Yesterday, I wrote about the importance of being steadfast as disciples of Jesus Christ. When we are converted to the gospel, we make covenants with God. Those covenants anchor us in our faith and cement our new relationship with Him. By making sacred promises, we intentionally constrain our future decisions. We speak on behalf of our future selves as we commit to obey God’s commandments “in all things that he shall command us, all the remainder of our days” (Mosiah 5:5). We don’t know what experiences the future will bring, what new commandments we will receive, and how our feelings will change over time, but when we have experienced a change of heart, we are willing to trust God and make that commitment in spite of the uncertainty.
The words “steadfast” and “immovable” might appear to indicate stubbornness: a desire to keep things the way they are, and an aversion to change. But that is not the sense I get when I read Nephi’s admonition to “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men” (2 Nephi 31:20). When I read those words, I envision a person who is willing to participate fully in life, to interact with other people, to engage in new experiences, and to learn. This “steadfastness” means that I remain true to the promises I’ve made as I continue to grow and progress. “Immovable” means that I stay on the path, not that I stop moving forward.
Today, I will embrace and adapt to new challenges. I will face the experiences of the day with a willingness to learn and grow. I will be true to the covenants I have made with God, and I will remember that I can only keep those covenants if I “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ.”