Unleash the Fire, Passion, and Power of a Why

Misc.

In an April 2012 General Conference talk titled “The Why of Priesthood Service” Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf stated:

“From the newest ordained deacon to the most senior high priest, we all have lists of what we could and should do in our priesthood responsibilities. The what is important in our work, and we need to attend to it. But it is in the why of priesthood service that we discover the fire, passion, and power of the priesthood.

The what of priesthood service teaches us what to do. The why inspires our souls.

The what informs, but the why transforms.”

I love Elder Uchtdorf’s words about the priesthood.  I also believe the principle he was teaching about the power of the why is a universal principle that applies to both spiritual and temporal matters.

To paraphrase Elder Uchtdorf in more general terms:

“The what is important but it is in the why that we discover fire, passion, and power.  The what teaches us what to do.  The why inspires our souls.  The what informs, but the why transforms.”    

Elder Uchtdorf Learns English

In an earlier General Conference talk titled “The Power of a Personal Testimony”, from the October 2006 conference, Elder Uchtdorf told a fascinating story about how, as a young boy, he first learned about the power of why to inspire and transform.

Following the end of World War II the Uchtdorf family found themselves in Russian-occupied East Germany.  All East German children learned Russian in school, so when young Dieter entered the 4th grade his study of Russian began.  He describes learning Russian as “quite difficult” but states, “…as time went on I seemed to do all right.”

A couple of years later the family was forced to flee East Germany because Dieter’s father had been identified as a political dissident.  They determined it would be dangerous for all of them to leave together, so they left in several groups, at different times, and took different routes to get to West Germany.

Eleven-year-old Dieter escaped with his mother by hiking over a mountain range separating East and West Germany and crossing the border through an unguarded section.  Soon the family was reunited in West Germany. 

A new country also meant a change in Dieter’s course of study.  Now, instead of learning Russian, all students in American-occupied West Germany were required to learn English. 

This was challenging for young Dieter.  Recalling his struggles during that time Elder Uchtdorf stated:

“To learn Russian had been difficult, but English was impossible for me.  I thought my mouth was not made for speaking English.  My teachers struggled.  My parents suffered.  And I knew English was definitely not my language.”

The Uchtdorfs didn’t live far from the airport and Dieter developed a fascination with aviation.  He later reported:

“Almost daily I rode my bicycle to the airport and watched airplanes take off and land.  I read, studied, and learned everything I could find about aviation.  It was my greatest desire to become a pilot.  I could already picture myself in the cockpit of an airliner or in a military fighter plane.  I felt deep in my heart this was my thing!”

Then Dieter discovered an important piece of information that changed everything.  In his words:

“…I learned that to become a pilot I needed to speak English.  Overnight, to the total surprise of everybody, it appeared as if my mouth had changed.  I was able to learn English.  It still took a lot of work, persistence, and patience, but I was able to learn English.”

Why? Because of a righteous and strong motive!”

Dieter had discovered his why, and it transformed him.  He now studied English with a purpose, and this purpose gave him the fire, power and passion he needed to learn a difficult new language.  It didn’t make learning English easy, but it did give him the ability to persevere through the difficult times.      

Dieter learned English and became both a fighter pilot and a commercial airline pilot.  Elder Uchtdorf now regularly gives inspiring talks in front of 20,000 people – broadcast to millions throughout the world – and he does so in flawless English with hardly a hint of a German accent.

All this was possible because of “a righteous and strong motive.”  As a young boy Dieter discovered his why, which unleashed his fire, passion, and power and transformed his ability to learn English.

I find it interesting that Elder Uchtdorf first learned about the power of a righteous motive (a why) in pursuit of a temporal, not a spiritual goal.  The Lord cares about our temporal well-being and will bless us in our temporal affairs when we have righteous motives.

Here is a short video of Elder Uchtdorf telling the story of how having a righteous motive helped him learn English:

What Is Your Why?

One of the first steps you should take when attempting anything difficult is to identify your why.  Living the temporal gospel isn’t easy, and will require a lot of discipline, so a why is vital.  Why do you want to improve your financial situation?  Some possibilities are:

  • Become self-reliant by being able to care for your family and meet their needs
  • Free yourself from the bondage of debt
  • Provide educational and other opportunities for yourself and your family
  • Gain some security and peace of mind by having some money saved for emergencies
  • Provide a safe, comfortable home for your family
  • Have sufficient means to help others you see struggling as directed by the spirit
  • Save enough money to meet your needs when you are no longer able to work

All of these are righteous motives and are whys that can have the power to transform your temporal situation.  Possibly several of these are important to you.  Your why also might be completely different than these. 

As you start your journey to live the temporal gospel it is crucial to discover your why.  Think about it, ponder it, and pray about it.  Then write it down.  Get it on paper and refer to it often during your journey.  As Elder Uchtdorf discovered, having a powerful why can transform your behavior and unleash the fire, power, and passion, to accomplish things that previously seemed impossible.

A Word of Warning

 One of the principles President Hinckley mentioned in his conference talk on the Temporal Gospel is to be “modest in your expenditures.”  Materialism, pride, the desire to impress others, and selfishness are not righteous motives. 

Materialism can motivate you in the short-term but will not leave you happy and fulfilled in the long-term.  Wanting financial success in order to impress others, or like the Prodigal Son, waste your substance on riotous or extravagant living, is not in harmony with the temporal gospel.  These types of motives will transform us; just not in the way we want to be transformed.

Principle & Action

Principle: A “righteous motive” – a why – can help you accomplish things you couldn’t do otherwise by unleashing your fire, passion and power.  The what informs, but the why transforms.  This principle applies to both temporal and spiritual pursuits.    

Ark-Building Action: If you want to transform your financial situation by more fully living the principles of the temporal gospel, first identify a why that is powerful enough to unleash your fire, passion and power.  Write down your why – your “righteous motive” – and refer to it often as you work towards your temporal goals.

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