Wise Words from Elder Holland

This great advice from Elder Jeffery Holland was posted on his Facebook page this morning.  I have highlighted the parts of his message that stood out to me.

During this COVID-19 pandemic, it has been interesting for me to have so many meetings, trips, and public speaking assignments canceled and to spend more time with myself. That is something that I don’t get a lot of opportunity to do.

For any of us, it’s an interesting experience to be the only person in the room and ask yourself whether you like the company. Personally, I’d say that there are some things I like about Jeff Holland, but some other things need work and improvement. I like to call this time alone with yourself “character time.” It’s a good exercise to ask hard questions and hope you like what you’re able to answer.

In my normal life, I would have a few moments each day to pray and be in the scriptures. Now, I’ve had day after day where I can spend hours praying and being in the scriptures. That is a luxury that I didn’t know I’d ever have again. I hope when things go back to normal—whatever normal is going to be—that I don’t forget the feelings and experiences I’ve had during these months of reflection and solitude.

The scriptures testify of God’s hope that we will turn to him voluntarily—His hope that we will choose to be reflective, righteous, and contemplative in a way that will all lead to His grand purpose and to our improvement. There are many ways that we can learn to be more careful, more thoughtful, more grateful, more spiritual—and I believe that for many of us, the COVID-19 pandemic is one of those ways. We would be foolish to miss out on this sacred opportunity to search our souls, do a little repenting, and look for how we can be better and kinder.

This picture with Elder Holland was taken in 2006 during the Arcadia Stake Conference