A Matter of a Few Degrees

By Pesident Dieter F. Uchtdorf
Priesthood Session - April 2008
Sunday July 27th Lesson

"In 1979 a large passenger jet with 257 people on board left New Zealand for a sightseeing flight to Antarctica and back. Unknown to the pilots, however, someone had modified the flight coordinates by a mere two degrees. This error placed the aircraft 28 miles (45 km) to the east of where the pilots assumed they were. As they approached Antarctica, the pilots descended to a lower altitude to give the passengers a better look at the landscape. Although both were experienced pilots, neither had made this particular flight before, and they had no way of knowing that the incorrect coordinates had placed them directly in the path of Mount Erebus, an active volcano that rises from the frozen landscape to a height of more than 12,000 feet (3,700 m).
As the pilots flew onward, the white of the snow and ice covering the volcano blended with the white of the clouds above, making it appear as though they were flying over flat ground. By the time the instruments sounded the warning that the ground was rising fast toward them, it was too late. The airplane crashed into the side of the volcano, killing everyone on board.
It was a terrible tragedy brought on by a minor error—a matter of only a few degrees"

What do we learn from this story that can relate to our lives?
- Minor drifts from the gospel can bring horrible consequences into our lives.

Let's talk about an example from the Bible - King Saul. Turn to 1 Samuel.
In 1 Samuel 9:2 we learn what kind of man Saul is - 2 And he had a son, whose name was Saul, a choice young man, and a goodly: and there was not among the children of Israel a goodlier person than he: from his shoulders and upward he was higher than any of the people. From this scripture we learn that Saul was a very good man.
1 Samuel 9:15-17 - 15 ¶ Now the Lord had told Samuel in his ear a day before Saul came, saying, 16 To morrow about this time I will send thee a man out of the land of Benjamin, and thou shalt anoint him to be captain over my people Israel, that he may save my people out of the hand of the Philistines: for I have looked upon my people, because their cry is come unto me. 17 And when Samuel saw Saul, the Lord said unto him, Behold the man whom I spake to thee of! this same shall reign over my people. So Saul was chosen by God to be King of Israel. We also learn in the scriptures that Saul was a very physically imposing man and came from a very influential family. But he was also human and had weaknesses, but God had promised him that He would always be with him. Saul was a mighty leader and with the help of the Lord he defeated the Ammonites who were coming to invade Isreal - 1 Samuel 11:11-13 - 11 And it was so on the morrow, that Saul put the people in three companies; and they came into the midst of the host in the morning watch, and slew the Ammonites until the heat of the day: and it came to pass, that they which remained were scattered, so that two of them were not left together. 12 ¶ And the people said unto Samuel, Who is he that said, Shall Saul reign over us? bring the men, that we may put them to death. 13 And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death this day: for to day the Lord hath wrought salvation in Israel. From this scripture we learn that Israel was saved with Gods help.

Soon the terrible army of the Philistines came to battle the Israelites. The Israelites were very afraid of the Philistine army. 1 Samuel 13:6 - 6 When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. Saul knew he needed help, the Prophet Samuel called to him and told Saul to wait for him and he would come to offer a sacrifice and counsel with the Lord. Well Saul waited 7 days and couldn’t wait any longer so he offered a sacrifice but he had no priesthood authority to do so. What do you think happened when The Prophet Samuel arrived? 1 Samuel 13:13-14 - 13 And Samuel said to Saul, Thou hast done foolishly: thou hast not kept the commandment of the LORD thy God, which he commanded thee: for now would the LORD have established thy kingdom upon Israel for ever. 14 But now thy kingdom shall not continue Saul had broken the commandment of the Lord and so he lost his kingdom.

This was a scriptural example of a small error that had a large impact. Small errors over time can make a dramatic difference in our lives if they are not corrected.
Quote #1 “Like the pilots and passengers of the sightseeing flight, we set out on what we hope will be an exciting journey only to realize too late that an error of a few degrees has set us on a course for spiritual disaster.”

What can we learn from these two examples?
Quote #2 “Small errors and minor drifts away from the doctrine of the gospel of Jesus Christ can bring sorrowful consequences into our lives. It is therefore of critical importance that we become self-disciplined enough to make early and decisive corrections to get back on the right track and not wait or hope that errors will somehow correct themselves.”
The longer we wait to correct ourselves – the longer and harder the needed changes are.

As women, what have we been entrusted with by our Heavenly Father?
1. Raising children
2. The ability to love
3. Our feminine intuition (inspiration)
4. Influence of good on our Priesthood holders

We are reminded in D&C that “unto whom much is given much is required” What is required of us or what expectations does the Lord have for us? He expects us to be a righteous women and an example of goodness.
Quote #3 “We live up to these expectations when we quickly recognize the dangers and influences that tempt us to drift from the Lord’s way and when we courageously follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost to make decisive corrections that will bring us back on course.”

What are some of the things we are tempted with?
- Media influences
The great thing is we are promised that…
Quote #4 “The Lord will help you to recognize and avoid those evils. It is the early recognition of danger and a clear course correction that will keep you in the light of the gospel. Minor decisions can lead to major consequences.”
Quote #5 “But the Lord requires not only outward acts but also your inner thoughts and feelings to be close to the spirit of the law. God “require[s] the heart and a willing mind.” – D&C 64:34

D&C 58:26-28 - 26 For behold, it is not meet that I should command in all things; for he that is compelled in all things, the same is a slothful and not a wise servant; wherefore he receiveth no reward. 27 Verily I say, men should be anxiously engaged in a good cause, and do many things of their own free will, and bring to pass much righteousness; 28 For the power is in them, wherein they are agents unto themselves. And inasmuch as men do good they shall in nowise lose their reward. The Lord has given us a great gift of free agency we need to use our free agency to “bring to pass much righteousness.”

Heavenly Father sent us here on earth knowing we would be tempted and that we would sin, but he didn’t leave us with no hope. He gave us the ultimate gift of the Atonement!!
John 3:16 - 16 ¶ For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

Using the Atonement doesn’t just help us to everlasting life…
Quote #6 – “Our willingness to repent shows our gratitude for God’s gift and for the Savior’s love and sacrifice on our behalf.”

The Lord has given us commandments. These commandments test our faith and our obedience but they also…
Quote #7 – “These commandments and covenants of God are like navigational instructions from celestial heights and will lead us safely to our eternal destination.”

“Remember: the heavens will not be filled with those who never made mistakes but with those who recognized that they were off course and who corrected their ways to get back in the light of gospel truth.”

President Uchtdorf asks the question “What if we have drifted far off course?” – Isaiah 1:18 - though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow. No one is excluded from this promise.

It wont always be easy to get back on course but we have lots of people who care and love us and will be there to help: your family, bishop, stake presidents, visiting teachers, and most importantly your greatest friend of all – The Savior.
Quote #8 “He understands your sorrow. He knows your grief. He and our Father in Heaven will bless, comfort, and strengthen you; They will walk beside you and carry you as you strive to right your course.”

I am so thankful for the Atonement in my life. I know the Atonement can heal and I have seen it’s healing powers in my life. I’m so thankful for the love I feel from the Lord and the knowledge I have of the Saviors sacrifice for me personally. I know that by following the Gospel of Christ I can keep on the right course.

Link to Conference Talk
http://lds.org/conference/talk/display/0,5232,23-1-851-21,00.html