Sharla Goettl - Spiritual Resilience: Leading Our Youth to Go and Do

We are part of a very real , very powerful, very compassionate divine family. I love my Heavenly Parents for knowing what I would need and for providing it through the plan of salvation. I love my brother Jesus Christ because He has fulfilled His promise to replace my fears with peace through His covenants. I love the Holy Ghost for wanting to help me continually repent and guide me back to our true home.

My Savior has taught me not to fear. From a young age, He promised me I did not need to fear loneliness because I was baptized into a church fellowship. I now know I do not need to fear inadequacy because I can repentagain and again. I do not need to fear worthlessness because of the destiny described during my temple ordinances. I do not need to fear death because of the knowledge provided during my endowment. I do not need to fear isolation because of the sealing of my family. I do not need to fear losing my way because the Holy Ghost, my prophet, and the scriptures guide my steps.

Christ has promised that we do not need to be afraid of what lies ahead. Instead, we should acknowledge the consequences of our actions as Latter-day Saints, as members of Jesus Christs own Church, and as parents of Christs future leaders. Christ is asking us to be braver, more confident, and to go and do those things we are prompted to do. He knows the future will require a firmer faith. He is asking us to be more spiritually resilient .

My current calling in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is to help the rising generation be better prepared for the role only they can play. This book is written to adults rather than to the youth because acquiring spiritual resilience is a deep process that requires life-size examples. Youth need to see the daily implications of our choices to understand what spiritual resilience means in action. As the adults leading Gods future heroes, we must better exemplify a humility that feels gratitude for commandments and repentance, a faith that focuses on what we know rather than what we do not, a motivation to implement the direction we are given by God, and a fuller recognition of His interaction.

By design, many questions are addressed to you throughout this book. Following each chapter, space is given for your answers. I encourage you to prayerfully invite the Holy Ghost into this learning process. Only the Holy Ghost truly knows the answers that are right for your family. Therefore, we all need to be asking more questions and acknowledging the responses from the Holy Ghost. I have offered questions to help you pinpoint effective opportunities for your growth as well as for the growth of the children around you.

To begin this process, what do you feel God is asking you to do first? It can feel big, like an urgent change in direction. Or it can be a subtle, small adjustment needed in this moment. Both can come from the Holy Ghost, and both are effective at bringing people toward progress. It helps to write your answers down, so space has been provided to do so.

I want you to learn what I have learned from Nephi, but not in a way that makes you feel inadequate or stretched thin. Striving to better yourself should be personal, but, more specifically, it should be personally manageable. Do what you are prompted to do; nothing more or less will be as effective.