Abundant Life

Today I have a busy day, but wanted to leave something with you that I’ve been thinking about. It’s a great conference address from Elder Wirthlin in April 2006 called The Abundant Life. One of the verses I read a few days ago had a footnote that said “TG Abundant Life” so I looked it up in the topical guide and then on LDS.org and this is one of the first articles that came up. I remember listening to it and especially liking the part where he emphasizes the importance of living waters in our lives. Who doesn’t need all the things he reminds us we can have through getting close to the Lord, reading the scriptures and serving and loving others? In many things in this life, simple is great, but in this case, an abundant life is something I would love to have. I just included bits and pieces here for a quick read or you can click on the link above to read the whole thing. Today, I want to list a few of the characteristics that the happiest people I know have in common. They are qualities that can transform ordinary existence into a life of excitement and abundance.

First, they drink deeply of living waters.
Do you seek peace of mind?
Drink deeply of living waters.
Do you seek forgiveness? Peace? Understanding? Joy?
Drink deeply of living waters.

The abundant life is a spiritual life. Too many sit at the banquet table of the gospel of Jesus Christ and merely nibble at the feast placed before them. They go through the motions—attending their meetings perhaps, glancing at scriptures, repeating familiar prayers—but their hearts are far away. If they are honest, they would admit to being more interested in the latest neighborhood rumors, stock market trends, and their favorite TV show than they are in the supernal wonders and sweet ministerings of the Holy Spirit.
The second quality of those who live abundant lives is that they fill their hearts with love…We often don't know the reach of a simple act of kindness.

We are all busy. It's easy to find excuses for not reaching out to others, but I imagine they will sound as hollow to our Heavenly Father as the elementary school boy who gave his teacher a note asking that he be excused from school March 30th through the 34th.

The third quality of those who live abundant lives is that they, with the help of their Heavenly Father, create a masterpiece of their lives.

Brothers and sisters, the abundant life does not come to us packaged and ready-made. It's not something we can order and expect to find delivered with the afternoon mail. It does not come without hardship or sorrow.

It comes through faith, hope, and charity. And it comes to those who, in spite of hardship and sorrow, understand the words of one writer who said, "In the depth of winter, I finally learned that within me there lay an invincible summer." (Albert Camus)

The abundant life isn't something we arrive at. Rather, it is a magnificent journey that began long, long ages ago and will never, never end.