“Remembering Why I Live the Gospel,” Liahona, Jan. 2025.
Young Adults
Remembering Why I Live the Gospel
Reminding myself of my “why” motivates me to draw closer to the Savior and follow through with my spiritual goals.
My life feels chaotic at times, but I love the comfort I feel when I walk into a chapel. It’s one of the reasons why I love going to church!
And when I remember what I love about the gospel—like feeling the Holy Ghost, for example—I feel more inspired to follow through with my spiritual habits, like going to the temple, reading my scriptures, and praying to Heavenly Father.
Because life can be so busy, it can be easy to forget these simple things we love. But regularly reminding myself of the reasons why I live and love the gospel of Jesus Christ helps me renew my spiritual goals that will bring me closer to Him and Heavenly Father.
Setting New Spiritual Goals
At the beginning of each year, I like to reevaluate my spiritual goals by writing down New Year’s resolutions. If you’re also doing a bit of self-reflection and considering how you want to improve your relationship with Christ during this new year, ask yourself this question:
“Why do I love the gospel of Jesus Christ?”
Sister Ann M. Dibb, former Second Counselor in the Young Women General Presidency, explained that “our love for the gospel grows as we experience the love of our Father in Heaven and the peace promised by the Savior as we show Him we are willing to obey and follow Him.”
Knowing why you love the gospel will help you feel and recognize the love that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for you. This mindset will also help you feel less overwhelmed when you’re striving to set and reach your spiritual goals.
My “why” for living and loving the gospel of Jesus Christ includes the knowledge that families can be together forever and the peace I feel after a vulnerable prayer to Heavenly Father.
Whatever your “why” is, hold to it—it will give you the spiritual momentum you need to become a better disciple of Jesus Christ.
Living Your “Why”
Once I recognized why I was living the gospel, the way I went about setting my spiritual goals changed. I stopped thinking about what I was failing to do and became more focused on what I could do. I remembered that I live the gospel because I love my Savior.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles said: “We need to accept that the commandments of God aren’t just a long list of good ideas. … They are divine counsel, based on eternal truths, given to bring ‘peace in this world, and eternal life in the world to come’ [Doctrine and Covenants 59:23].”
Following through with my spiritual goals reminds me of who I am: a divine child of heavenly parents. That principle gives me the courage to face my anxieties and weaknesses through Jesus Christ (see Ether 12:27).
President Russell M. Nelson taught that “the Lord does not expect perfection from us at this point in our eternal progression. But He does expect us to become increasingly pure.” So I am trying my best every day to stay close to Jesus Christ and remember why I choose to follow Him.