A LONG LIFE FULL OF JOY

When President Uchtdorf spoke in the Priesthood session of General Conference in October of 2009 he stated "…retirement is not part of the Lord's plan of happiness. There is no sabbatical or retirement program from priesthood responsibilities-regardless of age or physical capacity". I realized that he was trying to stir the souls of those who might have felt an urge to 'leave it to the youngsters' or 'sit on the stoop in a rocking chair.' His statement sparked in my mind a remembrance of one of the great marvels of the organization and workings of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; there will never come a day when we will find ourselves without a way to serve our fellow beings.

I long ago realized that if we are lucky enough to be born to faithful parents that we are immediately put into a series of preparatory programs. The primary prepares us to become covenant makers and puts us on the preliminary paths of becoming covenant keepers. The Young Women's (based on development of an understanding of Womenhood and Motherhood and Young Men's (based on understanding and fulfilling Priesthood responsibilities) prepare us for a taste of consecration in the Missionary Work and an abundance of consecration in the arena of Eternal Marriage. We receive callings which further mold and temper our Telestialness and we begin to acquire some of the attributes of a Terrestrial being whose life becomes less founded on selfishness and more attuned to selfless service. If we continue in the preparatory programs of the Church the day may come when we awaken on nearly a daily basis not needing to be 'calling bound' having been prepared in the Lord's 'refining fire' to have a nature that is constantly guided toward building, edifying, and sustaining their brothers and sisters in and out of the mortal sphere.

There are two miracles which attend this marvelous organization. First, we can be inserted in the process at any stage – through conversion or reactivation and the fire will still do its refining miraculous work. Second if we have learned well the lessons provided during our journey we will find abundant hours of useful service in and out of the Church. We will find that we no longer have to wait upon an 'official' call, but the stimulation and preparation which accompanies a life of striving to adhere to and strengthen our covenants will become a sustaining force in our finding 'work enough' to do during the 'golden' and 'twilight' years of our mortal passage. We will not have to go through those feelings of despair which attend a life of one who feels like a 'has been' or one whose talents are no longer needed or one who feels their usefulness was long ago used up and exhausted.

I know that I am much further along than many of you who will be reading these thoughts, but I am grateful that I see around me experienced faithful saints going the extra mile by filling their lives: making calls for no apparent reason – making calls because of apparent reason – being ready to accompany or direct any hymn in any meeting – making a child's time at those long blocks of meeting just a little better experience – doing family history work – attending the Temple – working in the Temple – serving missions from the home or as a stranger in a strange land - counseling a boy scout through a merit badge – writing to missionaries – making step benches for any one – making sure families are fed when mother is out of commission for a moment – making sure people have meaningful contacts on a regular basis. I know this is but a sampling of a very extensive list, but it is sufficient to make the point that there will never come a day when we will find ourselves without a way to serve our fellow beings. Nor will there ever come a day when the faithful saints become weary in well doing. The Lord has wisely and lovingly admonished us to work and wear out our lives in selfless service to one another because he knows that by obedience to this admonition our days, though they be long, will be full of joy.