Bishop L. Todd Budge, Second Counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, had a similar experience in high school while working on his uncle’s bee farm. One day, he took his uncle’s motorcycle out for a ride, got stranded when it ran out of gas, and pushed the motorcycle all the way back to town on his own.
But his uncle was surprised when Bishop Budge got back. “How could you run out of gas?” he said. “There’s a reserve tank in case you run out,” he said. “All you have to do is flip the switch.”
Bishop Budge later realized his experience could relate to the gospel. “Instead of trying to push our ‘motorcycle’ under our own strength, we should ‘flip the switch’ and access the greatest source of power in this life—the atoning power of Jesus Christ. To access His power, we need to come unto Him with a broken heart and contrite spirit, repent, and believe (see 2 Nephi 2:7; Alma 26:35). Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we can flip the spiritual switch that gives us the power we need to return to our heavenly home.”
So next time you’re struggling, don’t forget to turn to Jesus Christ. He will give you the strength and power you need to keep going!
Personal Parables
Notes
Read the rest of this story in the article “Flip the Switch” in the June 2023 For the Strength of Youth magazine.