I recently began serving as a temple worker. My wonderful trainer has multiple times made the follow statement to my colleagues and me: "I'm not going to tell you what you shouldn't do, because if I do, that's where your thoughts will go. I want you to … I recently began serving as a temple worker. My wonderful trainer has multiple times made the follow statement to my colleagues and me: "I'm not going to tell you what you shouldn't do, because if I do, that's where your thoughts will go. I want you to focus on what you should do." Wise guidance indeed, both inside and outside of the temple! King Benjamin said: I cannot tell you all the things whereby ye may commit sin; for there are divers ways and means, even so many that I cannot number them. But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now...remember, and perish not. Mosiah 4:29-30 What does it mean to watch our thoughts? Here are a few ideas: - Pay attention to them. Where do they go naturally? What tends to attract them? Under what circumstances are you able to focus, and when are you easily distracted? Learning more about your habitual thought processes may help you identify simple adjustments and improvements you can implement.
- Be careful what you feed them. As my trainer pointed out, our brains can be difficult to control. Focusing on uplifting things and pointing them in the direction you want them to go can make them much easier to manage. I'm not saying to avoid tough issues or to isolate yourself from the world, but I am saying not to wallow in negativity or endlessly consume shallow entertainment.
- Redirect negative thoughts early. Elder Ulisses Soares has encourged us to "say, 'No' and 'Get thee hence' to unvirtuous thoughts that very first moment they come into our minds" ("Seek Christ in Every Thought," General Conference, October 2020). We can't control every thought that enters our mind, but we can make clear which ones are unwanted and unwelcome.
- Point them in the right direction. Elder Boyd K. Packer once compared thoughts to water. As a young boy working with irrigation ditches, he grew frustrated trying to stop water from going where it shouldn't. A wise neighbor, observing his plight, gave the following advice: "If you want the water to stay in its course, you'll have to make a place for it to go." ("Inspiring Music—Worthy Thoughts," General Conference, October 1973). Obviously, if you focus on where you want your thoughts not to go, that's where they'll go. So focus on where you want them to go, and work on channeling them in that direction.
Today, I will watch my thoughts. I'll pay attention to my positive and negative patterns of thought, and I'll direct my thoughts in uplifting and productive directions. | | | |
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