Elder Gunnerson - Don't lose Focus

Elder Gunnerson had an amazing talk, you really missed out if you didn't attend. He touched on a couple of things through out his talk but one that stood out the most was putting the savior in the center of our hearts, and to become more like him.

Elder Gunnerson shared with us an experience he had when he was 15 years old. It was a typical Sunday, even though Elder Gunnersons ward had priesthood and Sunday school in the morning and regathered for sacrament in the afternoon. On his way to Sunday school he had been offended by something a church leader had said. Elder Gunnerson decided to walk home, and considered not retuning to church ever again. Elder Gunnerson's father went home to look for him after he was told his son was no longer at church. "This was one of thoughts defining moments," shared Elder Gunnerson. He sat knee to knee and eye to eye with his father, as his father taught him an important lesson in life. His father drew 2 stick figures on a sheet of paper, one was Jesus and the other was Elder Gunnerson, in between them he drew another stick figure and said "this is elder so-and-so, my councilor."

He then proceeded to draw a line from Elder Gunnerson's head to the councilor's head and from there to the head of Jesus. After he did this he asked what's the problem here. Elder Gunnerson didn't understand what it represented. His father then explained, you can not see Jesus because of elder so-and-so. His father said,"Son, please don't ever let anyone or anything stand between you and Jesus."

After this father-son talk he went back to church and has never left since.

What happened to him that didn't allow him to see the savior?

"There are many distractions in life school work, family, activities, etc. If we are not careful we can get easily distracted from what is most important.

Someone offends us, we start running around with wrong friends. We may feel alone, we may feel we're not as good as others who seem to have everything going right.

These are ploys of Satan, sometimes they are subtle and sometimes they are direct."

Elder Gunnerson quoted Isaiah, saying that in the latter-days many would stumble and fall. It is our duty to reach out to those who are stumbling. If it was not for his father who reached out to him when he had stumbled, Elder Gunnerson might not have been able to get back on his feet.

"In all that we do we can not lose our focus of [Jesus] by embracing less important things such as studies, career or anything else."

"The essence of Christianity is not Christianity, the essence of Christianity is Christ."

"The study of great books of scripture including the king James bible is clear, they are through the spirit to bring us to Jesus."

We must help each other understand what is most important, Elder Gunnerson spoke of Lehi and his dream. He said the reason that Lehi had the dream was because of his concern for Laman and Lemual. Laman and Lemual although raised from good parents, had allowed something or someone to get between them and the savior.

Elder Gunnerson said these are thing Nephi had as to not become like his brothers.

• Desire
• Prayer
• Inspiration
• Humble attitude

Nephi like his father didn't allow anything or anyone get between him and the savior.

If you are spiritually strong Satan might not come at you directly, but in a different way so you will not notice. It takes our best efforts to withstand Satan's attacks and we must be diligent and prepared.

"We need to have our eyes focused on light, not truth in some abstract sense but, the joy of keeping the gospel of Jesus Christ and, the Joy of not having anything or anyone come in between you and your savior. If I decide I will not make light and the savior my primary vision I'm already out of the contest to see good, and to want and desire it in the midst of filth" -President Iring

In directing our life if we have as a foundation the savior and His doctrines we will find the ability and power to withstand Satan in times we lest expect.

Our focus needs to be on Him, the savior, not on lesser truths. Nothing should ever come between us and him.

"When you center your life on Jesus you will then have the foundation and the power to overcome any obstacles and difficulty, and be able to bless everyone you come in contact, you will become a true disciple. You will become an image of him to bless and bless and bless again until blessings become what you are."

-Elder Gunnerson.

Are you making Jesus Christ the center of you life?

Did you lose focus?