True success in this life will come as Church members consecrate their lives — their time and choices — to God's purposes, said Elder D. Todd Christofferson.
"In doing so, we permit Him to raise us to our highest destiny," said Elder Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve.
Speaking Saturday morning, he said there are five elements to a consecrated life: Purity, work, respect for one's physical body, service and integrity.
Purity: Elder Christofferson said the Savior demonstrated that the consecrated life is a pure life. "While Jesus is the only one to have led a sinless life, those who come unto Him and take His yoke upon them have claim on His grace which will make them as He is, guiltless and spotless."
Elder Christofferson said consecration means repentance. "Stubbornness, rebellion and rationalization must be abandoned, and in their place submission, a desire for correction and acceptance of all that the Lord may require."
Work: A consecrated life is a life of labor, said Elder Christofferson. "By work we sustain and enrich life. It enables us to survive the disappointments and tragedies of the mortal experience. Hard-earned achievement brings a sense of self-worth. Work builds and refines character, creates beauty, and is the instrument of our service to one another and to God. A consecrated life is filled with work, sometimes repetitive, sometimes menial, sometimes unappreciated, but always work that improves, orders, sustains, lifts, ministers, aspires."
Respect for one's physical body: "A consecrated life respects the incomparable gift of one's physical body, a divine creation in the very image of God," said Elder Christofferson.
He noted that a central purpose of the mortal experience is that each spirit should receive a body and learn to exercise moral agency in a "tabernacle of flesh."
"Those who believe that our bodies are nothing more than the result of evolutionary chance will feel no accountability to God or anyone else for what they do with or to their body. We who have a witness of the broader reality of pre-mortal, mortal and post-mortal eternity, however, must acknowledge that we have a duty to God with respect to this crowning achievement of His physical creation."
Service: Elder Christofferson said Jesus demonstrated that a consecrated life is a life of service.
"Those who quietly and thoughtfully go about doing good offer a model of consecration. No one in our time more perfectly incorporates this trait into daily life than President Thomas S. Monson. He has cultivated a listening ear that can discern even the faintest whisper of the Spirit signaling the need of someone he can reach and help. Often it is in simple acts that confirm divine love and awareness, but always Thomas Monson responds."
Integrity: A consecrated life is a life of integrity, said Elder Christofferson. "One who lives a consecrated life does not seek to take advantage of another. ... Hypocrisy is terribly destructive, not only to the hypocrite, but to all who observe or know of his conduct, especially children. It is faith-destroying, whereas honor is the rich soil in which the seed of faith thrives."
Concluding, Elder Christofferson said a consecrated life is a beautiful thing. "The consecration of many who have gone before us, and others who live among us, has helped lay the foundation for our happiness. In like manner, future generations will take courage from your consecrated life, acknowledging their debt to you for the possession of all that truly matters."
— Sarah Jane Weaver