This is one of my favorite talks from General Conference. It is "Your Four Minutes" By: Bishop Gary E. Stevenson. The link to watch his talk is above and below you can read it. I love this talk so much because it really puts our lives into perspective. This is our time. This is our "four minutes". It is a brief time on this earth and it is our chance to perform. We need to do our best so that when the day comes when we face our maker, we can stand tall and know that we gave our all. This life is our chance.It is a short time that we will remember for eternity.
"The recent Olympic Winter Games enthralled the world as athletes
representing 89 countries competed in 98 different events. Remarkably,
10 of these athletes were members of The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints, 3 of whom earned medals recently highlighted in the
Church News: Christopher Fogt, Noelle Pikus-Pace, and Torah Bright.
1 We offer our congratulations to all of the athletes who competed. Well done!
I
speak of these games this morning directing my thoughts to young men,
young women, and young single adults—you who are in your critical years
which set the course for your life. I feel a great sense of urgency in
addressing you.
For
you to feel that urgency, I first share the story of Noelle Pikus-Pace,
one of those Latter-day Saint athletes. In Noelle’s event, the
skeleton, athletes build momentum as they sprint and then plunge
headfirst on a small sled. With their faces inches above the ground,
they race down a winding, icy track at speeds that top 90 miles (145 km)
an hour.
Remarkably,
years of preparation would be considered either a success or a
disappointment based on what happened in the space of four intense
60-second runs.
Noelle’s
previous 2006 Olympic dreams were dashed when a terrible accident left
her with a broken leg. In the 2010 Olympics her dreams fell short again
when just over one-tenth of a second kept her from the medal stand.
2
Can
you imagine the anxiety she felt as she waited to begin her first run
in the 2014 Olympics? Years of preparation would culminate in only a
sliver of time. Four minutes total. She spent years preparing for those
four minutes and would spend a lifetime afterward reflecting on them.
Noelle’s
final runs were virtually flawless! We will never forget her leap into
the stands to embrace her family after crossing the finish line,
exclaiming, “We did it!” Years of preparation had paid off. We saw her
Young Women medallion around her neck as the silver medal was placed
there beside it.
3
It
may seem unfair that Noelle’s entire Olympic dreams hinged on what she
did during just four brief minutes. But she knew it, and that is why she
prepared so diligently. She sensed the magnitude, the urgency of her
four minutes, and what they would mean for the rest of her life.
We
also remember Christopher Fogt, a member of the team that won the
bronze medal in the four-man bobsled race. While he could have given up
after a devastating crash in the 2010 Olympics, he chose to persevere.
After a fantastic, redemptive run, he won the prize he so diligently
sought.
4
Now,
consider how your pathway to eternal life is similar to these athletes’
“four-minute performance.” You are an eternal being. Before you were
born, you existed as a spirit. In the presence of a loving Heavenly
Father, you trained and prepared to come to earth for a brief moment
and, well, perform. This life is your four minutes. While you are here,
your actions will determine whether you win the prize of eternal life.
The prophet Amulek described, “This life is the time … to prepare to
meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day … to perform
[your] labors.”
5
In
a sense, your four minutes have already begun. The clock is ticking.
The words of the Apostle Paul seem so fitting: to run the race, that you
may obtain the prize.
6
In
the same way that certain steps are essential in the very brief
performance of an Olympic athlete—jumps or maneuvers for ice skaters and
snowboarders, negotiating the turns of a bobsled run, or carving
through the gates of a downhill slalom course—so it is in our lives,
where certain things are absolutely essential—checkpoints which move us
through our spiritual performance on earth. These spiritual markers are
the essential God-given ordinances of the gospel: baptism, receiving the
gift of the Holy Ghost, priesthood ordinations, temple ordinances, and
partaking of the sacrament each week.
“In the[se] ordinances … , the power of godliness is manifest.”
7
And
in the same way that the discipline of training prepares an athlete to
perform elements in his or her sport at the highest level, keeping the
commandments will qualify you to receive these saving ordinances.
Do you sense the urgency?
My
young friends, wherever you are in your “four-minute performance,” I
urge you to ponder, “What do I need to do next to ensure my medal?”
Perhaps during this conference, the Spirit has whispered to you what
that may be: to prepare more thoughtfully for an ordinance in your
future or to receive an ordinance that you should have received a long
time ago. Whatever it may be, do it now. Don’t wait. Your four minutes
will pass quickly, and you’ll have eternity to think about what you did
in this life.
8
Self-discipline
is needed. Daily prayer, scripture study, and church attendance must be
the foundation of your training. A consistent pattern of obeying the
commandments, keeping the covenants you have made, and following the
Lord’s standard found in For the Strength of Youth is required.
Perhaps
you’re aware of things in your life that are threatening to slow or
stop your spiritual progress. If so, follow this scriptural counsel:
“Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset
us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us.”
9
It is not yet too late to repent. But it soon may be, because no one really knows when your four minutes will be over.
Now,
you may be thinking to yourself, “I already blew it. My four minutes
are already a disaster. I may as well give up.” If so, stop thinking
that, and never think it again. The miracle of the Atonement can make up
for imperfections in our performance. As Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has
taught:
“To
those of you … who may still be hanging back, … I testify of the
renewing power of God’s love and the miracle of His grace. …
“… It is
never too late so long as the Master … says there is time. … Don’t delay.”
10
Remember, you are not alone. The Savior has promised that He will not leave you comfortless.
11 You also have family, friends, and leaders who are cheering you on.
Although my remarks have been directed to the youth of the Church, for parents and grandparents, I offer the following:
Recently,
Elder David A. Bednar described a simple way to conduct a family
assessment to mark progress on the covenant path by essential
ordinances. All that is needed is a piece of paper with two columns:
“name” and “plan for next or needful ordinance.” I did this recently,
listing each family member. Among them, I noted an infant grandson, soon
to be blessed; a six-year-old grandson, whose preparation for baptism
was essential; and a son turning 18, whose preparation for the
priesthood and temple endowment was imminent. Everyone on the list
needed the sacrament ordinance. This simple exercise assisted Lesa and
me in fulfilling our role to help each member of our family along the
covenant path, with an action plan for each of them. Perhaps this is an
idea for you which will lead to family discussions, family home evening
lessons, preparation, and even invitations for essential ordinances in
your family.
12
As
a skier and a snowboarder myself, I was deeply impressed with the
“four-minute” silver medal-winning performance of Australian LDS athlete
and snowboarder Torah Bright in the half-pipe competition. She dazzled
the world as she finished a virtually flawless run culminating in a
backside rodeo 720. However, even more impressive and surprising to the
world was the way she reached out and demonstrated Christlike love to
her competitors. She noticed that American snowboarder Kelly Clark, who
had a bad first run in her final round, appeared to be nervous about her
second run. “She gave me a hug,” Clark recalls. “She just held me until
I actually calmed down enough and I slowed my breathing. It was good to
have a hug from a friend.” Kelly Clark would later join Torah on the
winners’ podium as a bronze medalist.
When
asked about this unusual act of kindness toward her opponent, which
could have put her own silver medal at risk, Torah simply said, “I am a
competitor—I want to do my best—but I want my fellow competitors to do
their best, too.”
13
With
that in mind, is there someone who needs your encouragement? a family
member? a friend? a classmate or fellow quorum member? How can you help
them with their four minutes?
Dear
friends, you are in the midst of an exhilarating journey. In some ways,
you are racing down the half-pipe or sled track, and it can be
challenging to perform each element or navigate each turn along the way.
But remember, you’ve prepared for this for millennia. This is your
moment to perform. This is your four minutes! The time is now!
I
express my utmost confidence in your abilities. You have the Savior of
the world on your side. If you seek His help and follow His directions,
how can you fail?
I
conclude with my testimony of the blessing we have in a living prophet,
President Thomas S. Monson, and of Jesus Christ and His role as our
Savior and Redeemer, in His holy name, Jesus Christ, amen."
