In the most recent general conference in October, 2023, President Russell M. Nelson talked about the idea of “thinking Celestial”. Accordingly, here is a quote from that talk that gives the essence of the message:
Here is the great news of God’s plan: the very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be! Today, to assist you to qualify for the rich blessings Heavenly Father has for you, I invite you to adopt the practice of “thinking celestial”! Thinking celestial means being spiritually minded. We learn from the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob that “to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.”
When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement. It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws. Obedience paves the way for a joyful life for you today and a grand, eternal reward tomorrow.
When you are confronted with a dilemma, think celestial! When tested by temptation, think celestial! When life or loved ones let you down, think celestial! When someone dies prematurely, think celestial. When someone lingers with a devastating illness, think celestial. When the pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial! As you recover from an accident or injury, as I am doing now, think celestial!
--Think Celestial! October 2023 General Conference
Source: https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2023/10/51nelson?lang=eng
“Thinking Celestial” as a single member of the church:
Here are a few ideas for how you can try to “think Celestial” with a few relevant issues for single members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints:
Law of chastity: keeping the law of chastity is, of course, very challenging to do as a single member. As you know, the only acceptable sexual outlet and expression for members is within marriage between a man and a woman. Therefore, “thinking Celestial” here involves making chastity related choices that keep the Spirit. That includes avoiding pornography, keeping within appropriate physical boundaries with those we date, and otherwise being proactive to avoid moral troubles. For more ideas on how to keep the law of chastity and pornography, feel free to refer to these previous articles on the subject:
https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/lds-singles-and-the-law-of-chastity-64/
https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/overcoming-pornography-34/
https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/pornography-a-big-problem-33/
https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/what-men-want-women-to-know-about-pornography-204/
Dating choices and goals: how does “thinking Celestial” relate to the topic of dating? Here are a few points of reflection to help you navigate your choices and goals with whom to date includes considering, Is this an active member? Is this person able to eventually go with me to marry in the temple? Or are they at least working towards that goal of a temple recommend and temple attendance? Along with their church activity and temple recommend issue, how does this other person treat me, and how am I treating him or her relationally? Are you treating each other in a way reflective of Celestial principles? Do you treat each other with love, kindness, respect, and consideration? As you look at all three points here and can answer yes to all three, you are well on your way to choosing and building a Celestial relationship with another person.
Here are some other articles on the subject of partner choice and spirituality that can hopefully help further on this topic:
https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/assessing-spirituality-232/
https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/spiritual-standards-in-dating-151/
https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/are-we-spiritually-compatible-27/
Communication: finally, how you and the other person talk out issues, resolve conflict, and compromise is also an important element of “thinking Celestial” in a relationship. Imagine how our Heavenly Parents would talk to and treat each other? I am sure it is with kindness, civility, compromise, love, and consideration. The bulk of how two partners treat each other relates to the two talk to each other. Please promote good interactions in this way, as well as you for the same in the other partner. Here are several articles to help you with looking for and promoting communication that represents “thinking Celestial”:
https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/assertive-communication-skills-162/
https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/non-verbal-communication-123/
https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/workable-compromise-16/
https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/listening-skills-14/
https://www.ldsdimension.com/articles/communication-skills-13/
Final Thoughts:
Thinking Celestial applies to all members, including singles members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. Whenever there is any personal or relational issue or dilemma, hopefully some ideas in this article will help you to approach them in the best ways. The spiritual and eternal perspective is always the correct approach and will give the best results. Remember that the most important prophet is the current prophet. President Nelson has very recently given this direction, so to follow it will lead to blessings and happiness. And remember that Celestially, “…neither is the man without the woman, neither the woman without the man, in the Lord.” (1 Corinthians 11:1).
Dr. G
P.S. If you have any questions, comments, or a future article request for me, feel free to contact me at drgilchrist@yahoo.com.
| 2023-12-26 | Carly Gordon | Spirituality |
About the author
