“Come Listen to a Prophet’s Voice: A Treasure Map,” Friend, Sept. 2004, 2
Come Listen to a Prophet’s Voice:
A Treasure Map
From an April 2003 general conference address.
President Monson offers three pieces of an eternal treasure map.
When I was a boy I enjoyed reading Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson. I also saw adventure movies where several individuals had separate pieces of a well-worn map which led the way to buried treasure if only the pieces could be found and put together.
The Savior of the world spoke of treasure. In His Sermon on the Mount He declared:
“Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:
“But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:
“For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:19–21).
The promised reward was not a treasure of ivory, gold, or silver. The Master spoke of riches within the grasp of all—even joy unspeakable here and eternal happiness hereafter.
[I would like to give you] three pieces of your treasure map to eternal happiness.
First, learn from the past. Each of us has a heritage—whether from pioneer forebears, later converts, or others who helped to shape our lives. This heritage provides a foundation built of sacrifice and faith. Ours is the privilege and responsibility to build on such firm and stable footings.
Second, prepare for the future. It is necessary to prepare and to plan so that we don’t fritter away our lives. Without a goal, there can be no real success. Our journey into the future will not be a smooth highway which stretches from here to eternity. Rather, there will be forks and turnings in the road, to say nothing of the unanticipated bumps. We must pray daily to a loving Heavenly Father, who wants each of us to succeed in life.
Third, live in the present. Sometimes we let our thoughts of tomorrow take up too much of today. Daydreaming of the past and longing for the future may provide comfort but will not take the place of living in the present. This is the day of our opportunity, and we must grasp it.
Your treasure map is now in place: Learn from the past, prepare for the future, live in the present.
I conclude where I began. From our Lord and Savior: “For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matt. 6:21).
Illustrated by Dilleen Marsh