Church News - The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints

Step by step

'Our spiritual journey is the process of a lifetime'
Published: Saturday, Oct. 11, 2008

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As a young man contemplating the challenge of a mission, Elder Neil L. Andersen said he felt inadequate and unprepared. When he prayed, the feeling came: "'You don't know everything, but you know enough!"'

Elder Neil L. Andersen

Speaking during the Saturday morning session, Elder Andersen of the Presidency of the Seventy recalled how that reassurance gave him the courage to take the next step into the mission field.

"Our spiritual journey is the process of a lifetime," he said. "We don't know everything in the beginning or even along the way. Our conversion comes step by step, line upon line. We first build a foundation of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We treasure the principles and ordinances of repentance, baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost. We include a continuing commitment to prayer, a willingness to be obedient and an ongoing witness of the Book of Mormon.

"We then remain steady and patient as we progress through mortality. At times, the Lord's answer will be: You don't know everything, but you know enough — enough to keep the commandments and do what is right."

Elder Andersen said everyone has moments of spiritual power, moments of inspiration and revelation. "We must sink them deep into the chambers of our soul. As we do, we prepare our spiritual home storage for moments of personal difficulty."

Challenges, difficulties, questions and doubts are all part of mortality, said Elder Andersen.

"But we are not alone. As disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, we have enormous spiritual reservoirs of light and truth available to us. Fear and faith cannot coexist in our heart at the same time."

Through the years, Church members take important spiritual steps over and over again, he said. "We begin to see that 'he that receiveth light and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day' (Doctrine and Covenants 50:24). Our questions and doubts are resolved or become less concerning to us. Our faith becomes simple and pure."

Photo by Mike Terry/Deseret News
Conferencegoers shield themselves from the rain by stepping under the cover of the Conference Center. A wet weekend didn't dampen spirits.