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For A Sacred Life Purpose

For A Sacred Life Purpose

Last updated on: October 19, 2022 at 4:51 pm by Sharon Black

For A Sacred Life Purpose 2022-10-19T16:51:34-04:00 Sharon Black

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In approximately 1884, widowed Sarah Winchester, heiress of a world-renowned fortune, began building her house. As its only architect, responding only to her whims and passions, she heedlessly tore down and rebuilt. A 7-story tower was rebuilt 16 times. The house once had 500 rooms, though the San Francisco earthquake reduced it to 160. With no planning, many windows were jammed against walls, and doors and staircases led nowhere.* Folklore regarding ghosts and death threats are untrue; but the facts alone show the vanity of unlimited resources bestowed on human beings. How blessed we are that God, with his truly unlimited resources, blesses us with a sacred plan for a meaningful life.

With a Sacred Plan

Sarah Winchester’s house was truly a “great and spacious building.” No one except the adversary would need 40 staircases, 2,000 doors, and 10,000 windows—many of which could not be used.

Our Father in Heaven has designed a sacred plan, ideal for us. As He instructed Isaiah to write, “I am the Lord, which leadeth thee by the way that thou shouldeth go”(48:17). Realizing how far above human understanding the plan would be, He also instructed, “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts” (Isaiah 55:9).

Dieter F. Uchtdorf (2016) explained God’s way of teaching us a sacred plan: “[His] answers to the most complex questions in life” are “true, plain, straightforward, and easy to understand.” Prophets have acknowledged this “one perfect plan” (e.g., Monson, 2016), leading to our happiness and our peace.

When God created this earth, He planned for us to make choices. He knew that we would experience opposition and that we would make mistakes, including sin. As we would experience death, He sent Christ to redeem us all from death and cleanse our sins, as we follow His commandments and teachings “to promote our growth.” He invites all and denies none, for “all are alike unto [Him]”(summarized from Dallin H. Oaks, 2020).

With a Sacred Purpose

Sarah Winchester’s house was knocked down by an earthquake. Some people today are suffering earthquakes, tragic storms and flooding, widespread fires and other severe trials. At least we are sensible and thoughtful enough to avoid rebuilding houses with 47 fireplaces and 17 chimneys.

Living within a sacred plan gives the happenings in our lives sacred purpose. Some of the growth God knows that we need requires adversity and pain. As Isaiah reported, He has chosen His people “in the furnace of affliction” (48:10). Henry B. Eyring quoted his mother’s explanation to him: “Oh Hal. Of course it’s hard. It’s supposed to be. Life is a test” (2022). Christ comforted all of us: “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world” (John 16:33).

As the Savior has overcome the world, He does not leave us to try to overcome it on our own. Elder Uchtdorf exclaimed, “We are surrounded by such an astonishing wealth of light and truth” (2016).

But a sacred plan would not strengthen and improve us if it required nothing of us. Thomas S. Monson taught, “We need to work and learn, search and pray, repent and improve. We need to know God’s laws and live them. We need to receive His saving ordinances” (2016). Recently we have recalled the importance of our saving temple ordinances, which “have forged . . . a bond with Him” (Nelson, Liahona, 2022).

We have also been reminded of a sacred relationship on which we must center our lives: “We become one with God and with one another through love and service” (Sitati, 2022).

The Savior described Himself as “meek and lowly of heart” (Matthew 11:29); our prophets remind us of this often—which we obviously need.

With a Sacred Promise of Guidance

Sarah Winchester did not lack intelligence or education. As a young woman she was educated at a “collegiate institute” at Yale University. Had she wanted to, she could have read widely and consulted world experts on architecture. She didn’t want to.

We are blessed with a sacred promise of Christ’s love for us individually and His willingness to reveal His will individually to us. President Nelson (2018) advised, “Pray about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen!” He advised us to write thoughts and feelings we receive, and act as we are prompted.

Christ knows us better than we know ourselves, and He guides us in ways that are best for us in the circumstances of our need. Guidance may come quickly, or He may want us to work on the problem first. Time and space do not mean He does not care about us.

Elder Quentin L. Cook (2022) mentioned specific ways in which “those who humbly seek guidance from the Lord” may receive it. We can experience over-whelming mental peace; the Holy Spirit “occupying” or “enlightening” our minds; or a voice coming into our minds. He closed his talk, “My humble plea today is that each of us will seek continuing revelation to guide our lives and follow the Spirit as we worship God the Father in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ.”

A sacred promise of individual love and concern, with personal revelation, is available to us as our faith in and love for Jesus Christ continue to develop and increase. How could we not accept a sacred invitation to join His disciples

________________________

* All Winchester facts cited are included in multiple sources and, strange as they are, can thus be considered “common knowledge.”

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