What things can help us become more like Christ? What should we be doing that can bring us closer to our Heavenly Father? What are the habits that are most important to have? What do we need to be focusing on in our lives? In the end, what is it that we should be doing everyday?
Guess what? All those thoughtful questions could be answered with the SMAs! What’s a SMA, you ask? It’s my abbreviation for the Standard Mormon Answers, which are: Read the scriptures. Say your prayers. Go to church.
I have been blessed with frequent opportunities to teach the youth of the Church. They are a savvy generation. From a young age they seem to have internalized that many (most?) questions asked of them can be answered with some variation of the SMAs. How do you prepare for a mission? SMAs! What should you do to be ready for a temple-marriage? SMAs! What helps invite the Spirit? SMAs, SMAs, and more SMAs!