Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during his devotional address on Jan. 15. (Arianna Davidson)
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles addressed students on hearing the music of the Spirit during his Jan. 15 devotional.
Elder Uchtdorf began with a story about professional violinist Joshua Bell. In 2007, Bell — dressed in jeans, a long-sleeved T-shirt and a baseball cap — played violin outside a busy subway station in the center of Washington, D.C.
Most passersby did not stop. In fact, Elder Uchtdorf said only seven out of more than 1,000 people stopped to listen to Bell. One man was listening to a song by his favorite rock band with earbuds in, drowning out Bell's performance. Elder Uchtdorf said, ironically, the lyrics of the song were about failing to see the beauty right before your eyes.
“We sometimes get so caught up in the grind of everyday life that we fail to recognize the sublime voice of the Spirit and disregard the profound and beautiful message our loving Heavenly Father imparts to us,” Elder Uchtdorf said.
Elder Uchtdorf asked students to open their hearts and ask whether they can 'hear the music of the Spirit,' a task he warned may take patience and individual reflection.
“In our age of instant answers, it’s not easy to be patient,' Elder Uchtdorf said. 'Information on a wide variety of subjects is now so easily accessible that waiting seems like an unnecessary nuisance.”
However, Elder Uchtdorf urged the audience to be patient and diligent in seeking 'something of true and lasting value, something of eternal significance' and 'something that connects the now with the eternities.'
Elder Uchtdorf encouraged his audience to have a desire to believe in the teachings of the Spirit, to trust God and to remember that following Jesus Christ's teachings will help one become refined and developed spiritually.
In closing, Elder Uchtdorf recommended that his audience never give up on striving for perfection.
'Don’t ever give up. You are going to make mistakes in this life. Please know that the Savior’s love for you is greater than any of your mistakes,” he said.
Next week's devotional address will be given by Elder Lawrence E. Corbridge, a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, in the Marriott Center at 11:05 a.m.