On general conference weekend, we invited our grandson Spenser to attend the priesthood session with President Clark in the Conference Center. That afternoon as we tried to connect with him to let him know where to meet his Papa for his ticket, we discovered he had left his cell phone behind. I experienced a few moments of panic about how they were going to meet up before he finally found us. In those moments, I realized just how much I have come to depend on our cell phone connections.
When I lose or misplace my phone, I feel a bit insecure and a little lost myself. I depend on the security being connected brings.Our family exchanges on Instagram provide a way for us to bond with each other across the miles that separate us. We watch the growth of our grandchildren, even though we don't see them for months at a time, and enjoy with them their adventures. It has become a treasure for all of us, much like the measuring wall in our home where we marked the growth of our children as they grew up.
Our children loved seeing their growth. It was fun to make that mark on the wall and see the progress of the growth of their physical bodies. During those years of watching all seven of them grow, none of us would have guessed that our youngest son would end up being the tallest of us all!
I would like to share a poem with you today that President Clark wrote for his mother on Mother's Day several years ago. He was remembering his growth chart on the wall.
Growing Tall
When I was a boy I looked up at my mom
And thought of growing tall.
I stretched and grew and marked each spot
On the chart tacked on the wall.
"See, Mom," I'd say with a wink and a grin,
"I'm about as tall as you."
And she'd laugh and tell me, "Not quite yet,
You're still two inches too few."
Years came and went and I grew tall
While Mother stayed the same.
I used to look up but now I looked down
When we played our little game.
"Gee, Mom, I'd say, "you're kinda little."
Her reply was to the point and quick:
"I'm taller than you think," she'd say.
"You're just using the wrong measuring stick."
Now I'm a dad with little ones
Who measure themselves against me.
"Hey, Dad," they say, "I'm almost as tall as you.
When I get old how tall will I be?"
"If you want it in inches, I have no idea.
Whatever will be will be.
But how tall inside you finally stand
Depends on the life you lead."
For now I know what my mother meant
About measures of a different kind.
Stature is not measured in inches or feet
But is something in Heaven defined.
There's no chart on the wall to
Measure the growth of each spiritual inch or two,
But, Mom, I just hope that someday
I might stand as tall as you.
This poem contains a sweet memory for President Clark. It is a tribute to his mother who taught him that the stature of his physical body, as measured on the wall chart, was only a small part of the measurement of his true growth.
We keep measures of progress in our talents as we increase in our abilities and skills. We can see progress in the development of our character as we relate to people around us and gain experience in loving and serving and in being loved and served. By using the measuring stick in heaven that President Clark refers to in his poem, we can measure our progress in becoming who we are eternally.
Access to that measuring stick is gained through channels that are always open to us from heaven. Just like making wise use of the tools we acquire to keep us connected with our loved ones by cell phone, we need to be making wise use of the tools we are given to keep us connected to our Father in Heaven and our Savior Jesus Christ. We learn to use those tools as we keep sacred covenants.
To keep those covenants we must "stand . . . in holy places, and be not moved."1 Partaking of the sacrament and worshipping in the temple keeps the channels of communication clear as we gain access to the Savior and grow in our understanding of His Atonement. In accessing the blessings of the Atonement, we feel the Savior's love and encouragement and receive insight into how we are doing.
The companionship of the Holy Spirit brings personal insight and comfort and peace. When we keep the commandments of the Lord and engage in daily prayer and scripture study, we connect to that marvelous channel of spiritual direction. When we express gratitude to our Heavenly Father for His many blessings, when we ask Him what He wants us to do, when we not only speak but listen, answers come. Our spiritual connections to our Father in Heaven and the Savior grow stronger as we act on those promptings to do what the Lord wants done. In following those promptings, we engage in doing the Lord's work. In that work of serving others, sharing the gospel, and building our eternal families, we grow in spiritual stature and in our confidence and security that we are making progress against that measuring stick in heaven.
It is my prayer that in this semester of school you will gain insight into your personal growth through staying connected with your loved ones and with Heaven. If you do, I know that you will be blessed in all of your endeavors. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.