The Power of Porter

Why don’t we live up to our full potential? We know the things we should and could be doing, yet we don’t do them. Why? I read about Moses, Alma, Ammon, and Amulek and wonder why I’m not like them. If God is no respecter of persons, then the only thing holding me back is … me. That thought weighs on me. I know we’re meant to repent daily, improving little by little, but it’s hard to feel like I’m progressing when the same sins easily beset me and the spiritual experiences I long for remain out of reach. Can I even become like Jesus? Can I really have the mysteries of God revealed to me? Or will I just never be good enough to merit them?  I often wrestle with these thoughts, wondering if I’ll ever measure up. While preparing a talk for church, I found my answer.  Elder Neal A. Maxwell said, “Now may I speak . . . to those buffeted by false insecurity, who, though laboring devotedly in the Kingdom, have recurring feelings of falling forever short. . . . This feeling of inadequac...

I hate secrets. I’m not talking about surprises or sacred things. I am talking about drama that makes people feel left out and self conscious; lies that cause division, doubt, fear, sadness, and regret. The scriptures speak often of one who always works in secret. The father of all lies. The great bully. One who thrives in secret combinations. Why does he thrive in secret? it’s simple: Deception cannot withstand exposure. Darkness cannot withstand light. There is another individual, spoken of much more frequently throughout scripture, who is the Word himself. The Light, the Truth, and the Life. The Prince of Peace. He is an open book. His doctrine is plain. His works are visible for all to see. He said, “I spake openly to the world; and in secret have I said nothing.” (John 18:20). Truth never needs to be hidden. Light never needs to be concealed. Jesus loves us perfectly and wants more than anything for us to follow Him in the way of truth and light and life. Nobody left behind. There...