In his October 2024 general conference talk, President Russell M. Nelson said, “Come unto Christ and ‘offer your whole [soul]’ to Him. This is the secret to a life of joy!”
Of course, I want a life of joy. So what does it mean to come unto Christ? And how do I offer my whole soul as an offering?
As I’ve pondered those two questions, I’ve had two realizations.
1. Come implies movement, not having reached a destination. President Nelson and the Book of Mormon don’t say “arrive at Christ”—they say “come unto [Him].” According to the Webster 1828 dictionary, a definition of the word come is “to move towards; to advance near, in any manner, and from any distance.”
Isn’t that beautifully personal? Christ invites us to move toward Him in any manner and from any distance.
This definition is also helpful because it frees me from worrying about whether I’ve definitively come unto Christ or not—have I done enough to come to Him? Instead, I see the invitation as a journey to walk, not a destination to reach. My focus can be on small and simple things that move me toward Christ.
We come unto Christ our whole lives long, and He helps us know our next steps.
2. We can strive to be fully present when we are in situations of worship.
When I think about offering my whole soul to Christ, my thoughts go to our ward’s recent Primary program.
As you can imagine, not every child was focused and singing throughout the whole program. One little girl kept trying to sit down in the middle of their songs. Another had brought a small stuffed cat with her and kept tossing it in the air. And some kids did more yawning than singing.
Of course, each child is precious, and I smiled and felt the Spirit as they sang and said gospel truths. But there was one little girl who, amazingly, seemed laser-focused the whole 40-minute program. She was watching and ready every time as the conductor motioned for the kids to stand for another song. She sang every word confidently to the congregation, ignoring any chaos to her right or left. And her sweet face conveyed joyful emotion; this girl was feeling the music.
I believe her ability to be present in a special moment allowed her to offer her whole soul to the Savior. Her performance reminded me of what Sister Michelle D. Craig once shared: “When you stand in holy places, be wholly there.”
So, like this Primary child, I can be reverent during sacrament meetings. I can put my phone away during personal scripture study. I can try to focus my thoughts while in the temple.
As we work on giving our full attention to the Savior in concentrated doses, we will more naturally think of Him in every moment of our lives. Then, we, like that Primary child on the stand, will feel the beautiful music of the gospel of Jesus Christ—and find eternal joy.
Other articles for you:
▶ Watch: Adorable 11-year-old plays the organ for his ward
▶ The sweetest, shortest new hymn every child needs to hear
▶ What Pres. Nelson said is ‘the most crucial question we each must answer’
▶ The touching reason one father paints his children’s ‘stuffies’ each year
▶ How do I respond when loved ones step off the path? Beautiful answers hidden in a Primary song
