De-Feo—Ensign
Elder Massimo De Feo, Common Authority Seventy, urges college students at a March 18, 2025, Ensign School devotional to ascertain and preserve their religious imaginative and prescient all through their lives. The devotional was held on the Convention Middle Theater in Salt Lake Metropolis. Picture courtesy of Ensign School.All rights reserved.
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By Lynnette McConkie, Church News
Each resolution begins as a thought — a “religious creation” that finally shapes one’s actions and determines true success, mentioned Elder Massimo De Feo, Common Authority Seventy, in the course of the Tuesday March 18, devotional at Ensign College.
Elder De Feo mentioned earlier than something turns into a actuality or materials consequence in individuals’s lives, it first begins as a thought, a alternative or a religious creation of their minds. He cited Doctrine and Covenants 29:31: “For by the facility of my Spirit created I them; yea, all issues each religious and temporal.”
Concentrate on ‘Non secular Creations’
Elder DeFeo mentioned that turning our focus from materials achievements to religious creations is the important thing to acquiring our true objective in life.
“Simply suppose: If what you might be is what you might have — should you lose what you might have, who’re you then?” he questioned, telling listeners that selecting to focus solely on materials creations is problematic.
“You’ll by no means be capable of promote your own home right here to purchase a house in heaven,” Elder De Feo warned.
He advised college students that in contemplating their targets for the long run, selecting temporal issues over religious ones may have an finish. “It’s good to discover one other method, and the best way is Jesus Christ, who mentioned, ‘I’m the best way, the reality and the life’ (John 14:6).”
De-Feo—Ensign
Picture outdoors the Convention Middle Theater in Salt Lake Metropolis the place college students collect to take heed to Elder Massimo De Feo, a Common Authority Seventy, in an Ensign School devotional on March 18, 2025. Picture courtesy of Ensign School. All rights reserved.
Prioritize God in Your Life Plan
When he returned from serving as a full-time missionary for the Church, Elder De Feo created a three-part precedence plan for his future.
He needed a profession path that may permit him to attend church and serve the Lord, a job that may make sufficient to help his household, and to have the ability to journey, prioritizing the Lord first and himself final.
Then, he ready himself by way of schooling, sacrifice, arduous work and prayers. He wasn’t positive what his profession can be, however he was sure God would direct his path.
de-Feo—Ensign
College students collect on the Convention Middle Theater in Salt Lake Metropolis to take heed to Elder Massimo De Feo, a Common Authority Seventy, in an Ensign School devotional on March 18, 2025. Picture courtesy of Ensign School.All rights reserved.
“As I used to be progressing in life, I may really feel that I used to be fulfilling God’s objective for me,” mentioned Elder De Feo, who noticed how the Lord was working in his life when he was provided a job with the American Embassy in Rome, Italy. The job changed into a 32-year profession that met his religious priorities.
“Now, was it a fabric blessing? Sure, undeniably so,” he mentioned, noting it as one of many biggest blessings in his life. “However I imagine it was the results of the love of God, who needed to bless my religion as a result of I selected the Lord first.”
Keep Non secular Imaginative and prescient Via Life’s Challenges
Elder De Feo acknowledged everybody faces challenges, saying life is tough.
“That’s the reason it’s much more vital to decide on the Lord,” he defined.
He illustrated how one can preserve our religious imaginative and prescient within the face of issue with two examples from the Bible — the 12 males Moses despatched to discover the land of Canaan and David dealing with Goliath — contrasting “human imaginative and prescient” and “religious imaginative and prescient.”
Moses despatched one man from every tribe of Israel to scout out “the promised land” of Canaan.
Upon their return, the scouts all agreed, “Absolutely it floweth with milk and honey” (Numbers 13:27). Nonetheless, their religious imaginative and prescient was completely different.
Ten of the boys refused to maneuver ahead with religion, afraid due to the giants that lived within the land. They emphasised their weak point, calling themselves bugs in comparison with the giants.
“Many instances we really feel very small and incapable,” mentioned Elder De Feo, likening the giants to challenges confronted when considering the massive selections in life. “We lose earlier than we even battle.”
De-Feo—Ensign
College students collect on the Convention Middle Theater in Salt Lake Metropolis to take heed to Elder Massimo De Feo, a GeneralAuthority Seventy, in an Ensign School devotional on March 18, 2025. Picture courtesy of Ensign School.All rights reserved.
The ten noticed solely giants too large to beat and obstacles too nice to beat, however the remaining two males, Joshua and Caleb, had a special imaginative and prescient.
“Allow us to go up directly, and possess it; for we’re properly capable of overcome it (Numbers 13:30),” Caleb mentioned, targeted on God’s power.
These males all noticed the identical issues; they only noticed them in a different way, Elder DeFeo identified. The 2 who seemed with a imaginative and prescient of religion had been blessed to enter the promised land.
Search the Blessings of Eternity
Concluding his remarks, Elder De Feo advised college students to maintain a transparent imaginative and prescient in all their plans and search the blessings of eternity, fulfilling their actual objective on this life.
“Select the Lord in the present day and be blessed with the blessings of your promised land, which is your profession, an excellent life, a cheerful life,” he mentioned.
