Hello everyone! Elder Schmutz and I greet you from Church Headquarters in Salt Lake City. We wish we could be with you in person, but how grateful we are for technology!
I’d like to start today with a question. What do you remember about your baptismal day? I remember being very excited. My baptism was held on a cold day in March. I had turned eight years old just a few weeks earlier. Our meeting house was a very old chapel built in the 1920s or ‘30s. I have many fond memories of that building because my grandparent’s home shared a parking lot with the church. The church was just one story, but it had a small partial basement and the only thing in the basement was the baptismal font. I remember being a little nervous as I climbed down the steep stairs to the font to wait for my turn to be baptized. My childhood friend, Brent, was also being baptized that day. He was baptized first and then it was my turn. I was baptized by Brent’s father. That was more than 50 years ago!
Like each of you, I was following the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized. In Matthew 3:13–15, we read about the Savior’s own baptism.
Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
But John forbad him saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
Each Sunday as we worthily partake of the sacrament, we are blessed to have the opportunity to renew our covenants and become clean again. Elder Dallin H. Oaks explains how this is possible: “The sacrament of the Lord’s supper . . . is a renewal of the covenants and blessings of baptism. . . .We are commanded to repent of our sins and come to the Lord with a broken heart and a contrite spirit and partake of the sacrament . . . In [the] partaking of the bread, we witness that we are willing to take upon us the name of Jesus Christ and always remember Him and keep His commandments. When we [comply with this covenant,] the Lord renews the cleansing effect of our baptism. . . . we are made clean and can always have His Spirit to be with us.” [1] This opportunity to continually repent and renew our baptismal covenants is a wonderful blessing.
I have another question for you. How are the promises you made at your baptism influencing the actions of your daily lives? Do you think about those promises on a regular basis? I think you should.
President Henry B. Eyring has suggested a few things that might help us to more fully remember and keep our baptismal covenants. He said, “Remembering Him [Jesus Christ] will come to us naturally as we take His name upon us. We [can take his name upon us] in many ways but especially when we serve others in His name, read [the scriptures], and pray to know what He would have us do.” [2]
I know life is busy. It is full of responsibilities to school, work, church, friends, and family. Do you sometimes feel like I do, that there just aren’t enough hours in a day to address all the demands of life? We can get so wrapped up in our own lives that we forget about turning outward to look to the needs of those around us.
But, when we do take time to look outside of ourselves and extend Christlike service to others, both we as the giver and those who receive, are blessed. Serving others refines us by helping us put off characteristics of the natural man like selfishness and sin and turns our focus to Christ and becoming more like Him.
A great example of this is the people of Alma. As their hearts changed, they desired to come unto the fold of God. That change was manifested in their desire to lift one another’s burdens, mourn with those that mourn, and give comfort to those that needed comfort. Their righteous desires led them to make covenants with God through baptism. The Savior teaches us that as we serve others, we serve Him. “For inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these, ye do it unto me.” [3]
My invitation to you is to be more intentional in looking beyond yourself to find ways to serve others. Take note of how Christlike service changes you. These acts of service do not need be big or elaborate. We know that by small and simple things, great things come to pass.
Likewise, regular study of the scriptures will help us in our efforts to keep our covenant to always remember Him and will aid us in knowing and keeping His commandments.
President Hinckley said, speaking of the Book of Mormon, “As you read . . . there will come into your lives an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the Son of God.” [4]
The scriptures are so essential in receiving and retaining a testimony of Jesus Christ. I love the Book of Mormon. As a young woman, it was the key to my own personal conversion. Through the years, my testimony has grown stronger and my knowledge has increased as I have regularly studied the scriptures.
Several years ago, Elder Schmutz and I had the opportunity to accompany Elder Neil L. Andersen during his visit to the Philippines. During a meeting with missionaries, he challenged them to always remember the Savior by going beyond just reading and studying the scriptures. He challenged them to memorize scriptures that were important to them. He promised that by doing this the scriptures would become more rooted in their hearts and minds, that the words of the Lord would more easily be brought to their minds and would be a blessing to them and to others.
Finally, remember to pray. Someone once said that praying opens the door to divine help and guidance in our lives. Since the beginning of mortality, God has invited His children to come to Him in prayer. The scriptures are filled with examples of men and woman who humbly turned to God for help and direction in their lives and He answered. Have faith that He hears your prayers and will give you the strength and guidance you need to keep your covenants.
I pray that you may be helped in your desires to keep your baptismal covenants by giving more Christlike service, diligently studying the scriptures, and earnestly seeking direction through prayer that you might enjoy the promised blessing of always having the Spirit to be with you. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Dallin H. Oaks, “The Aaronic Priesthood and the Sacrament,” Ensign, Nov. 1998.
[2] Henry B. Eyring, “Becoming True Disciples,” Liahona, Oct. 2017.
[3] Matthew 25:40.
[4] Gordon B. Hinckley, “A Testimony Vibrant and True,” Ensign, Aug. 2005.