Elder Uchtdorf once told a story of a man who took a long saved-for and awaited cruise to fulfill a lifelong dream of seeing the historic cities along the Mediterranean Sea.
Because he did not want to spend additional money, he packed food for his trip and embarked on his journey.
He looked longingly at all the activities and abundant food offered on the cruise, but mostly stayed in his cabin and ate his beans and crackers.
He learned on the last night of his voyage that all of the food and activities were included in the price of his fare and that he had, mistakenly and sadly, missed out on all he could have experienced during his time on the ship (Your Potential, Your Privilege, Gen Conf, Apr 2011).
A privilege is an advantage, right, benefit or honor available only to a particular person or group.
There is something particularly regrettable about having something readily attainable that we do not take advantage of.
Especially when that is something that will bring joy and peace, allow growth and abundance, and give hope and strength in the hardest of times.
And yet, we all, to some degree, fail to embrace what is right before us.
All of the grace given from the Giver of good gifts is there for the taking.
Anyone who will choose it.
He’s given us a a plan for our happiness now and eternally, which includes a way back to Him through the atonement of Jesus Christ, a restored Church, commandments to teach us the happiest way to live, connection to Him through covenant, answers in scripture prepared long before our day, and access to a power far beyond our own.
What privileges we have to know our purpose, to have the companionship of a member of the Godhead, to be invited to learn of Him, gather together and serve one another!
What a privilege to know and live with the assurance of our Savior.
How sad, then, if we live on beans and crackers, when the whole buffet is open to us!
Among the multitude of blessings available to us, every minute of every day we have the privilege of communing with Heaven. We have the certainty of forgiveness through repentance and the peace of the knowledge of the continuation of our life beyond this mortal existence. We have access to truth to avoid deception and the knowledge that we are divine beings on a journey to becoming like our Father.
As we truly treasure these privileges, we never need to journey alone, sitting in our tiny cabins while there is joy and abundance just waiting to be grasped.
Because the greatest benefit and honor offered to us is the presence of the life- and light-bringer Himself.
He invites all into the group of privilege.
It is simply up to us to choose to embrace all that He has to offer, knowing that it comes with the price of the ticket, which we didn’t even have to pay.
