Thursday, March 4, 2010

Temperate

Elder Kent Watson's Fall 2009 conference talk really impressed me. He said, "Tempered glass, like tempered steel, undergoes a well-controlled heating process which increases strength. Thus, when tempered glass is under stress, it will not easily break into jagged shards that can injure.
"Likewise, a temperate soul--one who is humble and full of love-- is also a person of increased spiritual strength. With increased spiritual strength, we are able to develop self-mastery and to live with moderation. We learn to control, or temper, our anger, vanity, and pride."

I suppose we have to undergo a heating before we can become "tempered!" That may not be fun, just necessary. If we have gold in us, that heat will be applied. Treat that heat and pressure as a compliment and as confidence in you. It wouldn't come if you weren't golden! Then get humble. Pick up the pieces and carry on, carry on, carry on!

Some other quotes from this talk:

"Security for our families comes from learning self-control, avoiding the excesses of this world, and being temperate in all things."

"Govern your house in meekness, and be steadfast."

"Speaking of the Savior going through the atonement, bleeding from every pore, "With unsurpassed self-restraint, or temperance, His thoughts were not of Himself but of you and of me." And he did it in humility too.

I'm not a great model of this, but I'm working on it. I'm getting better. I hope you each will keep working on it too.

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