Latter-day Saint young adults who obey God's commandments can find the kind of real self-esteem that escapes those who idolize fame, wealth or worldly success.
That's the message President James E. Faust, second counselor in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shared with a few thousand college-age students gathered in the Salt Lake Tabernacle Sunday night.
One in a series of addresses by top church leaders sponsored monthly by the Church Education System, the event was beamed live via satellite to stake centers and LDS Institute buildings throughout the United States.
President Faust spoke from his chair, telling students in the recently renovated Tabernacle that his seat was much more comfortable than theirs. Since having surgery on his back several months ago, "I've never been the same since, and may never be the same again," he said.
He used his own physical limitations to advocate humility, one of six principles he said will lead young people to greater self-esteem and happiness.
"I'm not talking about putting on sackcloth and ashes, but that (humility) which comes from inner strength and peace."
Such strength "allows us to live with our own physical and mental defects without complaint," often providing the humility needed to be teachable, he said.
He urged young people to avoid surrendering self-control to addiction of any kind by choosing to steer clear of habits that would enslave them.
Honesty with self and others is another hallmark of those who have healthy self-esteem, President Faust said. An attorney by profession, he recalled a courtroom drama many years ago involving a child-custody dispute.
The mother who was fighting attempts by her ex-husband to have their children removed from her care had been derided by a case worker and was called to testify about the living conditions inside her home. Her candor about caring for three children and trying to maintain an orderly home so disarmed the judge and the prosecutor that by the end of her testimony, there was no question she would prevail in the case, he said.
Her honesty in the witness chair gave her "the self-assurance of a queen" that day, he said, urging listeners to be true to themselves.
A love of work leads to self-esteem, he said, noting that very few people are true geniuses. "Most of the world's best work and greatest contributions come from ordinary people with talents they have worked to develop. Ordinary, garden-variety talent can be nurtured and made into something great" through effort and determination.
Finally, the ability to love others — and particularly to love God — are key to developing self-esteem because the focus is not self-centered. The way to know God is to keep his commandments, President Faust said.
In so doing, people can learn more about themselves than they could hope to understand by simply focusing on self. Being selfless and willing to do whatever God requires will pave the way for an eventual accounting of "what we have done with that portion of divinity within us."
He ended by invoking an "apostolic blessing" on young Latter-day Saints, saying the Lord will make them "mighty in word and in deed, in faith and in works."
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