Mediocris

The following comes from a fantastic Education Week talk from Brad Wilcox. He works his way through the scriptural phrase 'after all we can do' word by word and looks at all the implications. And through this debunking a lot of misunderstandings that we have about how the Atonement works in our lives. I've included once chunk that I particularly needed to hear today- but there's so much more to review.



"I’m told the companionship of the Spirit with be my assurance that I’ve done my part. However, if I start berating myself for not being a better Home Teacher, or not helping more with family history or a million other things on the list then I can drive away the Spirit pretty quickly.

"In those anxious moments the greatest comfort I have found is in knowing that any effort is pleasing to God. Even if He and I both know it’s not my all, or my best. It may be far from acceptable and I want to give God my best but even when my offering is not acceptable God accepts it, nonetheless because He is more concerned with the offerer than the offering.

“[Elder Lund]Remember that one of Satan’s strategies, especially with good people, is to whisper in their ears, ‘if you are not perfect you are failing.’ This is one of his most effective deceptions. While we should never be completely satisfied until we are perfect we should recognize that God is pleased with every effort we make, no matter how faltering, to better ourselves.”

"Often I am first to acknowledge that my efforts are mediocre at best. But instead of feeling bad about not offering more I just have to recognize that that’s a step in the right direction. I remind myself that the word mediocre actually comes from a Latin word mediocris which means half way up the mountain. So instead of getting mad at myself because I’m not at the top of the mountain I need to recognize that I am at the half way point and that’s sure a lot better than being at the bottom of the mountain and refusing to try. I’m half way there and I’m on my way to the top. So as long as mediocrity is not our goal, and give me a break, who wakes up in the morning and says, ‘Today I want to be mediocre. I just really want to be mediocre.’ No! As long as that’s not our goal, then we can recognize it as a stage, a step through which everyone must pass on our way to greatness. So, my motivation to climb that mountain does not come from trying to impress God and Christ with my sacrifices, but rather in letting their sacrifices be more deeply impressed upon me."