational facades which would keep me from seeing myself as I really am and prevent me from truly changing through the Atonement.
• The Church is like a service center, where we go for repair, maintenance and rehabilitation, not a showroom to display our spirituality, capacity, or prosperity.
• I go to church to heal my problems, not hide them.
• I serve willingly, in public and in private, with a ready mind, and am an example to others.
• I am capable and accomplished, yet humble.
• I quickly deflect compliments, insisting that only God is truly good.
• The praise of the world means nothing to me.
• My single purpose is to serve my Heavenly Father and do always those things that please him.
• I am an agent of Christ; I love as He loved, serve as He served, lift up the hands which hang down, strengthen the feeble knees, look after the poor and the needy and care for the widows and orphans.
• As I serve at home, church, community and nation, I resist the temptation to draw attention to myself and instead, strive to become a humble, genuine disciple of the Lord.
• I walk the path that leads to my best, most genuine and noblest self.
  
  GENERAL CONFERENCE CHALLENGE:
• Do not cover my sins by appearing to be what I am not.
• Focus on the power of the gospel, not the form of it. 
• Examine - 
• the condition of my heart; 
• how I love; 
• how I grow closer to God 
• Follow Christ out of love; yearn to do all He asks; hunger to be edified by the Spirit and to hear His voice through His ordained servants. 
• Learn how to more effectively minister to those in need. 
• Make sacrifices to follow the Savior and love and serve as He did. 
• Build on my strengths. 
• Patiently and persistently embrace and apply gospel principles daily.
• See myself as I really am and change through the Atonement.
• Go to Church for healing and maintenance.
• Be humble and give credit to God when complimented.