THINK CELESTIAL...

In his epistle to church members at Colossae, the apostle Paul urged them to view everything through a heavenly lens:

If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth.

COLOSSIANS 3:1-2

He goes on to list actions which might seem enticing from an earthly perspective but which are incompatible with our heavenly objectives, including sexual immorality, greed, anger, and dishonesty. We should replace these things with kindness, humility, patience, forgiveness, and above all, charity. (See Colossians 3:5-9, Colossians 3:12-14.)

Jesus taught the same principle in the Sermon on the Mount. He said we should lay up treasures in heaven, not on earth, “for where your treasure is, there will your heart be also” (Matthew 6:19-21, 3 Nephi 13:19-21).

Book of Mormon prophets consistently frame our behavior in terms of our preparation to be judged by God. (See, for example, 2 Nephi 33:11-12, Jacob 6:11-13, Enos 1:27, Mosiah 2:27-28, Alma 5:16-25, Moroni 10:32-34.)

President Russell M. Nelson recently invited us to think about our decisions in an eternal perspective:

When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first, because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement. It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws. Obedience paves the way for a joyful life for you today and a grand, eternal reward tomorrow.

When you are confronted with a dilemma, think celestial! When tested by temptation, think celestial! When life or loved ones let you down, think celestial! When someone dies prematurely, think celestial. When someone lingers with a devastating illness, think celestial. When the pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial! As you recover from an accident or injury, as I am doing now, think celestial! 

“THINK CELESTIAL!”
GENERAL CONFERENCE | OCTOBER 2023