Life is full of new beginnings, President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, told young adults during the Church Educational System Fireside on Sunday, May 7.

Photo by Jeffrey D. Allred/Deseret Morning News

President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency, addresses young adults at institute adjacent to the University of Utah.

Because of that, "how you start and where you are going is of transcending importance," he counseled, speaking at the Salt Lake City Utah University Institute adjacent to the University of Utah. The fireside was broadcast via satellite to meetinghouses in many parts of the world.

To illustrate the importance of a good start, President Faust spoke of his days as a sprinter on track teams in high school and at the University of Utah. He described the careful preparations in setting the starting blocks and getting comfortable in them.

"We knew that if we did not prepare and get a good start we could not hope to finish in front," he said. "The Apostle Paul gave us this insightful admonition: 'Know ye not that they which run in a race run all, but one receiveth the prize? So run, that ye may obtain' (1 Corinthians 9:24). Well, of course, the prize is eternal life.

"I have found that in accomplishing just about anything, the most difficult part is getting started."

New beginnings can be the result of opportunities, and occasionally must be readjusted, President Faust said.

"For instance," he noted, "you may not be accepted to the school you always wanted to attend, or the door is closed to the career path you wanted to pursue, or a special person in your life chooses to marry someone else. At such times, it is important to realize that other choices are available to you and new beginnings are possible."

To move forward requires the courage to change. He said, "For those who can adapt, who can bend, who can modify, who can improve, lies great opportunity. Sometimes we need to have the strength not to take counsel from our fears. This takes courage."

Spiritual renewals are tremendously important, President Faust emphasized, suggesting six "beginning, essential measures that will give great help for a daily flow of 'living water' from the very source of the spring, even the Redeemer Himself."

• "First, a daily communion involving prayer. A fervent, sincere prayer is a two-way communication that will do much to bring His Spirit flowing like healing water to help with the trials, hardships, aches, and pains we all face. . . . As we pray, we should think of Him as being close by, full of knowledge, understanding, love, and compassion, the essence of power, and having great expectations of each of us."

• "Second, a daily selfless service to another. . . . Those who think about others more than they think about themselves, and do kind acts of service, are always the happiest of people."

• "Third, a daily striving for an increased obedience and perfection in our lives. This means that we have to consciously strive every day to keep God's commandments. This means watching our thoughts and actions and on a daily basis 'trying to be like Jesus,' as the Primary song says."

• "Fourth, a daily acknowledgment of His divinity. To have a daily, personal relationship with the Master, we must be His disciples and acknowledge His importance in our lives."

• "Fifth, a daily study of the scriptures. This requires some planning and discipline, but daily scripture study will strengthen our faith and help us live the gospel more fully."

• "Sixth, do something. Television has made of us a nation of spectators. The best athletic contests in the world come into our home free of charge. The finest music is available to us on the Public Broadcasting stations. . . . However, being spectators requires little or no effort on our part. As the Apostle James said, we need to be 'doers of the word, and not hearers only.' "

President Faust emphasized the value of repentance as a new beginning. A stake president once told him of a member who had committed a grave sin several years earlier. The information came from a collateral source and the subject had not confessed or accepted appropriate punishment, though he had done all he could to rectify the matter and live a better life.

The incident made President Faust ache for the man, he said, "because had he come forward when the incident first occurred, by this time it would have been possible for him to have the whole matter put at rest. He could have had a new beginning. But without his confession and willingness to accept the punishment, there could be no beginning."

He continued, "No one is perfect, and we all need to invoke this principle from time to time. For those who have been involved in serious transgressions, however, it is a life-saving principle. The longer we go down the wrong road, the harder it is to come back and get on the right road."

President Faust stated that "life is fuller and richer and better for those who are not afraid to make a new beginning" and "that genius is very rare, that most of life's rich rewards come to those who prepare carefully. Preparation and staying power are more valuable than brilliance."

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