Frequent Small Corrections

Shortly after sharing the hatchet anecdote and getting into the subject of his talk, Elder Allen F. Packer shared this gem of wisdom; "Frequent small corrections are less painful and disruptive than large course corrections."

When going through life, we humans have a tendency to drift off course. This tendency is partly due to Satan's temptations. He knows that he can't get God's righteous children to break serious commandments just like that. Instead, he tempts us to commit minor infractions, gradually lowering our standards until we're no longer as righteous as we ought to be. If we're not careful, Satan can lead us into situations that require serious repenting to escape from.

However, if we are vigilant and continually hold ourselves to high standards, we can notice when we are beginning to slip up. When that happens, we can either make the small, needed corrections right then, or we can wait for the problem to grow and for the solution to become more strenuous. The sooner we change ourselves for the better, the less difficult, painful, and disruptive that change will be.

We are always changing. If we are not changing for the better, we are changing for the worse. Let us each put in the small, frequent corrections that will gradually make us more like God, so we don't end up having to make large, painful corrections later down the road.