A Reminder of Why We Live Differently from the World
This message from general conference taught me that my covenants bring me a far greater reward than anything the world could offer.
Sometimes I mistakenly lose sight of why I choose to live the gospel.
The current trends of the world are tempting. When people on social media act like it’s not a big deal to dress immodestly or swear, sometimes I start to believe them. Their choices are masked by seemingly good intentions, and I often find myself temporarily fooled.
So when Brother Bradley R. Wilcox, First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency, brought up this question in general conference, I couldn’t stop thinking about it:
“‘Why must Latter-day Saints live so differently from others?’”
Becoming Like God, Not the World
The world is in an influencer era where everyone is chronically online, displaying their lives in a seemingly perfect way, leaving us with a gnawing desire to fit in. But the last thing God wants is for His covenant children to fit in with the world. He wants us to become like Him, not like the influencers we see on social media.
This may mean we dress, act, speak, and even eat and drink differently from them. But it’s because we have chosen differently.
We have chosen to form a covenant relationship with our Savior and our Heavenly Father. This automatically sets us apart.
Covenant Blessings
When this difference seems frustrating to us, we forget that our covenants entitle us to “greater happiness and peace, greater righteousness, and greater knowledge” and “access to a greater measure of Their grace—Their divine assistance, endowment of strength, and enabling power.”
When I consider these blessings, suddenly the extra effort it sometimes takes to find clothing that accommodates my temple garments, speak kindly, or put my phone down and pick up my scriptures feels insignificant. I realize that my covenants bring me a far greater reward than anything the world could offer.
Brother Wilcox said: “With each new covenant—and as your relationship with Him deepens—you hold each other tighter and tighter until you are firmly clasped together. In that sacred symbol of His grace, you will find both the desire and the strength to live exactly how the Savior lived—differently from the world.”
As we embark on missions, attend the temple, take the sacrament, teach our children about Jesus Christ, repent, and show love to all people, we allow ourselves to become more like God and less like the world. If these responsibilities seem too much at times, remember that the Savior is there to help us “overcome and become.”