Written by April T Giauque
Elder Wilcox General Conference Oct 2024
“Why must Latter-day Saints live so differently from others?”
To get straight to the point, you have made covenants with the Lord that the rest of the world hasn’t. Elder Wilcox states it like this, “Everyone is a child of God. Everyone on earth right now was sent here in the latter days. And yet not everyone lives the Word of Wisdom or law of chastity the way you strive to. Many valiant disciples of Christ are not members of this Church. But they do not serve missions and perform ordinances in houses of the Lord on behalf of ancestors like you do. There must be more to it—and there is.”
What makes us different? I’ll repeat it: We made covenants with the Lord. Sure everyone knows it’s hard to be different—especially when you are young and want others to like you so badly. Everyone wants to fit in, and that desire is magnified to unhealthy proportions in today’s digital world filled with social media and cyberbullying. But “why do Latter-day Saints live so differently?”
Agency
President Russell M. Nelson explained that when we use our moral agency to make and keep covenants with God, we become heirs of God's everlasting covenant with our forebearers in every dispensation. Or you can think of it like this: we are “children of the covenant.” Remember that covenants set you apart from the world. It gives covenant makers access to the same blessings our forefathers and foremothers received, including a birthright.
Birthright
What is a birthright? We don’t talk about it much, but in Old Testament times if a father passed away, his birthright son was responsible for caring for his mother and sisters. His brothers received their inheritance and left to make their way in the world, but the birthright son did not go anywhere. He would marry and have his own family, but he would stay until the end of his days to govern the affairs of his father’s estate.
Think about a birthright with the world covenant. You receive this inheritance as a joint heir with Christ because of the covenant relationship you have chosen to enter with Him and your Father in Heaven.
Mic drop! When you think of it that way, is it too much for God to expect you to live differently than His other children so you can better lead and serve them? Living up to those birthrights is vital if you have been blessed with temporal and spiritual connections to Heavenly Father and Jesus.
Birthright is Service!
Elder Wilcox cautions everyone that your birthright does NOT mean you are better than others. It DOES mean that you are expected to help others be better. Does your birthright mean you are chosen? Yes, but not chosen to rule over others; you are selected to serve them.
Elder Wimcox says, “Is your birthright evidence of God’s love? Yes, but more important, it is evidence of His trust.” It is one thing to be loved and another to be trusted. In the
For the Strength of Youth
Elder Wilcox quotes this,
“Your Father in Heaven trusts you. He has given you great blessings, including the fulness of the gospel and sacred ordinances and covenants that bind you to Him and bring His power into your life. With those blessings comes added responsibility. He knows you can make a difference in the world, and that requires, in many cases, being different from the world.”
Earth and Cruise Ship
If you think about your life on earth being compared to a cruise ship, it might help demonstrate all he spoke about above. Heavenly Father does not want to lose any of His children, so He invites those who are willing to become members of His crew—that’s you.
Because of your choice to make and keep covenants, He offers you His trust. He trusts you to be different, peculiar, and set apart because of the vital work He trusts you to do. Think of it! God trusts you!
Other people on the ship might be engaged in the following activities:
people sitting in lounge chairs drinking,
gambling in casinos,
wearing clothing that is too revealing,
scrolling endlessly on cell phones, and
wasting too much time playing electronic games
Elder Wilcox reminds you, “But instead of wondering, “Why can’t I do that?,” you can remember that you are not an ordinary passenger. You are a member of the crew. You have responsibilities that passengers do not have. As Sister Ardeth Kapp once said, “‘You can’t be a life[guard] if you look like all the other swimmers on the beach.’”
Compensation
If you think about what a crew member receives, it is that of compensation. Elder Neil L. Andersen has said, “There is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous,” including “greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater confidence.” Remember as a crew member your commitments demand more of you because that is how God is making more of you.
Remember that you make covenants with God. You made that effort and you were “youth of the noble birthright!” As I repeatedly teach my children about this, they have made a covenant relationship with God. Jesus Christ is a relationship of love and trust in which you have access to a more significant measure of Their grace—Their divine assistance, endowment of strength, and enabling power. Elder Wilcox reminds us, "That power is not just wishful thinking, a lucky charm, or self-fulfilling prophecy. It is real.”
Never Alone
Jesus has promised us that we are never alone. He labors with you. You are working hand in hand with Jesus Christ. Baptism is the first covenant. With each additional covenant you make with Him, you hold each other tighter and tighter until you are firmly clasped together.
“You’ve got this because Jesus Christ has got you!”—Elder Wilcox
In 2 Nephi 2:6 we read, “Wherefore, redemption cometh in and through the Holy Messiah; for he is full of grace and truth.”
Jesus is full of truth and he sees you as you are—flaws, weaknesses, regrets, and all. (phew! I’m glad I don’t have to be perfect, but I can have a heart turned to Him. Because He is full of grace, I can use that grace and improve each day. That is how God sees you as you really can be. Finally, Jesus meets you where you are and helps you repent, improve, overcome, and become. What I mean by that is if you are searching for him (no matter how far away you think you are from Him, he will be in the darkness shining through as a light to save you. But you must reach to Him.
There is a hymn, “O youth of the noble birthright, carry on, carry on, carry on!” If you believe that you are of this birthright and are reaching out to Him, you will see the hope and power in Jesus manifested in your life! There is one word of caution from Elder Wilcox, “ Don’t sell your birthright for a mess of pottage. Don’t trade everything for nothing. Don’t let the world change you when you were born to change the world.”
Stay true to your light and you will light the world with Him.
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