Elder Uchtdorf delighted everyone by telling a story about flying a 747 simulator.

Last year during a trip to Europe, I visited my old place of employment, Lufthansa German Airlines at the Frankfurt Airport.

To train their pilots, they operate several sophisticated full-motion flight simulators that can re-create almost any normal and emergency flight condition. During my many years as an airline captain, I had to pass a check flight in the flight simulator every six months to keep my pilot license current. I remember well those intense moments of stress and anxiety but also the feeling of accomplishment after passing the test. I was young then and loved the challenge.

During my visit, one of the Lufthansa executives asked if I would like to give it a try again and fly the 747 simulator one more time.

Before I had time to fully process the question, I heard a voice—sounding astonishingly like my own—saying, “Yes, I would like that very much.”

As soon as I said the words, a tsunami of thoughts flooded my mind. It had been a long time since I flew a 747. Back then I was young and a confident captain. Now I had a reputation to live up to as a former chief pilot. Would I embarrass myself in front of these professionals?

But it was too late to back down, so I settled into the captain’s seat, placed my hands on the familiar and beloved controls, and felt, once again, the exhilaration of flight as the big jet roared down the runway and took off into the wild blue yonder.

I’m happy to say that the flight was successful, the aircraft remained intact, and so did my self-image.

Even so, the experience was humbling for me. When I was in my prime, flying had become almost second nature. Now it took all my concentration to do the basic things.

What lessons do you take from Elder Uchtdorf’s story?

Discipleship Takes Discipline

My experience in the flight simulator was an important reminder that getting good at anything—whether it be flying, rowing, sowing, or knowing—takes consistent self-discipline and practice.

You might spend years acquiring a skill or developing a talent. You might work so hard that it becomes second nature to you. But if you think that means you can stop practicing and studying, you’ll gradually lose the knowledge and abilities you once acquired at great cost.

This applies to skills like learning a language, playing a musical instrument, and flying an airliner. It also applies to becoming a disciple of Christ.

What skills have you developed through self-discipline?

Simply put, discipleship takes self-discipline.

It is not a casual endeavor, and it doesn’t happen by accident.

In her April 2018 General Conference talk, Sister Becky Craven talked about the difference between being careful and being casual:

‘There is a careful way and a casual way to do everything, including living the gospel. As we consider our commitment to the Savior, are we careful or casual? Because of our mortal nature, don’t we sometimes rationalize our behavior, at times referring to our actions as being in the gray, or mixing good with something that’s not so good? Anytime we say, “however,” “except,” or “but” when it applies to following the counsel of our prophet leaders or living the gospel carefully, we are in fact saying, “That counsel does not apply to me.” We can rationalize all we want, but the fact is, there is not a right way to do the wrong thing!’

What do you think Sister Craven means when she talks about our commitment to the Saviour being careful or casual? How would casual and careful compare?

Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift, but receiving it is a conscious choice that requires a commitment of all our “might, mind and strength.” It is a practice of every day. Every hour. It takes constant learning and determined commitment. Our faith, which is our loyalty to the Savior, becomes stronger as it is tested against the opposition we face here in mortality. It endures because we keep nourishing it, we keep actively applying it, and we never give up.

In the footnotes to his talk, Elder Uchtdorf quotes President Oaks:

“Just as our physical muscles cannot be developed or maintained without straining against the law of gravity, so mortal growth requires us to strain against Satan’s temptations and other mortal opposition” (Dallin H. Oaks, “Divine Helps for Mortality,” Liahona, May 2025, 104).

Elder Paul V Johnson, at the 2022 Mission Leaders Seminar taught:

“Satan’s opposition to the doctrine of Christ began in the premortal life and has continued here on earth. And he’s been quite effective with a number of people through the millennia. He wants to convince people to choose not to enter the covenant path and to convince those who have entered the path to leave it.”

Have you experienced spiritual growth as you have stayed on the covenant path and resisted Satan’s temptations?

On the other hand, if we fail to use faith and its convincing power by acting upon it, we become less sure of things we once held sacred—less confident of things we once knew were true.

Temptations that would never have enticed us begin to look less appalling and more appealing.

The fire of yesterday’s testimony can warm us for only so long. It needs constant nourishment to keep burning brightly.

In the New Testament, the Savior taught a parable about a master who gave each of his servants a sacred trust—a quantity of money called talents. The servants who diligently used their talents increased them. The servant who buried his talent eventually lost it.

The lesson? God gives us gifts—of knowledge, of ability, of opportunity—and He wants us to use and amplify them so they can bless us and bless His other children. That doesn’t happen if we put those gifts high on a shelf like a trophy that we admire from time to time. Our gifts magnify and multiply only when we put them to use.

You Are Gifted

“But Elder Uchtdorf,” you might say, “I don’t have any gifts or talents—at least, none that are that valuable.” Perhaps you look at others whose gifts are obvious and impressive and you feel pretty ordinary by comparison. You might suppose that in the premortal existence, on the day of the great gift and talent smorgasbord, your plate seemed woefully sparse—especially compared to the stacked and overflowing plates of others.

From the footnotes to Elder Uchtdorf’s talk:

‘Sometimes we overemphasize the importance of gifts and talents at the expense of persistent effort. One of the most successful authors of our time wrote: “Of course there has to be some talent involved, but talent is a dreadfully cheap commodity, cheaper than table salt. What separates the talented individual from the successful one is a lot of hard work and study; a constant process of honing” (Stephen King, Danse Macabre [2011], 88).’

Oh, how I wish I could embrace you and help you understand this great truth: You are a blessed being of light, the spirit child of an infinite God! And you bear within you a potential beyond your own capacity to imagine.

As poets have noted, you come to earth “trailing clouds of glory”!

Your origin story is divine, and so is your destiny. You left heaven to come here, but heaven has never left you!

How should remembering our premortal heritage and divine potential affect how we live now?

You are anything but ordinary.

You are gifted!

In the Doctrine and Covenants, God declared:

“There are many gifts, and to every [person] is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

“To some is given one, and to some is given another, [and] all may be profited thereby.”

What spiritual gifts have you discerned in yourself?

Some of our gifts are listed in the scriptures. Many are not.

As the prophet Moroni said, “Deny not the gifts of God, for they are many; and they come from the same God.” They might manifest themselves in “different ways … ; but it is the same God who worketh all in all.”

It may be true that our spiritual gifts are not always flashy, but that does not mean they are less important. May I share with you some spiritual gifts that I have noticed in so many members across the world? Contemplate whether you have been blessed with one or more gifts like:

• Showing compassion.
• Noticing people who are overlooked.
• Finding reasons to be joyful.
• Being a peacemaker.
• Noticing small miracles.
• Giving sincere compliments.
• Forgiving.
• Repenting.
• Enduring.
• Explaining things simply.
• Connecting with children.
• Sustaining Church leaders.
• Helping others know that they belong.

You might not see these gifts displayed at the ward talent show. But I hope you can see how precious they are to the Lord’s work and how you might have touched, blessed, or even saved one of God’s children by your gifts. Remember: “By small and simple things are great things brought to pass.”

Are there any gifts in this list that you would like to develop?

So let us each do our little part.

In his April 1990 General Conference talk, Elder M Russell Ballard taught:

‘We observe vast, sweeping world events; however, we must remember that the purposes of the Lord in our personal lives generally are fulfilled through the small and simple things and not the momentous and spectacular….Great and marvelous events seem to motivate us, but small things often do not hold our attention. Noting that the Liahona worked by faith, Alma stated, “Nevertheless, because those miracles were worked by small means … [the people of Lehi] were slothful, and forgot to exercise their faith and diligence and then those marvelous works ceased, and they did not progress in their journey” (Alma 37:41).

Is our journey sometimes impeded when we forget the importance of small things? (see Alma 37:46). Do we realize that small events and choices determine the direction of our lives just as small helms determine the direction of great ships? (see James 3:4; D&C 123:16).

We need to have family and personal prayers; study the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon; hold family home evenings; follow the admonition of the Savior to love one another; and be thoughtful, kind, and gentle within the family. Through these and other similar small and simple things, we have the promise that our lives will be filled with peace and joy.’

What are some “small and simple” actions you could commit to over the next month that could make a spiritual difference?

Do Your Little Part

My beloved brothers and sisters, dear friends, I pray that the Spirit will help you recognize the gifts and talents God has given you. Then, let us, like the faithful servants in the Lord’s parable, increase and magnify them.

The day will come when we stand before our compassionate Father in Heaven to give an account of our stewardship. He will want to know what we did with the gifts He gave us—in particular, how we used them to bless His children. God knows who we truly are, who we are designed to become, and so His expectations for us are high.

How does it make you feel to know that Heavenly Father will require us to give an accounting of our stewardship of our spiritual gifts?

But He doesn’t expect us to take some grand, heroic, or superhuman leap to get there. In the world He created, growth happens gradually and patiently—but also consistently and unrelentingly.

Remember, it is Jesus Christ who already did the superhuman part when He conquered death and sin.

Our part is to follow the Christ. It is our part to turn away from sin, turn toward the Savior, and walk in His way, one step at a time. As we do this, diligently and faithfully, we eventually cast off the shackles of imperfections and faults and slowly become refined, until that perfect day when we will be perfected in Christ.

The blessings are within reach. The promises are in place. The door is wide open. It is our choice to enter and begin.

The beginning may be small. But that is OK.

Where faith is weak, begin with a hope in Christ Jesus and in His power to cleanse and purify.

Our Father asks that we approach this challenge of faith and discipleship not as casual tourists but as wholehearted believers who leave behind and abandon Babylon and set their hearts, minds, and steps toward Zion.

What do you think it means to abandon Babylon?

We know that our efforts alone cannot make us celestial. But they can make us loyal and committed to Jesus the Christ, and He can make us celestial.

Because of our beloved Savior, there is no such thing as a no-win scenario. If we place our hope and faith in Him, our victory is assured. He promises us access to His strength, His power, His abundant grace. Step by step, little by little, we will grow ever closer to that great and perfect day when we will live with Him and our loved ones in eternal glory.

Elder Kearon in his Conference talk taught:

‘Through the goodness and grace of the Saviour, we can have fresh starts that propel change in old mindsets, bad habits, grumpy dispositions, negative attitudes, feelings of powerlessness, and tendencies to blame others and avoid personal responsibility. You can actually change things about yourself that have been wearing you down for years. You can start again through the might of the Master of new beginnings. He never tires of giving new beginnings to us.’

How does this apply to Elder Uchtdorf’s message?

To get there, we must do our part today and every day. We are thankful for the steps we took yesterday, but we don’t stop there. We know we still have a long way to go, but we don’t let that discourage us.

That is the essence of who we are—as followers of Christ.

I urge and bless every member of the Church, and all who desire to be part of it, to trust the Savior and engage, patiently and diligently, in doing your part with all your heart—that your joy may be full and that, one day, you will receive all the Father has. Of this I bear witness in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

NB: Passages in italics are direct excerpts from Elder Uchtdorf’s talk.

You can watch Elder Uchtdorf’s talk here

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