Pointing Our Souls to Christ | Neill F. Marriott | 2022
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- Опубліковано 6 вер 2024
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By “Pointing Our Souls to Christ,” we gain divine help and develop a closeness to Him that strengthens us on our journey to our Heavenly home.
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"Hello, BYU students, faculty, staff, friends, and family! Really, we Southerners are more comfortable just saying, “Hi, y’all!”
Now before we launch into this devotional, I have to share a little experience I had on May 1, 2014, with your wonderful and, at the time, brand-new BYU president, President Kevin J Worthen. He, Sister Worthen, and I, along with about a thousand Relief Society sisters, were standing at long tables in the Smith Fieldhouse filling food boxes for humanitarian aid. We had on hairnets-nice yellow ones.
I ended up standing next to President Worthen for a while. His job was to hold open a plastic bag while I poured beans and lentils into the bag. We were doing pretty well until either the next plastic bag wasn’t opened enough or I got distracted and missed the bag, because suddenly President Worthen had lentils falling all over his shoes. There he stood, with little beans on his feet and a hairnet on his head.
He looked at me with a somewhat mournful smile and said, “Well, this is my first day on the job.”
President Worthen, you’ve come a long way!
Place Your Focus on Christ
Brothers and sisters, I hope that when we walk out of this devotional, the Spirit will have assured us of two certainties. First, I hope that we will know that when we focus on Jesus Christ faithfully and intently, we draw His strength into our souls. Second, when we act on this spiritual strength and do things His way, we will understand more deeply that there is no other name or way whereby salvation can come to us, “only in and through the name of Christ, the Lord Omnipotent.”1
How do we focus consistently on Christ and act on His strength? We choose throughout the day to be open to the Spirit and to act on those promptings. We covenant weekly to always remember Christ. President Russell M. Nelson has taught, “Nothing invites the Spirit more than fixing your focus on Jesus Christ.”2
When I was a little girl, during the hot, muggy Louisiana summers, my father would promise us kids that if we were ready and waiting when he got home from work, he would take us swimming at the city park pool.
At 5 p.m. on most afternoons, I and two of my younger brothers lined up on the hot cement curb in front of our house, dressed in our swimming suits with towels around our necks, peering seriously down the street at the corner. Even the hot pavement couldn’t break our concentration-though sometimes we would jump back to the cool grass of the front yard for a moment, we would not shift our gaze from the far corner of the street.
When Daddy’s green Ford rounded the corner, we cheered, jumping up and down.
He would get out of the car, pull his tie off, and say, “I’ll be right back.” Soon he would return in his swimming suit, and we would be on our way to the pool.
Why did we three young kids stay so sharply focused? Why were we so certain we would get to go swimming? Because we knew our father. Because we knew he loved us, and we had felt his love. Because he kept his promises, so we trusted him. And because we knew he had power that we didn’t have: he could drive a car and get us to the swimming pool! So we focused on him-our unfailing driver-and trusted that he would get us where we wanted to go.
Do we truly know the Lord, feel His love, and trust His almighty capacity to take us to a place of healing, love, and progress? If so, do we look to Him steadily?
Where is your focus during daily life, and where is your focus when you are facing challenges? President Nelson has said, “My brothers and sisters, I plead with you to make time for the Lord!”3
What is the ratio of time we spend between making time for the Lord and making time for the world? When we want answers, do we first look to the trending opinions of others or the philosophies of the world? Do we first search the internet, hoping that we will find out how to have confidence in social situations or how to choose a major or that we will discover tips for getting along with our roommate or even ways to be healed from the deepest wounds in our hearts? Is the Lord far from the thoughts and intents of our hearts?"
This talk feels like "dew from Heaven". It is comforting, uplifting, and encouraging. Thank you, Sister Marriott.
Neill Marriott is one of my favorite ever church leaders. All of my extended family and ancestors are from Louisiana, so it feels like listening to own wise grandma. She shines truth.
Thank you so much Sister Marriott. I am so thankful I chose to listen to your talk as I woke up this morning.
Such a beautiful talk and great reminder to stay focused on our Savior.
Two weeks ago l felt different and couldn’t put my finger on what it was. After praying l realised I’d been reading a new series of novel; really enjoying them, no bad language, or explicit content, well written, not any gory violence, so l thought these were good books to relax with. However, l realised I’d become so engrossed in them I hadn’t read my scriptures for a few days. As soon as l started reading a general authority talk l felt flooded with a much stronger spirit. Thanks for your talk.
Love this talk! I wish she was in the presidency longer to hear from her more but this was lovely. Thank you!
Yes! She is a favourite!
Beautiful talk! Thank you!
Leave the trash, keep the blinders on, and stay focused on God, repent, be humble, and we'll get there!
Thankyou Sister Marriott for a beautiful devotional full of spiritual and practical application. Love your southern accent too. Stay safe. God bless.
a wonderful talk spoke to my heart and soul. Thanks, Sister Marriot.
This talk reminds me of the hymn Where can I turn for peace. I really love that hymn! I try to look to God, so that I can truly live. If we plead for help, our Savior Jesus Christ can remove the spiritual debris that can eventually become so cluttered, that we can't move much at all without his devine help. With his enabling grace, we can conquer our sins, as well as other challenges that hold us back.
"Where you look is where you go."
Thank you Sister Marriott for sharing these truths!
Spirit filled 👍🏻❤
Thank you Sister Marriot!! ❤❤❤
“If we only rely on the world’s answers we are going to be disappointed sooner or later.”
Yep. This is so true! On the other hand, if we will trust in the Lord’s answers and trust them continually we will never be disappointed.
She is amazing
Love this talk!💕. Where you look is where you go. I needed the reminder 😇
thank you so much.
I loved every minute. Filled me with such good feelings and helped draw me closer to the Lord. Thank you so much!
yes! Jesus Christ is the way the truth and the life
Awh, Sister Marriot, You are such a blessing again. I'm grateful for the sweet experiences I've shared with you, and now realize we have in common the loss of children. Thank you for sharing that. It's been the most painful, and yet the most sacred recovery with resulting rejoicing in Christ. My love to you.
Did. Merritt you are a jewel in His crown. Thank you.
One word Wallsburg - We Love you!
Awesome talk, Sis Marriott!! I enjoyed listening to it!!! Thanks!!
Thank you so much, I needed it right now.
Wow! That was excellent!