Rely on Steady Scaffolding by L Tom Perry

“None of us know when the Savior will come again, but I’m quite certain that you sense, as I do, an unmistakable acceleration in the fulfillment of prophecies. Each of us must prepare now to play his or her foreordained part as the final pieces of Heavenly Father’s plan come together in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times. It will require of us much because much has been given to us.”

“Make the honoring of family traditions and the development of new ones a priority throughout your lives,” Elder Perry says. “Studies show that the reason young people join gangs is for the tradition and ritual of belonging to something larger than self. That is what a family should be. Be certain you are creating a rich environment for your family to look forward to in these special times of the year when traditions hold you together as a great eternal family unit.

“Family traditions can offer the basic and lasting support, but there’s a lot that must be built around them. Perhaps family traditions can only work when we create a role for every member of the family and there is a united effort to build them. This means that family members need to spend time together and also learn how to work together. When it comes to families, there is no such thing as quality time without a certain amount of quantity time. … The scaffolding of the Church will help remind you of these eternal priorities.”

As a former retail executive, Elder Perry would attend meetings in which alcoholic beverages were served. Instead of blending in or hiding his morality from his colleagues, Elder Perry determined to order a glass of milk to show everyone his standards and what they meant to him.

“Then a funny thing started to happen,” Elder Perry says. “At future meetings more people started ordering milk and drinking it with me. They confided in me that their wives did not like them drinking because it might impair their driving as they returned home. Instead of feeling awkward during cocktail hours, I soon became the center of conversation. It helped me meet more people and fulfill the purpose to which I was gathering.

“I learned an important lesson from this experience. If I keep my promises to the Lord, He will always keep His promises to me. He would always fulfill His end of the bargain—and much, much more—if I fulfilled mine.”