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6 Talks to Help Youth Press Forward

The 2016 Mutual Theme is one that encourages youth to trust in Christ and keep moving forward with faith. The theme comes from 2 Nephi 31:20, and it focuses on the phrase “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ.”

Need help preparing lessons and activities for this year’s theme? The Church website has a variety of resources available for teachers and leaders to use. And the BYU Speeches archives are chock-full of talks that reference 2 Nephi 31:20. Here are six of our favorite BYU speeches on the theme of pressing forward.

  1. “‘Press Forward with a Steadfastness in Christ’”—David L. Kooyman

“I have been fascinated for years with a portion of the vision of the tree of life recorded in 1 Nephi 8. In this vision Lehi described two groups of people who caught hold of the iron rod as they made their way to partake of the fruit on the tree of life. Remember that the iron rod represents the word of God and the fruit on the tree represents the love of God. One group pressed forward toward the tree, “clinging to the rod of iron” (verse 24), while another group pressed forward “holding fast to the rod of iron” (verse 30). The group that was clinging to the rod made it to the tree and partook of the fruit, but afterward, when the world mocked them, “they were ashamed” (verse 25) and fell away. The group that held fast to the rod as they pressed forward also partook of the fruit but then stayed. What was the difference?

“To me, clinging suggests desperation—it’s what might be done if there was fear or a lack of hope in their lives. Perhaps they did not really believe Christ or accept the Atonement, so when the world pressed upon them, they became ashamed and fell away. . . .

“The group that Lehi saw holding fast to the rod endured to the end. They had an unshaken faith in Christ and a perfect brightness of hope because of the Atonement. When I read the words holding fast in Lehi’s description in his vision, I imagine individuals who stand firm against adversity or tribulation because of their hope in Christ.”

  1. Pilgrimages”—Alvin F. Jr. Sherman

“[In] searching for relief and rescue from the storm, you must scan the horizon for signs along the path that will guide you to shelter and safety. You must press forward with faith, and, by and by, the path will appear and the destination will become evident to you.”

  1. Zion Is the Pure in Heart”—Elaine S. Dalton

Don’t get discouraged! Your journey will be challenging at times, and it will not always be easy. As I have studied the scriptures, it has become increasingly clear to me that the Lord takes His chosen people out of comfort zones again and again and tutors them on the things that really matter. . . . Be willing to step out of your comfort zones and ‘press forward with . . . a perfect brightness of hope’ (2 Nephi 31:20).”

Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ. - 2 Nephi 31:20

  1. Endurance”—Robert K. Conlee

“To increase our spiritual endurance we must train spiritually. When a sudden trial overload comes, we must already be trained in order to endure it. This training involves praying every day so that when we need to pray more fervently we are already accustomed to it. This training also involves regular scripture study so that our testimonies are firm and our understanding of God’s plan is deep. This training involves serving others in their plight so we can be better prepared for our own. This training involves regular Sunday worship, from which we gain the strength to discipline our lives and renew our covenants. Just as we build a physical reservoir through training, we can also develop a spiritual one as well.”

  1. Press Forward”—Paul H. Dunn

“Press forward. That’s not just a piece of nice advice, brothers and sisters; it’s a commandment. Press forward, one step at a time, always believing that you can do a great and excellent work here on the earth and that your life matters, maybe more than you imagine. Progression is an eternal law, and those who are managing just to get by in life will find in eternity that they are eons behind those who were willing to plod along undaunted, one step at a time. May you have the confidence to keep slugging when you are striking out and to keep running when blisters fill your shoes. May you be undaunted in reaching for the Lord’s kingdom where the righteous dwell and not end up in some halfway house for those who gave up too soon.”

  1. It Still Takes Faith”—Brent L. Top

“It took faith and perseverance for those Saints to keep plugging along. It still takes faith to ‘press forward with a steadfastness in Christ’ (2 Nephi 31:20) when our own journey does not seem very eventful or exciting. It still takes pioneer-like faith to do the little things: things such as daily prayer and scripture study, fulfilling a Church calling that we may not think is so important or we don’t care for much, or getting out of bed early on Sunday morning to attend our meetings when we’ve been out late—really late—on Saturday night. It still takes faith to keep nurturing a testimony when we don’t seem to have any sensational, spiritual experiences. It still takes faith, like that of those early pioneers, to keep plugging along day by day, step by step—doing the best we can in living the gospel and loving the Lord and our fellowmen.”

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