How to Remember What God Expects of You
Timeless advice for every child of God wondering what to do next in life
In January 1989 Patricia Holland, wife of the President of BYU Jeffrey R. Holland, gave an inspiring address entitled Filling the Measure of Your Creation.
It’s a talk that I’ve gone back dozens of times in my life, as its message is perfect for when we’re confronted with forks on our paths of faith:
“All of us face… questions about our role, our purpose, our course in life… We ask, ‘What will I be, when will I graduate, whom will I marry, what is my future, how will I make a living, can I make a contribution? Take heart if you are still asking yourselves such questions, because we all do. I do. We should concern ourselves with our fundamental purposes in life.”
Too often, we consider not knowing to be a sign of weakness. We read of examples in holy writ of prophets that persevered in faith, nothing doubting, and wonder “what’s my deal?”
It’s refreshing to hear others talk about their trials of faith, not because we need to wallow with those that wallow but rather because we too often forget we’re in the same boat when it comes to figuring out our purpose in life.
Patricia Holland likens each of our lives to the creation of an intricate and beautiful tapestry that our Heavenly Parents are lovingly working on with us:
“It’s important to remember is that through most of the creative period we are confined to the limited view of the underside of the tapestry where things can seem particularly jumbled and muddled and unclear. If nothing really makes very much sense from that point of view, it is because we are still in process and unfinished. But our heavenly parents have the view from the top… . They know our purpose and potential.”
Even if we’re unsure of what role we’re supposed to play in the moment, our Heavenly Parents still expect us to play an active role in our divine design. In fact, our uncertainty is actually key to our creative process.
So how do we press forward?
Patricia Holland has three pieces of advice:
1. Cherish your course and savour your own distinctiveness
So often we fear that we’re not being enough of who we’re supposed to be in this life. We get consumed by the things we’re not and become blinded to our unique strengths.
Acceptance of who we are, not only frees us to see God’s path more clearly, it also removes the internal friction and allows us to help others do likewise.
2. Shut out conflicting voices and listen to the voice within, which is God telling you who you are and what you will be
There are many competing voices out there along our path of faith. Most of these are well-meaning, however, there’s only one voice that can direct us to the ultimate destination.
I believe this is why President Russell M. Nelson, the prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, has stressed the importance of personal revelation as a key to our progression:
“In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.”
3. Free yourself from the love of profession, position, or the approval of men
In today’s world of social media, the draw of being personally famous is greater than ever. Whether we’re actively aware of it or not, our digital world is designed to have us either seeking the likes of men and women or consuming their content 24/7.
We might not actively be chasing away the spirit, but how often do we drown it out with the scroll of our Instagram or Facebook feed? How often, with our phones in hand, do we remember “that what God really wants us to be is someone’s sister, someone’s brother, and someone’s friend?”
“Each of you has a purpose. It is different, it is distinct, it is divine.” — Patricia Holland
If this is all we can keep in mind on our very imperfect path to perfection, it will be enough to see us through.
