On Blessings and Bonfires

Elder Dale G. Renlund began his talk, Abound with Blessings, with a discussion about blessings and how we obtain them. He argued that we cannot "earn" blessings through our works, but we can't simply rely on grace, either. Blessings require both grace and works. To illustrate this, he gave an example of a bonfire. There may be a huge pile of wood in a fire ring, but without a match to light it, it doesn't burn. Similarly, one may strike a match, but unless that match is applied to kindling and firewood, the match will merely burn itself out in a matter of moments. God has graciously provided us with a mountain of firewood and kindling, but He leaves it up to us to strike our matches and apply it to the wood. God offers us great blessings, but we have to secure them ourselves through prayer and righteousness. Our small acts unlock God's great blessings. We can't earn them, but we still have to work for them. Some people rely completely on God's grace, and others rely completely on their own works, but they're both wrong. To receive the greatest blessings God can offer us, we need both grace and works.