This Sunday is my turn to teach. Since I have the chance to choose whatever topic I feel will benefit the quorum, I decided to choose President Dieter F. Uchtdorf’s talk from last April’s conference entitled A Matter of a Few Degrees. In his talk, he recounted a story of a large passenger jet that left New Zealand for a sightseeing flight to Antarctica. An error of two degrees in the flight coordinates placed the aircraft directly in the path of an active volcano. Unfortunately, by the time the pilots received the warning from the plane’s instruments, it was too late. The plane crashed into the side of the volcano, killing the pilots and all 257 passengers.

President Uchtdorf said: “The difference between happiness and misery … often comes down to an error of only a few degrees”. He also promised that the Lord will help us recognize and avoid these evils. He reminded us that we have the responsibility and the power of self-direction. And if we drift off-course, there is always a way back that is “certain and clear” and that is the Savior Jesus Christ.

So fill in the blank: what word, phrase, or thought would you replace “degree” with? Here’s what I have:

• A matter of a few clicks
• A matter of a few promptings
• A matter of a few channels
• A matter of a few thoughts

And on the positive side:

• A matter of a few minutes reading the words of the Prophets
• A matter of a few minutes making the Internet safer for me and my home

So what would you fill in the blank? How can you apply this in your life?

Gilbert Lee is a guest blogger and works as an interaction designer for the LDS Church. He is married to a wonderful woman and has three princesses for daughters.

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