Become the BEST Version of You!
notes from presenter Brooke Jeppson
1. Turn your life over to the Lord.
- Submit your will: "The submission of one's will is placing on God's altar the only uniquely personal thing one has to place there. The many other things we "give" are actually the things He has already given or loaned to us." (Elder Neal A. Maxwell, If Thou Endure It Will, pg 54)
- Trust Him: "Trust in the Lord with all thine heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding. In all thy ways acknowledge him, and he shall direct thy paths." (Proverbs 3:5-6)
- Learn to make acceptable offerings: "And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved." (Omni 1:26)
- The Lord has not forgotten you, so don't you forget Him: "For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." (1 Nephi 21:15-16)
- The Lord ALWAYS fulfills His promises! "Who am I, saith the Lord, that have promised and have not fulfilled?" (Doctrine and Covenants 58:31)
- Build a personal relationship with your Savior
- Embrace the gospel
2. Enlist in Great and Noble Causes
- "There is a spark of greatness within every one of us - a gift from our loving and eternal Heavenly Father. What we do with that gift is up to us. Love the Lord with all your heart, might, mind, and strength. Enlist in great and noble causes. Create of your homes sanctuaries of holiness and strength. Magnify your callings in the Church. Fill your minds with learning. Strengthen your testimonies. Reach out to others. Create of your life a masterpiece." (Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, Ensign, May 2006 pg 101)
- "Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; for the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves." (Doctrine and Covenants 58:27-28)
- "For whosoever will save his life shall lose it; but whosoever will lose his life for my sake, the same shall save it." (Luke 9:24)
- "I believe the Savior is telling us that unless we lose ourselves in service to others, there is little purpose to our own lives. Those who live only for themselves eventually shrivel up and figuratively lose their lives, while those who lose themselves in service to others grow and flourish - and in effect save their lives." (Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, Nov. 2009 pg 85)
- "Man's greatest happiness comes from losing himself for the good of others." (Pres. David O. McKay, Conference Report, Oct. 1963 pg 8)
- Put your heart and soul into magnifying your callings and visiting teaching.
- "You are good. But it is not enough just to be good. You must be good for something. You must contribute good to the world. The world must be a better place for your presence. And the good that is in you must be spread to others." (Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley, Stand a Little Taller, pg 26)
- "In my travels across the world, I have seen that thousands upon thousands of you who do not currently have a husband or children are an incredible reservoir of faith, talent, and dedication. No one is better positioned than you to work in temples, serve missions, teach the rising generation, and help those who are downtrodden. The Lord needs you." (Julie B. Beck, Ensign, Nov. 2008 pg 110)
3. Personal Revelation
- Study, prayer, and fasting: "Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding their hearts unto God." (Helaman 3:35)
- "Draw near unto me and I will draw near unto you; seek me diligently and ye shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." (Doctrine and Covenants 88:63)
- "Search diligently, pray always, and be believing, and all things shall work together for your good, if ye walk uprightly and remember the covenant wherewith ye have covenanted one with another." (Doctrine and Covenants 90:24)
- Go to the temple as often as you can
- Read your patriarchal blessings frequently
- Ask for priesthood blessings when needed
- Keep the commandments and honor your covenants
- Record spiritual experiences in your journal and revisit them often
- Cultivate an atmosphere that invites the Spirit into your home
- Know that YOU ARE LOVED and never question your self-worth
- Ask yourself, "What does the Lord want me to learn from this experience?"
4. Choose to be Happy Now
- Discover the things you love to do and have fun!
- Take advantage of opportunities that come your way
- Stay positive: "And ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours." (Doctrine and Covenants 78:18)
- Express gratitude: "We can lift ourselves, and others as well, when we refuse to remain in the realm of negative thought and cultivate within our hearts an attitude of gratitude. If ingratitude be numbered among the serious sins, then gratitude takes its place among the noblest of virtues." (Pres. Thomas S. Monson, Ensign, May 1992 pg 54)
- Build meaningful friendships and keep in touch with old friends.
- Enjoy your independence and pamper yourself occasionally!
- Develop your talents and use them to bless others
- "Come what may, and love it...the way we react to adversity can be a major factor in how happy and successful we can be in life. If we approach adversities wisely, our hardest times can be times of greatest growth, which in turn can lead toward times of greatest happiness." (Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, Ensign, Nov 2008 pg 26)
- "For God hath not given us the spirit of fear; but of power, and of love, and of a sound mind." (2 Timothy 1:7)
- Move forward with your life: "Sisters...If you are just marking time waiting for a marriage prospect, stop waiting. You may never have the opportunity for a suitable marriage in this life, so stop waiting and start moving. Prepare yourself for life - even a single life - by education, experience, and planning. Don't wait for happiness to be thrust upon you. Seek it out in service and learning. Make a life for yourself. And trust in the Lord. Your dedication of a lifetime should follow King Benjamin's advice to be "calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come" (Mosiah 4:11) (Elder Dallin H. Oaks, CES Fireside, May 1, 2005 pg 7)
- "For after much tribulation come the blessings. Wherefore the day cometh that ye shall be crowned with much glory; the hour is not yet, but is nigh at hand." (Doctrine and Covenants 58:4 see 2-4)
