M E R I D I A N     M A G A Z I N E

Lighting the Fire Within
by Kelly L. Martinez

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. —Isaiah 2:3

How wonderful these Winter Games have been! Exciting races. Thrilling acrobatics. Athletic excellence. Even if sports aren't your thing, there's something special about the Olympics.

From the Opening Ceremony's beauty to the camaraderie of the Olympic Village...this has truly been a wonderful thing for the people of Utah and the people of the world.

I was so impressed with the comments made by Mitt Romney, Salt Lake Organizing Committee president, and Jacques Rogge, International Olympic Committee president, at the Opening Ceremonies on Feb. 8. Their messages were inspiring. I half expected Brother Romney to close his remarks as he would in a sacrament meeting.

These Winter Games have been a wonderful window for the world to see the beauty of Utah and the Salt Lake area. Visitors to the Salt Lake area have been treated well by the locals, who have been very helpful by all reports. Kindness has abounded in these Games. In a world where there is an abundant supply of cruelty and hatred, the 2002 Winter Games have been a breath of fresh air.

Did it warm your heart, like it did mine, to see the majesty of the Salt Lake temple every night on network television?

This...this is how well we, God's children, can behave. There was so much that could have gone wrong these past two weeks. Terrorism. Intolerance for race or religion. Instead, what we saw were competitors—who have been trained their entire lives to win, win, win—greet defeat with a handshake and victory with a pat on the back for a valiant effort. These Games weren't without their controversy or bad sportsmanship, but in an imperfect world, we cannot expect perfection. As members of the Church, we know this.

Figure skating is a good example of something that went wrong during the Winter Games. But did you notice how gracefully the Canadian pair skaters handled themselves in the face of injustice? It was a lesson in humility on display for the world to see.

This is how the Lord works. He doesn't stop the ugliness and wickedness from happening. He gives His children an opportunity to choose how to react to difficult situations. We've seen it many times before...goodness as a result of badness.

I love the 2002 Winter Games' motto. Light the Fire Within. Simply put. Powerfully symbolic.

Fire
Fire has been used to describe many things. Fire motivates the world class athlete to excel. Fire pushes that athlete on to victory. Fire describes an athlete who performs exceptionally well (e.g., 'she's on fire'). Fire represents adverse situations. Fire represents pressure—literal and figurative.

The Spirit of God, like a fire, burns within.

The fire within. I have felt that fire. A burning. A tool in the Lord's hands that motivates, humbles, testifies, comforts and enlightens. There are times when that fire may grow dim. It may even seem to be extinguished completely by choices made or situations that arise. No matter how dim or extinguished that fire may seem, there is always a way to ignite it again...to light the fire within.

Within
The dictionary defines the word within as "inside; not beyond the limits of."

"Inside" each of us lies the power to do many things. The power to change. The power to improve. The power to resolve. The power to excel. The power to forgive. The power to love. The power to believe. The power to serve. It is not "beyond the limits of" any of God's children to tap into these wonderful powers bestowed on us.

Some would have us believe that to be able to exercise these God-given powers, we need to turn to outside sources. Diet centers. Get-rich-quick plans. Medication. How-to manuals. These things can help us tune into these powers, but not one of them can do it for us.

At General Conference, we hear many wonderfully uplifting and edifying talks given by servants of the Lord. Their words are enlightening, humbling and motivational. The Spirit can be felt strongly as we receive witness that what is being said is true. We may feel motivated to improve as a result of the messages we hear there, but ultimately, it all comes back to us. We have the ability within to use the powers mentioned above. Is our ability alone enough? At times perhaps, but often it is not.

The Light
I am the light of the world; he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life. —John 8:12

The Light of Christ is real. As we look to Him, emulate Him, worship Him, do as He would do, become like Him, follow Him, we draw upon that light. His love is freely given to all. His light, which comes along with His love, is given likewise.

If the fire has grown dim or has been extinguished, He can and will provide the light to set our fire ablaze once again.

That light, the Light of Christ, will provide us with the spark we need to utilize the wonderful powers that lie within each of us. We draw upon that light through keeping covenants, observing the Sabbath, tending to our stewardships, serving others, studying the scriptures, living the Gospel, repenting, praying and inviting others to come unto Christ.

Light within fire
Motivation is a wonderful thing. The desire to shine, whether it is athletically or otherwise, is good. Our full potential cannot be realized unless we tap into the Light that ignites all fires within. Within every fire—be it athletic, academic, self-improvement or anything else—is the Light.

So give thought to the wonderfully inspired motto of the Salt Lake 2002 Winter Games. Light the Fire Within. Juggle the words around. Consider how these simple words can give such deep insight and understanding to the marvelous capabilities we have as children of a living and loving Heavenly Father.

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