Come Follow Me: Doctrine and Covenants 98-101
Going into a new grade in school is super tough, and it raises several questions.
What should I wear?
Who should I be friends with?
How much should I raise my hand in class?
How much should I talk?
How can I keep up with all the homework I’m getting?
That’s actually what I’m experiencing right now.
I started my first year of middle school, and it’s been crazy! It’s so different from what I’m used to. Several different classes, more homework, less time to see my friends, no recesses, and of course, immature junior high boys.
It’s hard for me to keep up with all the changes, as I’m sure it is for everyone.
But it always seems like some of the other 7th grade girls have it down to a science. They know exactly what to wear, what to say, what to do, even how to still look like a model in gym class! (How?!?!)
So I started to question myself. What do I have to do to be cool, too?
Do I need to change myself?
Should I be less talkative, wear clothes that are more in style, learn how to curl my hair, and wear makeup? Is this what it takes to fit in?
The first week of school went on like that for me, until I started to realize, maybe I don’t actually have to “fit in.” At least not the way I thought I had to. Because to be honest, who wants to be someone else, when God granted you this awesome body and mind that are unique from any other in the universe?
Well, the problem is, many people around the world have these same doubts and questions. Humans naturally desire acceptance, and often, we will do anything it takes to get it.
But instead of wondering about what others think, we need to be wondering what God thinks. We can improve the things we do and the way we live by asking ourselves if God would be happy with our decisions.
D&C 100:2 says, “Therefore, follow me, and listen to the counsel which I shall give unto you.”
Well, what is this counsel? Actually, we can find out in D&C 97:8. It says, “Verily I say unto you, all among them who know their hearts are honest, and are broken, and their spirits contrite, and are willing to observe their covenants by sacrifice—yea, every sacrifice which I, the Lord, shall command—they are accepted of me.”
Those are reasonable instructions to follow so that we can “fit in” in heaven.
Instead of changing our appearance and personality to be accepted by a bunch of random people who we’ll probably never talk to in our life, we can instead be honest and humble, strive to fix our mistakes and repent, and follow the commandments, so we will be accepted by God.
See the difference? Being accepted by a random human, or the person who literally created everything, AND that very same random human that seems so cool.
So really, by following the guidelines to be accepted by God, we gain more and improve more as a person than we ever could by wearing trendy clothes.
That sounds like a pretty good deal to me!
