PROVO, Utah — Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles isn’t a stranger to many of the questions that today’s young adults are asking themselves.
“Am I on the right path?” “Does God really notice me?” “Why didn’t God provide the miracle I needed so urgently?”
These and similar questions are difficult at any age, Elder Uchtdorf said, especially during times when “we lift our hearts to heaven, and all we seem to get is that spinning ‘wait cursor.‘”
But heavenly answers are worth the wait, Elder Uchtdorf continued, and dots can only be connected looking backward.
“You may not see it until much later, but you will look back and know that the Lord never abandoned you, even when He let you make a lot of decisions for yourself,” he said. “Following in His path, following in His way, you will see that the dots do connect.”
Elder Uchtdorf gave counsel regarding choices, personal revelation and agency during a Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults on Sunday, Feb. 2.
The event was broadcast live from the BYU Marriott Center in Provo, Utah, to young adults ages 18-35 in the Americas. It will be rebroadcast in other areas of the world on Feb. 9. The devotional will be available live and on demand for two weeks at broadcasts.ChurchofJesus Christ.org, and will later be available for study in Gospel Library.
Elder Uchtdorf was joined at the devotional by his wife, Sister Harriet Uchtdorf, who shared her own experiences navigating life decisions and testified that young adults can be powerful influences on one another and the world.
“You are the chosen ones of our days who, by word and deed, teach and live the gospel message wherever you are,” she said. “And for this purpose, you are placed in your city, your school or workplace, your family or wherever you are needed. Don’t forget you have the potential to be angels of glory to those next to you.”
Seeking ‘heavenly answers’
In his remarks, Elder Uchtdorf shared Sister Uchtdorf’s confidence in young adults, saying they can reach “mortal happiness and eternal joy” through keeping commandments, making sacred covenants, following prophetic counsel and heeding the Holy Ghost.
But he also acknowledged the difficulties of struggling for answers, making mistakes and other rigors of the earthly experience.
Waiting on heaven’s answers can be especially hard in a world where individuals can ask internet search engines almost anything and have answers within seconds, Elder Uchtdorf said. But not all answers are of equal worth — it’s the “heavenly answers” that are priceless, Elder Uchtdorf said. And receiving them often requires sacrifice, work and repetition.
“[Heavenly Father] knows you, and He will never give up on you,” Elder Uchtdorf said. “So please don’t give up on Him. Keep striving to follow His way, and He ‘will lead you along’ (Doctrine and Covenants 78:18) to find answers with just enough guidance to keep moving in the right direction — without limiting your growth or opportunities to exercise faith or your moral agency.”
Elder Uchtdorf also urged young adults to trust Heavenly Father’s “grand design” for their lives.
Earthly life can sometimes feel like a painting created by dotting tiny specks of color on a canvas, he said. Up close, the dots appear unconnected and random; but taken all together, the dots blend into shapes that make up a beautiful pattern.
“As you strive to trust God and follow His Son, even Jesus Christ, one day you will see the finished product, and you will know that the Master Artist had a plan for those random dots all along,” Elder Uchtdorf said. “You will see that He was preparing you for opportunities and possibilities far more glorious than you ever could have imagined or accomplished on your own.”
‘Small and simple things’
Elder Uchtdorf said he’s experienced this reality in his own life. As a young child, his family fled postwar East Germany, becoming refugees in West Germany, where their accents marked them as outsiders and were “a rich source of ridicule.” Elder Uchtdorf also lost an entire year of schooling due to his family’s relocation, and he struggled with West Germany’s required English classes.
Later, during pilot training school in Texas, Elder Uchtdorf knew he was at a disadvantage in the “extremely competitive” program because most of his classmates were native English speakers. His instructors also thought he spent too much time at church, impairing his chances to achieve a high class ranking.
But Elder Uchtdorf didn’t agree. He trusted God, did the best he could and eventually completed his pilot training program “very successfully.” He achieved his dream of becoming a pilot, returned home to Germany and married Sister Uchtdorf.
“So until the full picture is revealed, don’t get overwhelmed by the large, difficult tasks of life,” Elder Uchtdorf said. “Remember that big things are made up of small things. If you commit to doing the ‘small and simple’ things (Alma 37:6) God asks you to do, and you do them as diligently as you can, big things will follow, I guarantee.”
Elder Uchtdorf said some of these small and simple things are intentional daily prayer, scripture study, living the Word of Wisdom, attending church, holding a current temple recommend and using “Come, Follow Me” and “For the Strength of Youth.”
He counseled young adults to do these things even when they don’t want to, even when sacrifice is required — because sacrifice is sacred and brings blessings.
“In a sense, your small and simple sacrifices are the dots of daily living that make up the masterpiece of your life,” he said. “You may not see how the dots connect now, and you don’t need to yet. Simply have faith enough for the moment you are living in now.”
Embracing agency
Elder Uchtdorf emphasized that God doesn’t always give His children detailed answers about their lives. Sometimes, he said, it simply doesn’t matter to the Lord what someone chooses so long as they stay within fundamental covenants and principles.
That truth might be disappointing for some, Elder Uchtdorf continued, but he encouraged young adults to embrace their agency.
“Do you really want the cheat codes to life before you have a chance to figure things out for yourself?” he asked. “What kind of adventure would that be? … How would you ever grow and increase your confidence in the Lord and in yourself?”
He continued: “Heavenly Father gave you His plan, His way. He gave you the big picture. And He has given you a brain and a heart. If you trust Him, He will help you to use both of them properly in your decision-making. He trusts you to make the best possible decisions by following Jesus the Christ.”
Sometimes the choice itself matters less than what people do after the choice is made, Elder Uchtdorf said. For instance, a couple might get married even if their families don’t consider them a perfect match; but he has “a great deal of hope” for such a couple if, after marrying, they stay totally committed to each other and the Lord.
By doing the “little things” consistently — treating each other with love and kindness, focusing on each other’s needs — the couple becomes the perfect match, Elder Uchtdorf said, adding that this principle applies to other areas of life, like career choices.
“God has prepared eternal blessings beyond your and my imagination,” he said, adding: “Don’t despair if you make some decisions that are less than perfect. That is how we learn. That’s part of the adventure.”
‘You answer to God’
Elder Uchtdorf also cautioned young adults against listening to the many voices in today’s world that discourage or even ridicule belief both in God and the Church.
Social media amplifies such voices, he said, but this generation isn’t the only one whose faith has been challenged or mocked.
“You might as well accept that once you make the commitment to follow the Savior, the residents of the great and spacious building will disapprove — quite vocally, at times,” Elder Uchtdorf said. “They may even attempt to bully and shame you. But remember that you do not answer to them. You answer to God.”
Elder Uchtdorf closed his message with a blessing of increased faith for young adults as they earnestly strive to know Heavenly Father, follow Jesus Christ and honor their covenants.
“In Jesus Christ, His gospel and His Church, you will find happiness, joy and peace,” Elder Uchtdorf testified. “And one day, He will embrace you in divine love. With unspeakable gratitude, you will see that God Himself … was always there, watching over you, blessing you, being with you and preparing a place for you.”
