Lessons from Lot's wife

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland spoke this week at the BYU devotional. He gave a remarkable talk and I've been thinking a lot about it. The title of the talk was "Remember Lot's wife" and he spoke about not looking back, especially not looking back at past grievances. Here are some favorite quotes:

• Lot's wife ignored God's command to "look not behind thee" and, upon looking back, was turned into a pillar of salt. It wasn't just that she look back - she looked back longingly. In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future. That, apparently, was at least part of her sin.
  
• ...don't dwell on days now gone or yearn vainly for yesterday. The past is to be learned from but not lived in.
• Philippians 3: 13-14 - This one thing I do, forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before, I press toward the mark for the prize of the high calling of God in Jesus Christ.
• Such an attitude leads to a universal timeless lesson, bemoaning that too many people fail to forgive and forget earlier mistakes in life. This is not good. It is not Christian. It stands in terrible opposition to the grandeur and majesty of the Atonement of Christ. To be tied to earlier mistakes - our own or other people's - is the worst kind of wallowing in the past from which we are called to cease and desist.
• Elder Holland asked that in all situations - including relationships, marriages and personal lives - ancient wounds not be reopened, the same wounds the Savior died trying to heal.
• Let people repent. Let people grow. Believe that people can change - and improve. Is that faith? Yes! Is it hope? Yes! Is it charity? Yes! Above all it is charity, the pure love of Christ.
• Forgive and then do what is harder to do - forget. And to forget again when it comes to mind again, remembering just enough to avoid repeating the mistake.
• Dismiss the destructive and keep dismissing it, until the beauty of the Atonement of Christ has revealed to you your bright future, and the bright future of your family and your friends and your neighbors.
• God doesn't care nearly as much about where you have been as He does about where you are and with His help, where you are willing to go.
• Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, trust and divine love transform your life today, tomorrow and forever.