In a memorable General Conference address, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf shared a parable about a man who saved for years to take a Mediterranean cruise. Wanting to be frugal, the man packed his suitcase with beans and crackers, living on these simple provisions throughout the journey. Only on the final day did he discover that all the ship’s exquisite meals—every feast, every activity, every entertainment—had been included in his ticket price. “Too late the man realized,” President Uchtdorf observed, “that he had been living far beneath his privileges.”
This story has been on my mind lately as I’ve pondered what it means to truly live up to our privileges as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Like that passenger who settled for crackers while a feast awaited him, we too might be living far beneath our spiritual privileges.
The implications of President Uchtdorf’s parable were further illuminated for me by a recent General Conference address from President Emily Belle Freeman. Through her words, and those of other Church leaders, I’ve come to see how this simple story reveals important truths about our own spiritual journey and the abundance of blessings we might be missing.
This principle echoes through scripture, particularly in Matthew 23:37, where Jesus laments over Jerusalem: “O Jerusalem, Jerusalem, thou that killest the prophets, and stonest them which are sent unto thee, how often would I have gathered thy children together, even as a hen gathereth her chickens under her wings, and ye would not!” The Lord stood ready to pour out blessings upon ancient Israel, to send more prophets, to reveal more truth—but they rejected His offerings. How often do we similarly limit what God can give us through our own reluctance to fully embrace His gifts?
“The blessings of the priesthood,” President Uchtdorf teaches, “transcend our ability to comprehend. Faithful Melchizedek Priesthood holders can ‘become … the elect of God.’ They are ‘sanctified by the Spirit unto the renewing of their bodies’ and can ultimately receive ‘all that [the] Father hath.’” Unlike ancient Israel, we live in a time when these priesthood blessings have been restored in their fulness.
Among these priesthood privileges is the remarkable blessing of having authorized servants of God who can pronounce blessings in His name. As members of the restored Church of Jesus Christ, we uniquely enjoy this privilege that was lost during the Great Apostasy. Yet we sometimes hesitate to seek these sacred blessings—perhaps feeling our challenges aren’t significant enough. Whether facing illness, seeking guidance, or simply needing spiritual strength, we have been given the precious gift of accessing heaven’s power through priesthood blessings, a privilege restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.
President Emily Belle Freeman deepened this understanding through Emma Smith’s experience. Standing at her window in Harmony, Pennsylvania, young Emma faced uncertainty and heartache. Through revelation, the Lord taught her that “it’s not only who officiates in the ordinance that matters—what the ordinance and our covenant promise unlock also deserves the focus of our attention.”
“Everything that happened in [Harmony],” President Nelson taught, “has profound implications for your lives. The restoration of the priesthood, along with the Lord’s counsel to Emma, can guide and bless each of you. … Accessing the power of God in your life requires the same things that the Lord instructed Emma and each of [us] to do.”
The sacrament offers a weekly invitation to live up to our privileges. As President Freeman observed during a hospital-room sacrament service, this isn’t just about the mechanics of bread and water—it’s about accessing God’s power through ordinances and covenant renewal. “Partaking of the sacrament would increase my companionship with the Spirit of the Lord, allowing me to draw upon the gift of God’s power, including the ministering of angels and the Savior’s enabling strength to overcome.”
Similarly, temple attendance isn’t just about completing ordinances—it’s about accessing transformative power that can change who we are. The temple garment becomes “a daily reminder of the gift of His power working in you to help you become.”
We don’t have to live beneath our privileges. Just as Emma Smith learned to access God’s power through ordinances and covenant-keeping in her youth, we too can learn to draw upon heaven’s power in our daily lives. President Uchtdorf reminds us that “our religion is a joyful one!” and urges us not to pass through life “wearied, worrying, and whining.” The feast is prepared. The power is available. The invitation stands.
Like ancient Jerusalem, we face a choice: will we accept all that God longs to give us, or will we settle for less? Will we continue to subsist on spiritual crackers and beans, or will we step forward to enjoy the feast of privileges the Lord has prepared for us?
I bear witness that God eagerly desires to give us so much more than we often allow ourselves to receive. Just as He promised through Malachi to “open you the windows of heaven, and pour you out a blessing, that there shall not be room enough to receive it” (Malachi 3:10), I know that as we step forward in faith to claim our spiritual privileges—through meaningful covenant-keeping, sincere worship, and full engagement with the restored gospel—He will pour out blessings beyond our current comprehension. The feast before us is real and abundant. May we have the courage and wisdom to accept all that our loving Heavenly Father offers.
Elder Linder 