Elder Gary B. Sabin, General Authority Seventy for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints had an active part in the open house of the newly dedicated Pocatello Idaho Temple. On Sunday, Nov. 7, Elder Sabin and his wife Sister Valerie Sabin also attended the temple dedication held in the Celestial room of the Pocatello Temple.
“It was wonderful. The people there are very, very warm. We’ve not really been to Idaho much and now we feel like it’s a little bit of home for us,” Sister Sabin said.
During their Idaho visit, Elder and Sister Sabin addressed BYU-Idaho students as the devotional speakers. In his talk called “Principles of Peace and Happiness,” Elder Sabin outlined eight principles that will increase our joy in life — prayer, page, ponder, purity, praise, pride, perspective and play. He also explained that perfect performance of these principles is not a prerequisite for feeling peace and happiness.
“Peace and true happiness in life come from a clear conscience in knowing that we are doing our best, Elder Sabin said. “It does not mean we are perfect, but that we are trying to be obedient and are not willfully doing things we know we shouldn’t. It means that if we slip, we are quick to repent. We often have problems that linger longer than they need to because we do not pay the price for our souls to rest. There is no softer pillow than a clear conscience.”
Elder Sabin recognized that challenges make for hard days and repeated mistakes, but that effort brings us closer to the person God would have us become. In her talk “Becoming Your Best Self,” Sister Sabin expounded on the idea that it is our duty to develop our minds, hearts and spirits without being overly worried about perfection.
“Only you can become who you were sent here to be. Only you occupy your unique place in life, now and in the future — as a family member, a friend, in your community, and as a contributing member of God’s restored Church,” Sister Sabin said. “Think of how important the type of person you become is to all who will be part of your adult life and family. Patiently strive to become the best version of you, and your future self, by improving bit by bit today.”
Because we are the only one’s capable of fulfilling our eternal potential, following Elder Sabin’s principles of peace and happiness are essential to our eternal identity. In an interview with BYU-Idaho Radio, Sister Sabin elaborated on the importance of living earth life with an eternal perspective.
“Well, I think when people know who they are, that they’re a child of God and that they have an opportunity to choose to return to Him (It’s totally up to each of us to make that choice for ourselves), it becomes very enabling, very centering and helps us to feel safe in the world,” Sister Sabin said.
Elder Sabin gave the reassurance that the process of becoming is simpler and more fulfilling when we press forward, knowing the reality of eternity. He asserted that peace in this world comes with the knowledge that our spirit journey is infinite.
“It is important to understand that the peace we’re promised in this world does not come from a lack of challenges, but rather from an eternal perspective to see things as they really are,” Elder Sabin said. “It is essential that we remember that we are spiritual beings having a mortal experience and, as Elder Andersen wisely said, ‘Discipleship is a migration from earth to eternity.’”