My wife and I had the opportunity to go to the “Stand for the Family” Symposium organized by students from BYU’s Family Law Society as well as students from the School of Family Life and many other departments. It was an incredible event which brought professional speakers from across the community and country to speak about topics like pornography, divorce, homosexuality, and the importance of marriage in our society. The discussions were healing and enlightening.
The part I wish to focus on was the keynote address from Elder Bruce D. Porter of the Seventy, who spoke on the eternal family. He spoke a lot about morality and tolerance and how society’s definitions and understanding of those words has been changing. More and more everyone seeks to find their own meaning of morality, or what is right and wrong for them instead of what might inherently be right and wrong in general. We are becoming “intolerant” in that we can no longer say no to the almighty “self”.
We are often bombarded with messages like “do whatever makes you happy”, “be yourself”, and “find your own path that is right for you” which I don’t think are necessarily bad, but the focus on self in the midst of moral relativism has left many even more lost, confused, and frustrated. Elder Porter commented that in the midst of the growing confusion where people are trying to find themselves, the words of the Savior ring more clearly “He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it” (Matt 10:39). “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me” (John 14:7).
I add my simple testimony that I know that I have been happiest when I “lose” myself in the work, love, and grace of God and his gospel. I find true meaning to my life, my purpose, and my salvation that I can find nowhere else. I say that in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.
On another note, I got the chance to briefly meet A. Dean Byrd, but I will save that for another post :)
