15 Invitations to Add to Your To Be List

By Emma Hebertson

Church Magazines

Faith requires us to act. These invitations from conference show us some ways to become more like Christ.

Sometimes general conference can get a little overwhelming with 10 hours of messages in just two days. The descriptive stories or the powerful one-liners tend to capture our attention, so we often forget that there are also invitations to act.

Don’t let those invitations slip between the cracks. In every conference, we are invited to take steps to become more like Christ, but as Elder Lynn G. Robbins taught when he was a member of the Seventy, “To become as He is, we must also do the things He did.”¹ So to add to the faith-building messages we hear, we need to take action and do.

Many of us look forward to President Russell M. Nelson’s talks because he invites us to take action. After hearing all the wonderful messages, we want to know:

“What now?”

In the Sunday afternoon session, the prophet extended this simple invitation: “To assist you to qualify for the rich blessings Heavenly Father has for you, I invite you to adopt the practice of ‘thinking celestial’! Thinking celestial means being spiritually minded.”

He then continues to encourage us: “When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first, because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement.” ²

So, think celestial and prioritize Jesus. What else?

Living the gospel is not a list of boxes to check off, but sometimes it’s nice to have clear guidance to remind us how to stay on the right path. Instead of a to do list, it’s a to be list. Elder Robbins teaches us, “To do’s are activities or events that can be checked off the list when done. To be, however, is never done. You can’t earn checkmarks with to be’s.”³

If you ever find it hard to remember what exactly you should be doing to become more like the Savior, here’s a list of my favorite invitations to choose from that we heard during this conference!

“Remember and always focus on Jesus Christ.”⁴
“Follow the prophet’s counsel and pray to know what the Lord would have you do.”⁵
“Be understanding and kind.”⁶
“Open [your] hearts and minds and minister freely to those around [you] as He did.”⁷
“Look through a different lens—an eternal lens that focuses on the big picture, your bigger story.”⁸
“Choose hope—hope in our Creator and in one another, fueling [your] ability to be better than [you] are right now.”⁹
“Partake of the love of God, and share it.”¹⁰
“Before we interact with a loved one, … ask [yourself] the question ‘Is what I’m about to do or say helpful or hurtful?’”¹¹
“Paul says God is ‘the Father of [all] mercies, and the God of all comfort’ [2 Corinthians 1:3]. … If you see Him differently, please keep trying.”¹²
“Begin where you are. Don’t let your condition hinder you. Remember, pace or placement on the path are not as important as progress. Ask someone you trust, who is on the covenant path, to introduce you to the Savior they have come to know. Learn more of Him. Invest in the relationship by entering into covenant with Him. It doesn’t matter your age or your condition. You can walk with Him.”¹³
“Stand in holy places[,] … stand with holy people[,] … testify of holy truths[,] … [and] listen to the Holy Spirit.”¹⁴
“Find a quiet place, a holy space where you can seek to receive direction from the Spirit.”¹⁵
“Tomorrow, this week, this year, always, pause as you look at yourself in the mirror. Think to yourself, or say aloud if you like, ‘Wow, look at me! I am amazing! I am a child of God! He knows me! He loves me! I am gifted—gifted with the Holy Ghost as my constant companion!’”¹⁶
“Pray to Him for comfort, love, answers, and direction. Whatever the need and wherever you are, pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father.”¹⁷
“Please be prepared. Never take counsel from those who do not believe. Seek guidance from voices you can trust—from prophets, seers, and revelators and from the whisperings of the Holy Ghost.”¹⁸