"Return with honor" is a call that has become familiar to every Latter-day Saint. For Elder Robert D. Hales, this stirring directive was his unit's motto when he served as a jet fighter pilot in the United States Air Force, and he uses it often in his teaching. During his military days, the motto was a constant and powerful reminder to complete each mission honorably and now it reminds us, the Lord's children, that what we do on earth can make it possible to return with honor to our heavenly home.
A beloved member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Elder Hales writes with keen insight and compassion about the orderly preparations we need to make as we travel through mortality. Our journey of life has four vital stages:
Decades of Preparation
Decade of Decision
Decades of Serving and Pressing Forward
Decades of Serving and Enduring to the End
Elder Hales considers each of these essential periods using vivid stories from his own life, compelling scriptural insights, and the wisdom he has gained through a tender relationship with the Savior.
Whatever your stage in life, the message Elder Hales offers in Return: Four Phases of Our Moral Journey Home is clear: Keeping sacred covenants, prayerfully making life's important decisions, and embracing the Savior and His Atonement can prepare you for eternal life the greatest gift of God. This volume is an inspired guide to your journey home.
Table of Contents
Acknowledgments
Introduction
Our Journey Home
DECADES OF PREPARATION
Always Preparing
Remember Who You Are
Faith unto Salvation
Forgetting Those Things That Are Left Behind
The Gate of Baptism
The Gift of the Holy Ghost
Personal Revelation
Choosing Friends Wisely
The Preparatory Priesthood
Daughters of God
Lacing Up Your Boots
Overcoming the Adversary
DECADE OF DECISION
Making Life's Most Important Decisions
Becoming Fishers of Men
Moving On
Avoiding Spiritual Shortcuts
Education for Life
Choosing an Eternal Companion
The House of the Lord
DECADES OF SERVING AND PRESSING FORWARD
One Church Fits All
Fearless Love
Building a Sound Financial Foundation
True to Ourselves and Our Mission
Strengthening Families
26.Feed My Lambs, Feed My Sheep
Feasting upon the Words of Christ
Following God's Prophets
The Journey of Lifelong Learning
DECADES OF SERVING AND ENDURING TO THE END