President Jenson's Message

                                                       Look For the Bright-Side

    Several months ago, I purchased a “smart phone”.   When I purchased the phone, I was told I could get lots of free applications and with those applications the phone could do almost anything and it would make my life so much better.  It sounded almost too good to be true.   I found out quickly that using the phone and its many applications brought many frustrations and there were several times when I thought, “This was supposed to make my life better not more frustrating.”    With time, studying, using the phone and exercising patience, I have found that the phone does indeed have many wonderful applications and has saved me quite a bit of time and made my life better.

    As believers and disciples of Christ we sometimes think, “Why is life so hard, my life should be better.   I have a belief in Christ.”  It is easy to see others and then judge ourselves against their successes.  We may get discouraged or frustrated with our perceived lack of success or progress.   As with my phone experience, we need to exercise patience, study and keep trying.  

    Having a belief in Christ and knowing this is His restored Gospel is a simple knowledge that most of the world does not have.   Because we have that knowledge, we mistakenly translate that to a perception that our lives will be easier.   I have found that if I keep working on developing the “attributes of Christ” as described in the Preach My Gospel Manuel, life does become better.  Developing the attributes of Christ can be likened to learning to use the applications in my smart phone.  With practice working on Christ’s attributes become habits much like using the applications of a smart phone become more intuitive.

    I have personal testimony that our lives become much better, fuller and more joyful as we try to become more like Christ by developing His attributes.   One of the Christ-like attributes is patience.  That  attribute develops over our lives but impacts our perception now of how we are doing in developing the other attributes.    Don’t get discouraged.   As President Buie has often said, “Be hopeful, optimistic and cheerful.”  Life is good because we know that Christ lives and is our Savior.

May the Spirit of Christ bring hope and peace to you.

Rick Jenson