Remember the Why — D&C 60-63 — Life Experienced with Terri Anne Flint

Two weeks ago, I took a break from writing my weekly e-tip. It wasn’t planned, but when the time came to write, my heart wouldn’t cooperate. I needed a rest, a time to step back, and reexamine why I do this. Why do I read the Come, Follow Me lesson and assigned scriptures? Why do I listen to hours of commentary? Why do I search for a message that could be of value to others and spend hours again writing and editing this 300-word document every week? Why is this task even on my to-do list?

The answer, or at least the partial answer, of my discontent came from the conference talk of Elder Gimenez, “My Love for My Savior Is My ‘Why’”. What we consistently do can become so routine, we forget the original why of doing it at all. In my situation, the routine study of Come, Follow Me and writing a message has become the goal, rather than the means of growing my relationship with the Savior.

Routine over relationship. When we forget to connect our actions with our love for the Savior and a desire to know Him better, our wellspring becomes depleted and the sweet drink of water may be replaced with discouragement, apathy, even resentment. But when we do both, keep the commandments and remember why, “the same shall be in him a well of living water, springing up unto everlasting life” (D&C 63:23).

“It is interesting that sometimes because we have consistently done things to the point that they have turned into traditions, we allow these traditions or activities to dictate our efforts to build faith in Jesus Christ. It seems we do these things because we have done them for many years, without considering their impact on our covenantal connection with the Savior.” –Elder Gimenez

“For example, when you set a goal to read the scriptures, offer sincere prayers, or prepare an activity for your family or ward, is the real goal simply to accomplish these tasks? Or are these actions the means, the tools at your disposal, to achieve the true goal? Is the purpose merely to hold an activity because we have done it for many years, and then check the box that we have completed it? Or, once again, are these the means we use to learn, to feel, and to connect with the Savior? –Elder Gimenez

Remember the Why — D&C 60-63