A man, whose lifelong dream was to sail the Mediterranean Sea, saved up money for a cruise. When the man finally boarded the cruise ship, he brought along beans and crackers to eat. He was saving every penny possible. The man saw the cities he had dreamed of, but skipped the entertainment, activities, movie, pool and elaborate meals to save money. But on the last day of the cruise, he learned that everything had been included in the price of the ticket. While the man was in his room eating beans and crackers, he could have been enjoying the ship’s food and activities for free.   

In today’s BYU-Idaho devotional address, faculty member DJ Teichert spoke about how living up to spiritual privileges can deepen our conversion to the Savior. He quoted this story, originally told by Elder Dieter F. Uchdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in his talk, “Your Potential, Your Privilege,” to illustrate the topic’s importance.  

Teichert has noticed that a love for Jesus Christ helps people see responsibilities as privileges, rather than burdens.  

“A common characteristic I have observed in those deeply converted to the gospel of Jesus Christ is that to them, each calling, assignment, or invitation to act, is viewed not as a have to, but a get to,” Teichert said.   

In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, Teichert shared an experience that helped him view responsibilities as privileges.   

As a father of four children with twins on the way, a call to be a bishop initially seemed like a burden to Teichert. However, with time his perspective changed. One night, Teichert received a call from an elderly widow in the ward. She was in the ER after a fall and asked for a blessing.  

“I remember thinking as I was driving on my way to the hospital, of all the people that she could have called, she called me,” Teichert said. “And I remember thinking what a privilege that was to be able to go to the hospital that evening and spend some time with her.”  

With experience, Teichert changed his mentality about his calling as bishop. He no longer saw it as a burden, but as a privilege.  

To conclude, Teichert emphasized the importance of remembering Jesus Christ.  

“Everything that we do in the Church, if we remember Jesus Christ and what He did for us, everything we do is a privilege,” Teichert said.  

You can listen to DJ Teichert’s full devotional address and interview on our podcast feed. Just search for BYU-Idaho Radio.