“For behold, this life is the time for men to prepare to meet God; yea, behold the day of this life is the day for men to perform their labors.” -Alma 34:32

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, member of the Quorum of the Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, had an analogy on repentance that I apply to my daily life.  He explained when we get ourselves seemingly lost to sin, no matter how far we’ve gone, we can change it.  He said it’s like a math equation.  NO matter how far we’ve gotten we can erase it and begin again.  As frustrating as that might be to most of us, it’s for a better start to solve the problem and be successful. This analogy is for turning away from sin and turning to Jesus Christ for forgiveness and a sense of comfort. However, our lives are lived in the same manner, of trial and error, ebb and flow, and ups and downs.  I personally get anxious and scared when I think about my future because I fill my head with all the “what ifs.”  Is looking at  the future full of fears a faith builder?  Yes and no.  Yes, because we get to exercise faith and overcome those fears and carry on regardless.  No, because we can sit back and let our potential go to waste because we are scared of what could happen.

• How many times did Thomas Edison fail to make the light bulb before he got it right?  2,000 times
• How many times did Abraham Lincoln lose and election?  1832-1858 he lost over 10 times
• How many times have I made mistakes?  I am still counting.

The idea is not to worry about failure because many failures have produced and do produce great advancements and achievements.  I think we are to keep our heads up and fight for something, anything righteous and worthwhile.  If it’s sin we want to overcome, we can do it.  If it’s becoming better at our job, we can do it.  If it’s to be rich, we can do it.  We only have to stop, evaluate, and erase.  This could take days, months, or even years.  There is no one who can’t change their destiny.  God has given us the tools to succeed.  If we’re stuck lets erase the equation and start solving again.  If you’re anything like me…. This will come in handy.  I believe we can change any situation we are in.  The trick is to begin  No matter how far we are, starting over is not weakness, it’s strength. Remember we are gods in the making.

“I have not failed. I’ve just found 10,000 ways that won’t work.” -Thomas Edison