“Genuineness and Grace,” New Era, May 2015
Genuineness and Grace
President Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Second Counselor in the First Presidency
On Being Genuine
“It is part of human nature to want to look our best. … There is nothing wrong with shining our shoes, smelling our best, or even hiding the dirty dishes before the home teachers arrive. However, when taken to extremes, this desire to impress can shift from useful to deceitful. ……
“… This is especially dangerous when we direct our outward expressions of discipleship to impress others for personal gain or influence. ……
“… If Jesus Christ were to sit down with us and ask for an accounting of our stewardship, [He] would want to know … the condition of our heart. He would want to know how we love and minister to those in our care [and] how you and I grow closer to Him and to our Heavenly Father. ……
“With patience and persistence, even the smallest act of discipleship or the tiniest ember of belief can become a blazing bonfire of a consecrated life. In fact, that’s how most bonfires begin—as a simple spark. ……
“… The God of Creation … can make of you the genuine, spiritual being of light and truth you desire to be.”
The Gift of Grace
“I have tried to understand the Savior’s Atonement with my finite mind, and the only explanation I can come up with is this: God loves us deeply, perfectly, and everlastingly. ……
“A powerful expression of that love is what the scriptures often call the grace of God—the divine assistance and endowment of strength by which we grow from the flawed and limited beings we are now into exalted beings. …
“The grace of God is our great and everlasting hope. ……
“… The grace of God does not merely restore us to our previous innocent state. If salvation means only erasing our mistakes and sins, then salvation—as wonderful as it is—does not fulfill the Father’s aspirations for us. His aim is much higher: He wants His sons and daughters to become like Him. ……
“… It is by the grace of God that, if we humble ourselves and have faith, weak things can become strong.
“… His grace refines us. His grace helps us become our best selves. ……
“Grace is a gift of God, and our desire to be obedient to each of God’s commandments is the reaching out of our mortal hand to receive this sacred gift from our Heavenly Father.”