Mormon Messages: Realizing Your Potential By Living Up To Your Privilege

The following video from Mormon Messages illustrates the painful consequences of failing to live up to one's privilege. It shows an individual who had scrimped and saved to take a pleasure cruise. Thinking he would save money, he brought his own food along, and although he did disembark at the various ports of call, he stayed in his cabin the rest of the time, not partaking in any of the ship's other amenities.



Imagine his sorrow when he found out that the price of his ticket INCLUDED the FULL privileges of the ship. And this effectively symbolizes the message that President Dieter F. Uchtdorf strived to communicate in his address entitled "Your Potential, Your Privilege", delivered during the Saturday Evening Priesthood Session of the April 2011 General Conference:

The question this parable raises is, Are we as priesthood holders living below our privileges when it comes to the sacred power, gifts, and blessings that are our opportunity and right as bearers of God’s priesthood?

President Uchtdorf reminds us that the holy priesthood of God has an owner’s manual, contained within the Standard Works, and recommends re-reading sections 20, 84, 107, and 121 of the Doctrine and Covenants. He promises that the more we study the purpose, potential, and practical use of the priesthood, the more we will be amazed by its power, and the Spirit will teach us how to access and use that power to bless our families, our communities, and the Church.

Our intrepid cruiser did not deliberately turn his back upon the ship's amenities; he was genuinely ignorant that they were part of the price. But the consequences were the same -- he missed out. And time once expended can never be recovered. Don't miss out on the full power of the Gospel because of ignorance.