A week ago Thursday I was asked if I would speak in our church ward/congregation's Sacrament Meeting worship service this past Sunday. Of course I agreed to do so, always feeling that I shouldn't ever turn down such an apportunity as long as I am able to do so, even though this only gave me a few days to prepare. I asked for a suggestion of topic for the talk, and was given several suggestions. The first one was the recent talk given by Elder Patrick Kearon in the October 2025 General Conference of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints The first line of his talk, "Jesus went about doing good," jumped right out at me as this phrase has been coming to my mind often the past few months. All of my life I have been taught to follow the example of Jesus Christ, and of course most days I try, and every day I fall short. Isn't that basically what life is all about? Trying to do good, and falling short, but in the meantime hopefully we are making a difference.
How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.
Elder Kearon expounded on how this phrase is an enormous understatement, and that Jesus Christ is the very essense and source of goodness. He knows each of us personally as our Savior, all of our strengths and our weaknesses, and yet he calls to each of us to come and follow him. I feel the struggle, and yet, I have chosen this phrase as my motto for the coming year of 2026 -- He Went About Doing Good. I believe that the talk went well, and several who were there mentioned the same to me. One of my friends sent me an email this past week sharing a memory of a time when a very small act of mine towards her had made a difference and meant a lot to her. I had forgotten about that incident, and her kind act of sharing the memory with me was also an example of her going about doing good.
How can I best use my time, my talents, my energy and my finances during 2026? I hope to check in with my Heavenly Father and the Savior each morning and each evening throughout the year during my daily prayers, to ask for help in recognizing what good I can do each day. Each week as I attend church and partake of the sacrament will be another time to reflect on how I am doing, as will the times that I attend the temple. I hope to trust in the Lord to guide me and to use my faith to let God prevail in my life this coming year.
Do you have a phrase or word or theme for the coming year? I hope everyone can have faith that the best is yet to come!
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