First Talk

I was asked to speak on 1 Timothy: 4:12 "Let no man despise thy youth; but be thou an example of the believers, in word, in conversation, in charity, in spirit, in faith, in purity."

I liked this scripture very much because it's a good guide on how to live our lives. I hadn't read it before being assigned this talk, but when I did, it resonated deep within me.

The first part, "Let no man despise thy youth", says to me that even if you are young, you can make a difference. There are many examples of this in the scriptures. One of them is in Luke 2, when Jesus in his youth was found preaching to men much older than him in the temple.

Being an Example of the believers in WORD includes using clean language and trying to avoid using inappropriate words. There is no need for profanity in our lives.

Being an Example of the believers in CONVERSATION includes not gossiping, and being selective about type of things we talk about.

We can be an Example of the believers in CHARITY by trying to love and serve others the way Jesus does. A few months ago I started spending time reading books to my brother. This time together has strengthened our relationship, and we've grown closer because of it. As Brandon put it, "the thin string that connected us to each other has grown into a strong rope". I've learned how serving others can help us grow in love for them.

One way we are examples of the believers in SPIRIT is by renewing our baptismal covenants during the Sacrament. As we just heard, the words in the sacramental prayer remind us that we may "Always Have His Spirit To Be With Us" as we live the commandments. We can use the time during the Sacrament to pray about ourselves and others.

Being an example of the believers in FAITH. We can compare believing in the gospel to a seed that is planted but hasn't sprouted yet. When we nourish that seed of belief, it can eventually grow into a plant that bears fruit. Likewise, when we believe in the gospel and nourish that belief by living the commandments, our belief can grow into faith, through the witness of the Holy Ghost. I have always believed in the gospel, but recently my beliefs have grown into genuine faith through some experiences I've had. The spirit has testified to me that the gospel is true, and my testimony has been strengthened through this experience.

Finally, PURITY. Being pure is essential to having the spirit with us. We keep ourselves pure by thinking clean thoughts, being modest in our attire, seeking virtue, and by repenting regularly of the things we do wrong.

The spirit has testified to me that Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father are real and they are guiding us every day. I believe the gospel is true. And I leave this testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.