Becoming Like the Savior: A Process, Not a To-Do List
The lesson from conference that made me excited to change.
General conference is always a great opportunity to evaluate ourselves and how well we’re doing in our quest to become like our Savior. And although I definitely do watch general conference every six months because I want to develop Christlike qualities and feel spiritually uplifted, sometimes I begin the Monday following this glorious weekend feeling overwhelmed about what changes to make in my life. In my journal is what seems like a to-do list of things I need to fix to be a better disciple of Christ.
For the October 2021 general conference, I decided to approach the weekend a little differently. With the challenges of navigating the COVID-19 pandemic, juggling school and a job, adjusting to being newly married, and facing mental illness, all I was praying for was a spiritual experience and some encouragement. I had no particularly pressing questions weighing on my mind, but rather a need for some peace and a hope that God was OK with how I was fumbling along on the path of discipleship. So, with this in mind, I positioned myself in front of the computer screen.
What I was met with was an overwhelming amount of love. As each speaker took their turn at the pulpit, I was given a direct reminder of the absolute, perfect, and abundant love of my Father in Heaven and my Savior, Jesus Christ, over and over again.
As the sessions progressed, I realized that what I was acquiring during these meetings wasn’t a to-do list that God wanted me to accomplish in order to get to the celestial kingdom. Instead, I was being encouraged to work on one thing. To start small. I was being reminded that becoming like my Savior is a process. Heavenly Father knows how hard life can be, and He doesn’t expect me to become perfect all at once.
I felt like I left conference with realistic expectations and goals for myself and with a renewed confidence that God is aware of my struggles and proud of my efforts, albeit weak at times. Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, Second Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, reminded me that God has promised to help and bless those who love Him and keep His commandments, as well as those “that seeketh so to do” (Doctrine and Covenants 46:9).1 Heavenly Father knows that I’m not perfect and that I’m working on it. I’m still here and I’m still trying. Most importantly, I felt that Christ is proud to have me as His disciple and loves me for my efforts to follow Him, as small as they may seem.
Because I shifted away from my checklist mentality, I was able to make goals that I actually felt excited—not discouraged—about tackling. I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ are aware of me, my weaknesses, and my honest desires and intentions. And one day I’ll stand before Them with all my work finished and complete, and my heart will be entirely Theirs. And on that day, I’ll proudly sing, “Here’s my heart, O take and seal it, seal it for thy courts above.”2