In Returning and Rest

In the most recent general conference, Elder L. Todd Budge encouraged us to seek the Lord in quiet times. He said, “The Lord knew—in this fast-paced world full of distractions and in commotion—that making quality time for Him would be one of the major challenges of our day. Speaking through the prophet Isaiah, He provided these words of counsel and caution, which can be likened unto the tumultuous days in which we live: ‘In returning and rest shall ye be saved; in quietness and in confidence shall be your strength: and ye would not. But ye said, No; for we will flee upon horses; therefore shall ye flee: and, We will ride upon the swift; therefore shall they that pursue you be swift.’” Elder Budge then commented on these words from Isaiah 30: “In other words, even though our salvation depends on returning to Him often and resting from the cares of the world, we do not. And even though our confidence will come from a strength developed in quiet times sitting with the Lord in meditation and reflection, we do not. Why not? Because we say, ‘No, we are busy with other things’—fleeing upon our horses, so to speak.” We are indeed too quick to be “swift” about our many activities, and it can be so easy to fail to do that which would help us most: sitting with the Lord through prayer, the study of the scriptures, worshipping in His house, and in pondering. It is instructive that the thing the Lord invited the Nephites to do after His first day among them, in order to prepare for the next day, was to ponder and pray: “Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again” (3 Nephi 17:3). We usually are worried more about preparing physically for things than doing the more important spiritual preparation work of seeking to commune with the Lord.

                The words of Elder Uchtdorf come to mind in considering questioned us with these words: “Isn’t it true that we often get so busy? And, sad to say, we even wear our busyness as a badge of honor, as though being busy, by itself, was an accomplishment or sign of a superior life. Is it?” Of course, the answer is an emphatic no—being busy is not a sign of greatness. John recorded these words of the mortal Christ: “I am come that they might have life, and that they might have it more abundantly” (John 10:10). In other words, the Lord wants us to have an abundant life, which is not the same thing as a busy life. Elder Uchtdorf described how he perceived the life of the Savior: “I think of our Lord and Exemplar, Jesus Christ, and His short life among the people of Galilee and Jerusalem. I have tried to imagine Him bustling between meetings or multitasking to get a list of urgent things accomplished. I can’t see it. Instead I see the compassionate and caring Son of God purposefully living each day. When He interacted with those around Him, they felt important and loved. He knew the infinite value of the people He met. He blessed them, ministered to them. He lifted them up, healed them. He gave them the precious gift of His time.” The abundant life is one filled with service and love, spent purposely with others and with the Lord in heartfelt worship.  

                To have this kind of life, Elder Budge encouraged us to be more intentional in communing with the Lord and turning our thoughts to him. He related, “On one occasion, after I gave the invocation in a meeting with the First Presidency, President Nelson turned to me and said, ‘While you were praying, I thought how much God must appreciate when we take time from our busy schedules to acknowledge Him.’ It was a simple yet powerful reminder of how much it must mean to Heavenly Father when we pause to commune with Him.” Even if it is just for small moments, we can throughout our day turn our attention to the Lord and remember Him through our thoughts and prayers. Though we may feel that we have no more time to give because our schedules are so full, we can give more of our heart to Him. Elder Budge continued, “You may be thinking, ‘I do not have time for that.’ I have often felt the same. But let me suggest that what may be needed is not necessarily more time but more awareness of and focus on God during the times we already set aside for Him. For example, when praying, what if we were to spend less time talking and more time just being with God; and when we were to speak, to give more heartfelt and specific expressions of gratitude and love?” It is surely a constant battle for each of us in a fast-paced world, but we can continue to strive to let go of the frivolous things and frenetic pace of life and to focus on that which will give our souls true rest.