General Conference Odyssey post for the Sunday morning session of October 1980.
These are keywords on topics given in this session of conference. I have found while working through this Odyssey, that some sessions seem to have an overall message in them. It doesn’t always happen, but when it does it offers me a powerful message.
Victim
Let me try to put these words in a concise, meaningful paragraph.
If we prepare ourselves to have a strong, active testimony of the Lord, Jesus Christ, we will be able to perform an active part during the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth. Adversity is unavoidable and will still likely find us, but our spiritual strength will prepare us to get through it. If we stumble, we may be tempted to play the victim card. Instead of allowing ourselves to be victims, we can forgive, which in turn humbles us unto repentance. During this journey of experience and discovery of what we learn about ourselves, it is ultimately only our testimony that will remind us who we are, what we believe, and who we turn to in order to be saved.
This is what it means to me:
There are times when I struggle. Not so much in my testimony, but in overcoming my feelings as a victim, forgiving others, and relying on Jesus Christ’s atoning sacrifice to help me through to the very end of whatever I’m dealing with. But it is that testimony that stays with me, carries me through, and reminds me of the covenants I’ve made, allowing me to have power to overcome, power to ask for miracles, and power to recognize the worth of my soul in Christ’s atoning sacrifice.
This conference session reminds me that I have power to overcome the world.