Elder Jay E. Jensen
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"All commandments have their eternal importance in the context of the great plan of happiness.
"I know that this truth is a key to conversion, retention and activation. If we can help people first understand the plan, they will find a deeper and more permanent motivation to keep the commandments."
Understanding God's plan of happiness gives Latter-day Saints an eternal perspective. But Satan seeks to distract them with the "dark, compelling urgency of now."
Such was the case with Laman and Lemuel in the Book of Mormon, who turned from the ways of God and complained about their sufferings. The Prodigal Son, too, was impatient for his mortal inheritance.
"Those without an eternal perspective, or those who lose sight of it, make their own standards to benefit themselves and their own selfish interests. Their mortal perspective becomes their standard and for some their god."
Prayer, scripture study and church service are all important in order to gain eternal perspective. But an often overlooked appreciation for hymns can also be a great aid in the conversion process.
"With the teacher improvement emphasis this year, parents, teachers and missionaries will improve gospel teaching by ensuring they understand the plan themselves and sing the hymns that carry the same spirit. Sing them, hopefully not in a perfunctory way, rather with purpose to begin and end meetings and as part of lessons, or to summarize or introduce ideas in the lessons."
