To Whom Will I Give My Life?

To my daughter, 

                In the most recent general conference, President Nelson said this: “I have learned that the most crucial question we each must answer is this: To whom or to what will I give my life?” You are not too young to consider that question—what will be the most important thing in your life? President Nelson described what it is for him: “My decision to follow Jesus Christ is the most important decision I have ever made. During medical school, I gained a testimony of the divinity of God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Since then our Savior has been the rock upon which I have built my life. That choice has made all the difference! That decision has made so many other decisions easier. That decision has given me purpose and direction. It has also helped me weather the storms of life.” You made the decision this year to be baptized which means that you chose to follow Jesus Christ and to strive to take His name up on you. I hope that this decision becomes the foundation for your life and that you will always strive to do the things that He would have you do. That will make all the difference for you too! Jesus is the cause and the person to whom we should give our lives. I love this promise from President Nelson: “Jesus Christ took upon Himself your sins, your pains, your heartaches, and your infirmities. You do not have to bear them alone! He will forgive you as you repent. He will bless you with what you need. He will heal your wounded soul. As you yoke yourself to Him, your burdens will feel lighter. If you will make and keep covenants to follow Jesus Christ, you will find that the painful moments of your life are temporary. Your afflictions will be ‘swallowed up in the joy of Christ.’” I hope that you and I will both choose to yoke ourselves to the Savior and to be “a devout disciple of Jesus Christ.”

                Recently we listened to a new song by one of your favorite singers, Lauren Daigle. The song is called Then I Will and is part of a new film that depicts the life of a man who devoted his life to Christ and who suffered for it in the brutal regime of Nazi Germany. The song is a powerful declaration of a commitment to Jesus Christ and includes these words: 

I'll surrender everything

All for Your will

Abandon every part of me

All for Your will

No matter what the cost may be

If it's for me to die for love

If it's for me to die for love

If it's for me to die for love, then I will 

This man that the film is about ultimately did give his life for love and for His devotion to Jesus Christ. Each of us must also decide if we will surrender our wills to the Savior and if we are willing to die—and live—for Him. I love this invitation that Amaleki in the Book of Mormon gave us: “And now, my beloved brethren, I would that ye should come unto Christ, who is the Holy One of Israel, and partake of his salvation, and the power of his redemption. Yea, come unto him, and offer your whole souls as an offering unto him, and continue in fasting and praying, and endure to the end; and as the Lord liveth ye will be saved” (Omni 1:26). You and I and make the choice to come unto Christ and to partake of Hiis salvation and power as we offer our whole souls to Him. That means that we choose to do those things that He would have us do, even when it is hard. It means that we learn to say, as He said in the Garden of Gethsemane, “Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt” (Matthew 26:39). I know that you do have great faith in Jesus Christ, and I hope that you will indeed choose to always make Him the person to whom you will give your life. I know that He loves you and gives you this promise as you choose Him: “I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:88). 

Love,

Dad