Elder Holland: Look to the Future, Not the Past

Former BYU president and member of the Quorum of the Twelve, Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, encouraged students to learn from the past and look to the future at the BYU devotional Tuesday.

“I plead with you, don’t dwell on days now gone or yearn for them anymore,” Elder Holland said. “The past is to be learned from but not lived in.”

Elder Holland referenced the story of Lot in the book of Luke, emphasizing Luke 17:32, the second shortest verse in the scriptures. In the verse, Lot’s wife looks back, and her heart longs to be back in Sodom and Gomorrah. Elder Holland related this to our lives and how we tend to dwell too much on the past.

Elder Holland then talked about a greater need for faith. He taught that Lot’s wife lacked the faith needed to face the circumstances she was in. Faith is always pointed toward the future, Elder Holland said.

The subject of faith then turned to repentance as Elder Holland expressed the need to forgive oneself. He said there is something in us that fails to forgive ourselves of mistakes made in the past.

“Let people repent,” Elder Holland said. “Let people grow. Believe that people can change and improve.”

Elder Holland spoke of the danger in recalling past sins and transgressions of others. He then emphasized that God pleads for healing, and bringing up past mistakes does not help in that process.

People become guilty of the greater sin when they dig up the old sins of others, Elder Holland said. He advised BYU students to bury those sins like the Anti-Nephi-Lehies of the Book of Mormon.

Recalling past sins has the power to destroy marriages and relationships, Elder Holland said. He said it is similar to putting sand in the face of a loved one, and in the end of the sand fight everyone comes out dirty.

“God doesn’t as much care about where you’ve been as much as he cares about where you’re going,” Elder Holland said.

The 20-year general authority recounted an experience he had while attending BYU with his wife, Patricia, in which they passed through a difficult time financially. He said because of difficult circumstances, he had desires to turn back and quit, but his wife refused to let them. Elder Holland then pleaded with students to push away any desires to give up.

Elder Holland closed by encouraging students to live a full life with faith, hope and charity. He urged students to remember Lot’s wife and to use their own faith to prevail in the future.

You can read a transcript of his entire talk here or visit the BYU Speeches site to download a number of other media files, including an MP3 audio file of the address.

Contributing: Abby Lyman, NewsNet
Photo: Christine Armbruster/NewsNet

Food, Real Simple

If you are like any of the recent grads I know, you'd like it if your life could be just a little simpler. Between work, family, home, relationships, church, cooking, community involvement, shopping, and a plethora of other things, it seems like you are more busy than ever (remember when you just wanted to get out of school so life would be easier?) The people at Time seemed to get that vibe when they created RealSimple.com.

The RealSimple Web site provides a number of pages with insights into a variety of way to make our lives, well, real simple. We especially liked the Food & Recipes section for its simple recipes, cooking techniques and online recipe book where you can save your favorite recipes.

Try it out, your life my just get a little easier.

Contributing: Chris Giovarelli & Kari Newman
Photo: Wikipedia Commons

Eating Healthy During Winter Months

Eating healthy can be a challenge year-round, but somehow winter seems like the worst time. One of the big reasons may be because some of the fruits and vegetables we are accustomed to eating are most widely (and inexpensively) available during the spring and summer. For young people who are often short on time, convenience snacks such as chips, crackers and other high-carb, low-nutrient foods tend to fill us temporarily, but in the long-run make us feel lethargic and unhealthy. Eating fruits and vegetables throughout the year (and especially in winter when our physical activity tends to decrease) helps our immune system, provides essential vitamins and minerals, and is a better snack than what most vending machines put out. Below are two links from FoodFit.com that provide lists of fruits and vegetables of the season and even include some recipes.

One of my favorite winter fruits to eat is pomegranate. They're a bit of a hassle to open and eat, but by taking longer in eating, I tend to feel more satisfied even though I have eaten less. They're not cheap, but provide antioxidants and vitamins.

If time is short, many of these foods can just be cut up and thrown into a plastic bag for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon snack.

Bon Appetit!

Winter Vegetable Chart

Winter Fruit Guide

Contributing: Chris Giovarelli

Financial Planning Workshop

You are probably a little tired of hearing about economic downturns, but let's be honest, being informed and prepared is the best way to prevent yourself from getting into a stitch. The Recent Grad Program has teamed up with the Peery Institute of Financial Services in the Marriott School to present the MoneyWise Personal Finance Workshop.

These three lectures (given over three consecutive Thursday evenings) provide valuable information about virtually all facets of a recent grad's financial life.

Registration is free, but there is a $10 fee at the door for the printed materials (which are highly recommended).

The first lecture will begin Thursday, Jan 29 at 6:30 p.m. Please visit moneywise.aa.byu.edu for more information and to register. This class is available to anyone.

NOTE: This workshop series repeats itself throughout the year. Please visit moneywise.aa.byu.edu for new dates as they become available.

Contributing: Chris Giovarelli