Today I had to give a talk for New Beginnings...
"Framed in the living room is a faded photo of my great-grandma. It’s a beautiful picture, really. But with the era she lived in lacking the technology for colored photography, it’s impossible to know whether her lace-trimmed dress was yellow or pink, or if her bright eyes were her green or blue. The thick ringlets cascading down her back, on the other hand, are a rich ebony, the black bold and unmistakable, even in the black and white photo. The tiny bow pinning a small section from her face is also obvious of its nature. The white satin is fairer than anything else in the photo. And so, while these too opposites flaunt their dark or their light, the rest still remain a mystery. All these colors are leached out, bland ink trapping a lovely memory in a dull grey.
Every day we make choices. Most of the time we don’t give a second though to these decisions, but other times they can create a great impact.
In the picture, it is clear that it her hair is actually black and the little bow is white. Our choices and decisions in this life should be the same. Is my dress modest – or not? Is this movie appropriate – or not? Does this food or drink follow the Word of Wisdom – or not? Black or white?
My great grandmother’s dress is another story. In the picture it appears grey – but we know in reality it is not. It is just the quality of the picture. And really, most decisions are black and white – not grey!
We are here for the chance to learn and grow. We have so much potential, and as members of the church, how will the decisions we make reflect on us as daughters of God? It was a choice we made long ago to have free agency, and while this is a beautiful blessing, it also comes with responsibility. Every choice has a consequence that is good or bad dependent on the nature of the decision.
Sister Carpenter asked me for a story where I’ve had to take a stand for what I believe in, but to be honest, I’ve never really been a situation like that. I’m just lucky to have some really great friends who are good people that I love to death. And I guess that’s another decision you have to make- who you hang out with. Will your friends try to push you into the black area or uplift you into the white... or will they smoothtalk you into believing everything is just grey and unclear?
Those choices we make build up on each other. Always try to remember your potential, keeping an open eye with a wider perspective. Now is the time to choose now where you stand!"
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