Mountaintops and Valleys

In the recent broadcast training for Seminaries and Institutes, Brother Randall Hall, Associate Administrator, Seminaries and Institutes of Religion, explained beautifully,

"As we glimpse the broad picture painted on the canvas of eternity and recognize that a loving, omnipotent, and omniscient Father in Heaven has a plan for our lives, we understand with increased clarity the potential of each of our students and children in the aeons to come. We are often filled with a sense of awe, a sense of gratitude, a sense of enthusiasm, and a zest for life. Our time on the mountaintop gives us strength and hope, even anticipation for what lies ahead. There comes a desire and determination to align ourselves more closely with the power and purposes of God and to be anxiously engaged in the great cause that permeates the universe—that of assisting in bringing 'to pass the immortality and eternal life of man' (Moses 1:39).
Our moments on the mountaintop can help us understand and remember why our efforts with our students and families are so important. President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, in the last general conference, taught:'We need to be constantly reminded of the eternal reasons behind the things we are commanded to do. . . . '. . . The why inspires our souls. “. . . The why transforms. . . . '. . . Understanding the why . . . will help us to see the divine purpose of all of this. It will give us motivation and strength to do the right things, even when they are hard' (“The Why of Priesthood Service,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 58–59, 61)."

Seminaries and Institutes of Religion Satellite Broadcast • August 7, 2012

Caspar David Friedrich

Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, 1818