Be Ready

My thoughts on President Eyring's talk "Be Ready"

Being ready for whatever, whenever is so important. Are we ready? Are we ready when the disaster arises, when faith is challenged, when Christ calls are we ready.
"When the call came I was ready."
Are we?
"The preparation came long before the crisis..."
"Those who are prepared will be ready to answer."

"The preparation begins in families, in Aaronic Priesthood quorums, and mostly in the private lives of young men. The quorums and the families must help, but the preparation that counts will be made by the young men making choices to rise to their great destiny as priesthood servants for God."

But how do we get ready?
Simply, right? yes and no (but isn't that always the answer?)

"The first is to have faith."
Funny how that first principle pops up as the answer to so many questions.
We have to have faith in the power that we are using. We can not use it if we don't have faith in it.
"That faith did not come in the moment when Nephi needed it, nor did God’s trust in Nephi. He earned that great faith and God’s confidence by courageous and sustained labor in the Lord’s service. You young men are building that faith now for the days ahead when you will need it."
But like most things we need to work on it daily. Faith is a fragile thing that needs daily attendance and we must see to it that it is fed and cared for.

But what about our children who don't prepare or who don't build on a solid foundation?
"That choice must be their own," President Eyring says. It rips a mother's heart apart when they do choose and choose wrong, but all we can do is pray and fast for them. We just have to make sure that we did our part.
"Those of us who can help will be held accountable by the Lord. A father who neglects or interferes with a son’s development of faith or his ability to follow inspiration will someday know sorrow. That will be true for anyone placed in a position to help these young men choose wisely and well in their days in the preparatory priesthood."
I want to make sure that there is no possible way that it is my fault if any of my children (or those I am a Steward for) let go of the Iron Rod.

Once we have faith then we need to have confidence.
"confidence that they can live up to the blessings and the trust which God has offered them. Most of the influences around them drag them down to doubt the existence of God, of His love for them, and of the reality of the sometimes quiet messages they receive through the Holy Ghost and the Spirit of Christ. Their peers may urge them to choose sin. If young men choose sin, those messages from God will become more faint."
I know that I lack a lot of confidence. I am going through a huge trial and I can feel my confidence wane. I hope that my lack of confidence doesn't hinder the blessings that may flow for my facing this trial head first. I know that my faith waivers every now and then and there are moments. I just have to remember something that Mother Teresa said, "I know the Lord won't give me anything I can't handle, I just wish he wouldn't trust me so much."

I just know that I'm not choosing "sin" but I am not choosing confidence. I need to build my confidence. I just hope that my lack of confidence isn't hindering my children's own confidence.