Eternal Perspective Speech

Good morning Brothers and Sisters! I’m excited to talk with you all about a topic that is so applicable to each of us. My talk is based on Elder Dale G. Renlund’s address “Maintaining an Eternal Perspective”. Before I go into my talk I want to pose a question that hopefully you will ponder about throughout the talk and really listen to the promptings of the Spirit, because He’s the true teacher. So the question for each of us is “How can I, as an individual, build my faith in Jesus Christ to have an eternal perspective?” Just remember that question throughout this talk.

Elder Renlund states that “When our day-to-day challenges loom before us, it is natural to focus on the here and now. But when we do, we may make poor choices, become depressed,

Elder Renlund quotes a part of the famous hymn by Robert Robinson “Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing” as an example of remembering God’s goodness. The part of the song he uses is the following: “Here I’ll raise my Ebenezer, Hither by Thy help I’m come; And I hope, by Thy good pleasure, Safely to arrive at home.” And for those of you like me that aren’t sure what an Ebenezer is it’s a stone of help, the outward symbol of God’s goodness that helped Israel remember the greatness of God. While we don’t per se have an Ebenezer to raise, we can “raise our Ebenezer” by having an eternal perspective. We can have that eternal perspective by using the world around us to witness of God’s goodness, because God is in all the things around us. Just as it states in Alma 30:44 “all things denote there is a God.” Though, due to our many circumstances of life, we are at times prone to wander. Elder Renlund states “Whether we are served cold oatmeal or riches in abundance, we are all “prone to wander, … prone to leave the God [we] love.” The remedy for wandering away from God is also suggested in the hymn: “Let Thy goodness, as a fetter, bind my wandering heart to Thee.” By remembering and keeping in mind what great things God has done for us, including the gift of His Son, we can “safely … arrive at home.”” (pg. 4) We will arrive safely at home if we go through life with the eyes to see God’s goodness all around us, no matter the circumstances. Something my dad and I share in common is a love for sunrises and sunsets and there have been many times that due to a beautiful sunrise or sunset that my dad and I have discussed the goodness of God. And because of this when life has been hard a simple sunrise or sunset reminds me that God is good and I can then continue on with an eternal