In her talk “To Grow Up unto the Lord,” Sister Anne C Pingree speaks about the importance of growing closer to the Lord. She speaks about the need for adults to grow closer to the Lord, and the need to put away unimportant things. She says:
“Helaman, the great Book of Mormon prophet, named his sons Nephi and Lehi after their forebears, and ‘they began to grow up unto the Lord.’ Young or older, all of us must do the same.
This idea of growing up unto the Lord is a compelling one. Unlike the process of growing up physically, we will not mature spiritually until we choose, as the Apostle Paul phrased it, to ‘put away childish things.’
“Daily prayer and scripture study, adherence to commandments and to covenants made at baptism and in the temple are at the core of growing up unto the Lord. We learn to walk in His ways as we do what draws us closer to Heavenly Father and as we teach our children and others to do the same. We “put away childish things” as we choose to become Christlike and serve others as He would have us do.”
Sister Pingree says that one way that we can grow closer to the Lord is through service. She shares a story about two senior missionary sisters devoted to service and reaching out to others. They spent time searching for a new family, even though they kept getting lost. She also shares the example of visiting teachers that are reaching out to serve others.
Sister Pingree points out that once we have developed the ability to serve others, that it is important to “press forward with faith.” She speaks about tasks which may seem difficult to handles, but that as we do all that we can going to the Lord for guidance we will be able to do the tasks that have been set before us. She shares the example of Nephi building the ship.
This talk is a very uplifting one. It points out the steps that are needed to draw closer to the Lord. It also gives encouraging words on how the Lord will guide us as we try to do the best that we are able. I hope that you will take the time to read this talk.