5 Things Latter-Day Saints Do That DECREASES Our Spiritual Momentum

As I listened to President Nelson’s talk on Spiritual Momentumfrom the April 2022 General Conference, where he outlined that “We have never needed positive spiritual momentum more than we do now, to counteract the speed with which evil and the darker signs of the times are intensifying.” When he mentioned that there was “both positive and negative momentum” my mind started to think, “What are some negative things, things that decrease our momentum?” I know from my attempts to lose weight that the old adage “you can’t outrun your fork” is true, so it is important to not just do good things but to also cut out the bad things. As pondered this talk almost immediately 5 things came to my mind and I felt very strongly to share them. So, here they are:

1st. Choosing to Identify by something, ANYTHING, other than as a Child of God.

We live in a fallen world that loves temporal things such as money, power, affluence, etc., etc., etc. Satan, and therefore the world, wants us to focus on the temporal aspects of life. Because understanding who we truly are is key to not only maintaining spiritual momentum but more importantly, our trajectory, it is the central focus of Satan’s assault against the Saints in every dispensation.

We, as sons and daughters of God, have the ability to become like our Heavenly Parents. Our true, authentic self, shouted in emotional joy when a plan was presented whereby we could reach our potential. Satan seeks with all his power to prevent us from achieving our potential. He primarily does this by getting us to choose to identify ourselves by something, ANYTHING, other than as a child of God.

It does not matter what the label is, it could be our educational status, it could be our nationality, it could be our profession, our social class, our sexual orientation, or even our race. Satan loves these labels as they change our trajectory. Kittens do not grow up to be dogs, nor do puppies grow up to be cats. The only thing that grows up to become a god is a child of God.

President Oaks warned us of Satan’s use of labels when he said, “Don’t characterize or define yourself by some temporary quality. The only single quality that should characterize us is that we are a son or daughter of God. That fact transcends all other characteristics, including race, occupation, physical characteristics, honors, or even religious affiliation.” Think about the LGTBQ movement, they seek to redefine people from being a son or daughter of God into their sexual orientation. That becomes WHO they are. Their entire identity becomes consumed by their sexual orientation.

In the words of President Oaks again, “when we choose to define ourselves or to present ourselves by some characteristic that is temporary or trivial in eternal terms, we de-emphasize what is most important about us and we overemphasize what is relatively unimportant. This can lead us down the wrong path and hinder our eternal progress.” (Both of these quotes come from a New Era article “How to Define Yourself” from 2013. In 2019, President Oaks gave an expanded version in General Conference “Where Will This Lead?” I recommend a study of both).

I can not stress how important this is to understand! Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “direction first, then velocity!” Our momentum is only valuable when combined with proper trajectory! Going to hell fast is not what we want. Understanding who we are is the single biggest factor in momentum and trajectory. Exaltation only requires that we be true to our ‘authentic self’ and our pre-mortal emotions. I can’t think of a better close to this point than Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s words when he declared: “What we ‘really are’ is embryonic Gods, and surely this world is trying to make us forget that, make us pursue something else. It does not take a theologian to recognize that anything else will be a tragic disappointment in the strictest prophetic as well as Aristotelian sense.”

2nd. Rationalizing Disobedience.

When I was single I asked a return missionary from my mission on a date. At the end of the date, we decided to go to Costco to get dessert, while walking through Costco someone selling a blender tried to talk with us, and this girl told him, “I already own one, thanks!” I was a bit shocked that she owned such an expensive blender and as we kept walking I mentioned it and she said, “Oh, I don’t own one, I just said what I needed to say to get him to leave us alone.”

Now, this story might seem innocent, many of us rationalize disobedience to the commandments, particularly the commandment to be honest. How many parents tell ‘white lies’ to their kids to make parenting easier? But the problem with rationalization is that not only does it decrease our spiritual momentum, but it also increases negative momentum, small white lies lead to big lies, and eventually broken covenants. Returning to this story, this sister missionary has since left the Church. Now, I am not saying it is due solely to her lying, but certainly the decrease in her spiritual momentum due to lies did not help!

3rd. Turning Down Callings.

A recent fad within the Church, led by many self-help experts/therapists, is the notion that it is OK to reject/refuse callings. These so-called ‘experts’ or therapists tell us that our situation is unique and justifies turning down a calling. In my sister’s ward, turning down callings was so bad that the Bishop got up in Sacrament meeting and said that THIRTY people had turned down a call to serve in the nursery. He then simply said, “If you will refuse to serve in nursey, I will simply dissolve the nursery and you can take your kids with you to classes.”

Now, this example is extreme, but the reality of the matter is simple: As Latter-day Saints, we’ve made covenants in the temple to give of our time, talents, and even our very lives. When we are extended a calling by our leaders it is merely the Lord through His servants saying, “Put your money where your arm is.” When we reject such a call we are violating our temple covenants, nothing will pull the e-brake on our spiritual momentum more than breaking temple covenants.

My favorite example of not refusing a calling because of temple covenants is actually President Nelson’s story, see this article: How President Nelson’s example teaches us to never turn down callings.

AN IMPORTANT NOTE:

There are times when we feel very strongly against serving in a calling, I recommend following the examples of my mothers.

My mother-in-law was working with kids all week long, both her as well as being a full-time daycare worker, and the Bishop called her into the primary. She broke down crying. She said she would accept the calling, but that she felt he should understand her situation and how she lived for relief society as it was her only interaction with adults all week. After explaining her situation, but also her willingness, the Bishop said they would find another person.

My mother was called as the primary president by our Bishop when she was over 50. Her health had been on a hard decline for MONTHS. It was so bad my dad thought she was going to die within a few months/years. Pretty valid reason to reject a FULL-TIME calling, right? Well the Bishop was made aware of the situation but the call stood, she accepted the calling. While being set apart the Bishop blessed her that the more she served the more her health would increase and that the Lord would strengthen her to serve a full 5 years. Well, she did, and her health did improve. Her health was better the day she was released than the day that she was called! This was due to her obedience.

4th. Murmuring.

There are very few things more natural to the natural man than to murmur. It does not matter if you call it complaining, being critical, or murmuring, they are all essentially the same action. It is expressing displeasure, anger, or doubt towards either God or others. Murmuring is incompatible with the gospel. Elder Orson F. Whitney once said: “The spirit of the gospel is optimistic; it trusts in God and looks on the bright side of things. The opposite or pessimistic spirit drags men down and away from God, looks on the dark side, murmurs, complains, and is slow to yield obedience.”

Innocent snowflakes of murmuring quickly turn into spiritual avalanches. The two worse parts of murmuring within the Church are that it plants enmity toward our leaders and it is contagious. What seems like a harmless complaint that your ward does not have activities or that ministering does not happen is planting the seeds of resentment towards Priesthood leaders, not just in yourself, but in those you are talking to! Very few things can destroy ward unity quicker than murmuring about our leaders! Sturn is the warning from President Hinckley who said, “Criticism is the forerunner of divorce, the cultivator of rebellion, sometimes a catalyst that leads to failure. In the Church it sows the seed of inactivity and finally apostasy.”

IMPORTANT NOTE: Murmuring is not the same as providing feedback. When someone asks for feedback or you are in a council setting it is important to frankly discuss what is happening. The key is that murmuring has the spirit of resentment/complaint and often seeks to place blame/fault for problems, whereas feedback will always be in the Spirit of unity, love, and seeking improvement.

5th. Checking Your Religion at The Door.

Our society wants us to check our religion at the door. They want walls separating everything from our religion and our moral values. In sporting events, politics, work, entertainment, and even education you are allowed to have religion IF you check it at the door; IE if you never talk about it.

We are continually told by society to check our religion at the door. But, as Latter-day Saints, we have made covenants to never check our religion at the door. We have covenanted to stand as a witness at all times and in all things, and in all places that we may be in. That includes work, sports, school, and politics! Elder Jeffrey R. Holland has taught that “Lesson number one for the establishment of Zion in the 21st century: You never ‘check your religion at the door.’ Not ever.” He then went on to teach, “Whatever the situation or the provocation or the problem, no true disciple of Christ can ‘check his religion at the door.’”

Therefore what?

This list of five things that decrease our spiritual momentum is not exhaustive. Ask yourself, what is working against my goal of eternal life? Just like in weight loss you need to cut out bad habits like eating too much dessert, in discipleship we must figure out what is holding us back to reach our quest of becoming like the Savior.

President Harold B. Lee taught, “Every one of us, if we would reach perfection, must [at] one time ask ourselves this question, ‘What lack I yet?’” So start with one thing at a time! Ensure your trajectory is accurate, work on decreasing negative momentum and work on increasing your positive spiritual momentum!

If you are still not sure where to start, apply the counsel of Elder H. Ross Workman, “I invite you to focus on the commandment from living prophets that bothers you the most. Do you question whether the commandment is applicable to you? Do you find ready excuses why you cannot now comply with the commandment? Do you feel frustrated or irritated with those who remind you of the commandment? Are you slothful in keeping it? Beware of the deception of the adversary. Beware of murmuring.”