Sacramental Self-Reflection

Here's another example of General Conference speakers seeming to have talked to each other before giving their talks. Sister Neill F. Marriott said:

During the sacrament, which I call the heart of the Sabbath, I have found that after I pray for forgiveness of sins, it is instructive for me to ask Heavenly Father, “Father, is there more?” When we are yielded and still, our minds can be directed to something more we may need to change—something that is limiting our capacity to receive spiritual guidance or even healing and help.

This is very similar, not only to the theme of Elder Larry R. Lawrence's talk, "What Lack I Yet?", but to a particular passage from that talk:

A perfect time to ask, “What lack I yet?” is when we take the sacrament. The Apostle Paul taught that this is a time for each of us to examine ourselves [see 1 Corinthians 11:28]. In this reverent atmosphere, as our thoughts are turned heavenward, the Lord can gently tell us what we need to work on next.

Both of these inspired individuals shared the message that the Sacrament service is a perfect time for prayerful self-reflection and for seeking guidance and suggestions from the Lord. During the Sacrament, we renew our covenants with God, making it a good time to think about how well we've been keeping those covenants and how we could do better. If we think about it, we could probably find a whole laundry list of things we need to change about ourselves, but with the Spirit's guidance, we can be inspired to know which things would be most helpful to work on right now. As Elder Lawrence said:

The Holy Ghost doesn’t tell us to improve everything at once. If He did, we would become discouraged and give up. The Spirit works with us at our own speed, one step at a time, or as the Lord has taught, “line upon line, precept upon precept."

We have been advised to work on our spiritual progress one step at a time, and the Holy Ghost can help us know what step we should work on next, or how we could better work on the step that we're on. He can give us counsel and encouragement, if we ask for it, and especially if we ask for it when we're in an environment that's already suffused with the spirit. A Sacrament Meeting is such an environment. This week, as I partake of the Sacrament, I'm going to say a silent prayer asking God what He wants me to work on at this time in my life. I pray that He'll give me the guidance that Sister Marriott and Elder Lawrence have suggested that He would. I know that if I seek that kind of guidance, receive it, and act upon it, I will be working on exactly what I need to be working on, exactly what would help me most, and that is an incredible thing to know.