The man and woman who use the power

This post is part of the General Conference Odyssey. This week covers the Saturday Morning Session of the October 1978 Conference.

I believe in, and have experienced, the power that comes through keeping temple covenants. But I go through times when I feel like the power to meet challenges, or even to face everyday life, is so far away and unreachable for me! And of course, when I'm feeling that way—weak and uninspired—I might look at other people around me who don't seem weak, and feel even worse by comparison. But this quote from President Kimball's talk gives a different way of thinking about that:

Because many individuals do not fully use the capacity that is in them does nothing to negate the truth that they have the power to become Christlike. It is the man and woman who use the power who prove its existence; neglect cannot prove its absence.

When I see someone who seems more spiritually connected than I am; who has more frequent revelation; who is more compassionate, or more Christlike—I can take it as evidence that God has made that power available. It is possible for mortals to access it. It affects real people with real lives. And if I nurture it patiently, that same power can come to life in me as well!