As this lovely Christmas Season comes to an end for 2015 and we ring in the New Year of 2016; I thought I would share a great message by President Dieter F. Uchtodorf of the 1st Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints entitled; "Finish With Your Torch Still Lit".
In ancient Greece, runners competed in a relay race
called a lampadedromia.1 In the race, runners
held a torch in their hand and passed it on to the next runner until the final
member of the team crossed the finish line.
The prize wasn’t awarded to the team that ran
fastest—it was awarded to the first team to reach the finish line with its
torch still lit.
There is a profound lesson here, one taught by
prophets ancient and modern: while it is important to start the race, it is
even more important that we finish with our torch still lit.
Solomon Started Strong
The great King Solomon is an example of someone who
started strong. When he was young, he “loved the Lord, walking in the statutes
of David his father” (1 Kings 3:3). God was pleased with him
and said, “Ask what I shall give thee” (1 Kings 3:5).
Instead of asking for riches or a long life,
Solomon asked for “an understanding heart to judge thy people, that I may
discern between good and bad” (1 Kings 3:9).
This pleased the Lord so much that He blessed
Solomon not only with wisdom but also with wealth beyond measure and a long
life.
Though Solomon was indeed very wise and did many
great things, he did not finish strong. Sadly, later in his life, “Solomon did
evil in the sight of the Lord, and went not fully after the Lord” (1 Kings 11:6).
Finishing Our Own Race
How many times have we started something and not
finished? Diets? Exercise programs? Commitments to read the scriptures daily?
Decisions to be better disciples of Jesus
Christ?
How often do we make resolutions in January and
pursue them with red-hot determination for a few days, a few weeks, or even a
few months only to find that by October, the flame of our commitment is little
more than cold ash?
One day I ran across a funny picture of a dog lying
next to a piece of paper he had shredded. It read, “Certificate of
Dog-Obedience Training.”
We are like that sometimes.
We have good intentions; we start strong; we want
to be our best self. But in the end we leave our resolutions shredded,
discarded, and forgotten.
It’s human nature to stumble, fail, and sometimes
want to drop out of the race. But as disciples of Jesus Christ, we have
committed not only to begin the race but also to finish it—and finish it with
our torch still burning brightly. The Savior promised His disciples, “He that
shall endure unto the end, the same shall be saved” (Matthew 24:13).
Let me paraphrase what the Savior has promised in
our day: If we keep His commandments and finish with our torch still lit, we
will have eternal life, which is the greatest of all the gifts of God
(see D&C 14:7; see also2 Nephi 31:20).
The Light That Never Dies
Sometimes after stumbling, failing, or even giving
up, we get discouraged and believe our light has gone out and our race is lost.
But I testify that the Light of Christ cannot be extinguished. It shines in the
darkest night and will relight our hearts if only we incline our hearts to Him
(see 1 Kings 8:58).
No matter how often or how far we fall, the Light
of Christ ever burns brightly. And even in the deepest night, if we but step
toward Him, His light will consume the shadows and reignite our souls.
This race of discipleship is not a sprint; it’s a
marathon. And it makes little difference how fast we go. In fact, the only way
we can lose the race is by finally giving in or giving up.
As long as we continue to rise up and move toward
our Savior, we win the race with our torches burning brightly.
For the torch is not about us or about what we do.
It is about the Savior of the world.
And that is a Light that can never be dimmed. It is
a Light that swallows the darkness, heals our wounds, and blazes even in the
midst of the deepest sorrow and unfathomable darkness.
It is a Light that surpasses understanding.
May each of us finish the path we have begun. And with
the help of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, we will finish joyfully and
with our torches still lit.
Where are you on your race of life? Are your torches burning brightly? The Light of
Christ is “a Light that swallows the darkness, heals our wounds, and blazes
even in the midst of the deepest sorrow and unfathomable darkness.” (Ensign, Oct. 2015, pg.4-5).
From my own life experiences I know that Jesus Christ is the way, the truth and the light. I know that He has healed my wounds and provided the light to find my own way in my moments of darkness. I invite you to Come Follow Him.
