Elder Robert D. Hales: Meeting the challenges of today's world

Elder Robert D. Hales (Mormon Newsroom)

Elder Robert D. Hales addressed the young adults of the Church about how they must become pilots of their own lives.

Elder Hales acknowledged that young adults are in a critical point in their lives and hopes to help them “fly right.”

He started off by giving examples from the scriptures of how righteous people avoided temptation and evil. He counseled the young adults to listen to the Spirit of the Lord.

Elder Hales then proceeded to give “practical counsel” to the young adults.

The first point Elder Hales addressed is the financial issues that young adults face. “Many of your generation are facing crushing debt.”

Elder Hales encouraged young adults to pay their tithing, to save, to live within their means, to not compete and to seek out scholarships.

The next point Elder Hales made from his practical advice concerns the “terrain called dating.”

He advised young adults to talk, to learn about each others’ families, to look for desirable qualities, but not to expect perfection.

“None of us marry perfection, we marry potential.”

He advised against dating through your twenties to delay marriage. Instead, he encouraged young adults to be the person that they want to marry and be patient in looking for a potential spouse. Elder Hales encouraged young adults to exercise the faith in Jesus Christ during the dating process. He told young adults to prepare themselves for marriage by going to the temple, being worthy to take the sacrament and serving in the church.

With his practical counsel, Elder Hales counseled young adults to take the advice of prayerfully selected mentors.

“If you want more than you now have, reach up, not across.”

He concluded with the story of the prodigal son. He pointed out that before the prodigal son could claim the blessings in store for him, “he had to look closely at his life, his choices, and his circumstances.” Elder Hales used this as an example to show the importance of personal reflection and how young adults need to come to themselves to pilot their lives.

“As you come to yourself, your Heavenly Father will come to you.”

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