Dear Teenager: RISE

Dear Teenager, 

Jesus was resurrected so you can rise from death. 

But also so you can rise in life. 

Think about it. Is there anything in your life that is dying? Something that needs to be revived? A relationship? A goal? Your faith?

Well, good news. Howard W. Hunter said, “Whatever Jesus lays His hands upon, lives.” He can breathe life into anything. 

You can rise. 

Sometimes we talk about God’s plan as if He’s already made every decision for us. He does have a will for your life, but many times, He wants what YOU want. God is not a dictator who has already decided how your life is going to go. He’s ready to create it WITH you. 

So, what do you want for yourself? What kind of person do you want to be? Don’t be afraid to tell Him. Instead of rushing through your prayers, slow things down and pray with more intent. Visualize in your mind what you want to see happening. Pretend for a moment to “feel” the way you want to start feeling- right there, on your knees. Create what you want for your day, your month, your future “spiritually,” and He will work with you to create it physically. 

The scriptures confirm you will be “raised...according to [your] desires” (Alma 41:5). If you know your desires aren’t where they should be, pray for them to change. And then, act. 

Do you want love? Offer love. Do you want success? Rejoice in others’ successes. Do you want to receive? Give. “For that which ye do send out shall return unto you again, and be restored” (Alma 41:14). Please understand. Whatever you focus on will be magnified and multiplied, so stay far away from negativity and doubt. A huge key to hope in Christ is thinking positively about yourself and your future. 

Don’t be your own stumbling block. 

I know you’ve had disappointments and set backs. But today is the perfect day to look forward with hope. After all, the opportunity to RISE is what the atonement and resurrection are all about. This truth should make your heart burst in gratitude and hope. Let Him lay His hands on you. For God so loved you, that He sent His Son to be lifted up. 

So YOU can be lifted up. 

RISE.