Attribute #23 - Determination

David has always been one determined person. He's excellent at setting goals and then figuring out ways to achieve them. I'm particularly impressed with one New Year's Resolution he made to floss his teeth every single day that year, and he did! I suspect that it's still a daily habit.

Determination takes dedication and diligence and so David has those qualities as well. (Look at that alliteration!) David's smart and learned to read before he started school, but he's never really liked being a student; he'd rather be out doing things. He called it the ten-year plan, but he did graduate from BYU. Then, after a few years, he decided to go back for his master's, which he just completed this month. Congratulations!

In addition to his career aspirations, he and Elizabeth have set some great goals for their family, and I'm fully confident they'll complete everything they set out to do. Anyone who can carry four children up a flight of stairs to bed can conquer the world!

Determination: deciding definitely and firmly; resolution

Moroni 6:3
They took upon them the name of Christ, having a determination to serve him to the end.

Scriptures and quotes from the prophets and apostles about determination are going to focus on increasing our determination to be obedient and follow God, but that's okay. As we develop our resolution at doing anything, it will help us keep decisions to choose the right always.

Each week we have the opportunity to partake of the sacrament, which is a wonderful time to think about our level of determination and things we can do to increase it, and the fact that he uses this weekly time wisely is something I admire about David. Here's an invitation President Uchtdorf gave to the youth of the church a couple of years ago. I'd encourage you to think of it tomorrow during your worship.

When we prepare for Christmas by pondering its real meaning, we prepare to experience the Christ and His message. May I suggest three things we may want to study, ponder, and apply in this season of preparation.

First, rejoice in the birth of our Savior. We celebrate the birth of the Son of God, the Creator, our Messiah. We rejoice that the King of kings came to earth, was born in a manger, and lived a perfect life. When Jesus was born, the joy in heaven was so great it could not be contained (see Luke 2:8–14).

Second, ponder His influence in our lives today. Christmas is a time for remembering the Son of God and renewing our determination to take upon us His name. It is a time to reassess our lives and examine our thoughts, feelings, and actions. Let this be a time of remembrance, of gratitude, and a time of forgiveness. Let it be a time to ponder the Atonement of Jesus Christ and its meaning for each of us personally. Let it especially be a time of renewal and recommitment to live by the word of God and to obey His commandments. By doing this, we honor Him far more than we ever could with lights, gifts, or parties.

Third, look steadfastly for His coming. While the Christmas season is typically a time for looking back and celebrating the birth of our Lord, it seems to me that it should also be a time of looking to the future. Let us look forward. Let us prepare for that blessed day when He will come again. Let us be as wise as those ancients who watched for His coming.

I pray that during this season and always, we will see the purity of the story of the Savior’s birth and feel sincere gratitude for His life, teachings, and saving sacrifice for us. May this gratitude cause us to renew our determination to follow Him. May it also lead us to draw closer to our family, our church, and our fellowmen. And may we look steadfastly forward to that blessed day when the resurrected Christ will walk the earth again as our Lord, our King, and our blessed Savior.