Training our Desires....

"The more we fill our hearts and minds with the message of the risen Christ, the greater our desire is to follow Him and live His teachings.  This in turn, causes our faith to grow and allows the light of Christ to illuminate our hearts."  

(President Dieter F. Uchtdorf April Conf. 2009)

I've been thinking of late about our desires and how they are at the core of our motivation.  If we want (desire) to do something even though it is difficult we usually can.  Conversely, things we would rather not do become difficult.    As I am caring for my father I notice the days I am chaffing at the bit to do something else are the most difficult.  Elder Neal A. Maxwell talked about "training our desires" so that the things we want the most are aligned with truth.  He quotes Brigham Young as saying:  “Do you think that people will obey the truth because it is true, unless they love it? No, they will not” (in Journal of Discourses, 7:55).  Elder Maxwell continues, "Thus knowing gospel truths and doctrines is profoundly important, but we must also come to love them. When we love them, they will move us and help our desires and outward works to become more holy."

And how do we come to love them?  We do as Elder Uchtdorf said and fill our hearts and minds with the message of the risen Christ which causes our faith to grow and allows the light of Christ to illuminate our hearts."  

One more quote from Elder Maxwell on the subject:

"Fortunately for us, our loving Lord will work with us, “even if we can do no more than desire to believe,” providing we will “let this desire work in us”. Therefore, declared President Joseph F. Smith, “the education then of our desires is one of far-reaching importance to our happiness in life”....Only by educating and training our desires can they become our allies instead of our enemies!"