More Holiness Give Me

More holiness give me, More strivings within,

More patience in suff'ring, More sorrow for sin,

More faith in my Savior, More sense of his care,

More joy in his service, More purpose in prayer

More gratitude give me, More trust in the Lord,

More pride in his glory, More hope in his word,

More tears for his sorrows, More pain at his grief

More meekness in trial, More praise for relief

More purity give me, More strength to o'ercome,

More freedom from earth stains, more longing for home.

More fit for the kingdom, More used would I be,

More blessed and holy -- More, Savior like thee.

More, Savior Like Thee

The first weekend of October is always a joyful time for me because I get to spend time listening to prophets, apostles, and church leaders that have paid the price to become holy and that try to help me to do likewise. I remember ever since I was a young boy looking up to these men and women because of the light and powerful messages they carried to me. I've always longed to be like them -- especially the prophet.

This last general conference was a marked time for me to hear the Lord's voice spoken to me. No, I didn't actually hear His voice but I felt it. I felt what He wanted me to do. You may think that it is coincidence or just my thoughts but it is so much more than that. He truly taught me how to become more like Him.

Question in Mind

One of the life-altering things that I have learned in my brief existence on this earth is this: Come to General Conference with a prayerful question in mind, and you will receive an answer. Of course, that means that I have to watch all the sessions and exert myself more than what is exerted when I'm asleep and when my kids are putting Cheerios in my nose.

This picture was taken when JT was young but looks similar to when I have fallen asleep in the past during general conference. JT definitely lifted weights. 

Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf has said that church sleep is the best kind of sleep. I tend to believe that general conference sleep is right there next to it. So yes, it is tempting.

One of the things that has helped me to stay alert is not only having a prayerful question in mind but getting a good night's rest the night before and then taking notes during the conference. This is what works for me as I have found that as I pay attention to what I feel in my mind and heart then I receive what I need. I understand the conference talks come out in text form days later, but I have noticed that there are things tailored just for me by the Holy Ghost during conference if I am in a place to receive them. And, as Elder Richard G. Scott has said:

“Write down in a secure place the important things you learn from the Spirit. You will find that as you write down precious impressions, often more will come. Also, the knowledge you gain will be available throughout your life.”

Social Media as a Tool  

My phone definitely distracts me sometimes as I've mentioned in my previous blog posts. One thing that has stuck with me are these words from President M. Russell Ballard:

“They [smartphones] need to be our servants, not our masters. For example, if later tonight you share inspiring thoughts from this devotional on social media, your smartphone is a servant. If you randomly surf the Internet, your smartphone is a master.”

I don't think my phone is as much of a distraction as what is contained therein.  For myself, the master comes in the guise of social media (Twitter, Insta, Facebook, etc). These are good things, but when I allow them to control and dominate then there's a problem.



I've thought a lot about the words of President Ballard recently and tried to make my phone or social media my servant. I took to Twitter to tweet out the quotes that came most forcefully to my mind and heart. Not only did this help me to never grow tired but it allowed me to help others that maybe did not have the chance to watch conference.

The Theme 

At the end of general conference, I had some time after kids were put to sleep to examine my question of: "What doth thou want me to do to become more like thee?" As I examined all of my tweets, I looked for a pattern or theme that I felt like the Lord was trying to teach me. Then it finally came to me, "You need to become more holy."  The Lord was calling me to become more holy and that as I looked through all the talks again looking for this theme that I would find ways to become more holy. I then started my personal study to understand holiness to a greater degree to hopefully unearth more of what the Lord wanted me to know. 

More Holiness Give Me

In the Guide to the Scriptures, it states that holy means, "Sacred, having a godly character, or spiritually and morally pure. The opposite of holy is common or profane." I simplified and learned that it is becoming like Christ through Him. This becoming ultimately brings greater happiness. The Savior taught me certain things during conference that will bring that holiness in my life or, in other terms, some things that will bring Christ and greater happiness into my life: 

• Partaking the sacrament worthily
• Being less distracted
• Going regularly to the temple
• Serving others
• Daily scripture study with a question in mind
• Connecting with heaven
• Recognizing Satan and his attacks
• Daily repentance
• Pursuing "good" things
• Make and keep covenants 
• Be all in
• Love

I know there is more, but these were some of the main ones that stood out to me. Elder Holland summed it up beautifully: 

Better Dusband = Test

My Father in Heaven wants me to be happy. He wants me to be the best possible dad to Brenna, Laikyn, and JT. He wants me to honor and cherish my wife Lindsey more and more every day. He wants me to become like Him. He has given me the revelation through His chosen servants, now it is up to me to see if  I am truly serious about following in His path step by step. In going along with President Nelson's invitation to seek revelation on how to prepare for the upcoming general conference in April, I had the impression to start the Book of Mormon over and finish it before next conference. 

The excuses then flew to my mind, "You already read the scriptures." "You don't have enough time." "That is too much work." But, I had received my answer: "You need to become more holy." The Lord had spoken to me and if I had real intent I would go and do and trust in the same words as Nephi that He will prepare a way for me to accomplish the things which He commandeth (1 Nephi 3:7). 

The Lord didn't stop there. He wanted me to set a time and place every day to connect with heaven distraction-free. Not only through studying the Book of Mormon but in prayer. I needed to connect and strengthen relationships daily with the Godhead because the adversary's attacks on my home and family would not cease. He ultimately is wanting to help me become holy so that I can enable my home and where I walk to become more holy.

 If I do this then I will be more aligned with His will then I can be of greatest service to Him in performing His purposes. This means that I can help others come unto Him with more power and help gather scattered Israel on both sides of the veil to help prepare the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ. In other words, be on His errand daily. 

It Works

So, what have I learned the past couple of weeks? The Lord is making me more holy. I don't mean for that to sound prideful or egocentric. He is aiding me to become more like Him. I feel holiness. I feel more purity. I feel the Godhead more close in my life. I hear the whisperings of the Spirit more clear and focused. I am happier. I use my words more carefully. I am less prone to get angry. I am more forgiving and understanding.

I'm not saying I'm there, but I'm seeing the fruits already! I still make mistakes daily. I still am millions of miles away from perfection. I am still not the best dusband (ask my wife). I struggle, but I am recognizing more forcefully that I become like Christ through Him. He is helping me to become. I'm still working on improving daily, but I am loving life. I had the random thought on the couch the week after conference, "I am the happiest I've ever been in my life." What?! How? 

I am beginning to see that Christ can expand our happiness beyond what we thought was possible. All that He requires is our hearts (fair dinkum) and willingness to strive. "Strive each day to find Him" (Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf).  Go ahead and look up the difference between strive and try and you will see what brings more holiness. More, Savior like thee.