Inspired by the five petals of the tiny forget-me-not flower, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf reminds us of five things we will be wise to never
To be patient with ourselves To distinguish between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice To be happy now To focus on the “why” of the gospel To know that the Lord loves each of us infinitely.
Dieter Friedrich Uchtdorf, a former German aviator and airline executive, is a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church).
Uchtdorf was born to ethnic Germans Karl Albert Uchtdorf and Hildegard Else Opelt in Moravská Ostrava (German: Mährisch-Ostrau), which at the time was in the Nazi-occupied Protectorate of Bohemia and Moravia (now Ostrava, Czech Republic). When he was a child, his family moved to Zwickau in eastern Germany while his father was away in the army, traveling through areas being bombed. Uchtdorf's family joined the LDS Church when he was young as a result of his grandmother's encounter with a church member in a soup line.
When Uchtdorf was about ten, his father's political beliefs, incongruent with communist Russian rule, earned him the label of "dissenter", thus putting their lives in danger. They fled East Germany and resettled in American-occupied West Germany.
From 1959 to 1965 Uchtdorf served in the West German Air Force.
Uchtdorf first entered the aviation industry as a pilot, then became a chief pilot and later an executive for Lufthansa Airlines. In 1975 Uchtdorf was appointed head of Lufthansa's Arizona Training School, and in 1980 he was made head chief pilot of cockpit crews. He became the senior vice president of flight operations in 1982.
Another General Conference talk (Oct. 2011) prettied up and made into a book by this author. You can read the original discourse HERE or purchase it for free HERE for your Kindle.
This counsel I greatly enjoyed. I like how Pres. Uchtdorf premised this talk telling of the German legend of how this beautiful flower got it's name "...just as God had finished naming all the plants, one was left unnamed. A tiny voice spoke out, “Forget me not, O Lord!” And God replied that this would be its name." and then using this flower as a metaphor for his discourse .."The five petals of the little forget-me-not flower prompt me to consider five things we would be wise never to forget.".
The five things are:
Forget not to be patient with yourself.
Forget not the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice.
Forget not to be happy now.
Forget not the why of the gospel.
Forget not that the Lord loves you.
His words were simply keen, true, and inspiring. This will definitely be one of those books I will turn to when I need a pick me up.
By the way, the images of forget-me-nots in this book were absolutely beautiful! It's definitely now one of my favorite flowers.
Tis is such a sweet message for everyone to remember, but he geared this especially to women. I think women need to be reminded the very most of how important and special they are to our Father in Heaven. My mother sent this to me and then I got the e-book so I always have it with me. It is one of the few that I have both ways.
One of my most favorite quotes from this talk/book is this:
"While understanding the what and the how of the gospel is necessary, the eternal fire and majesty of the gospel springs from the why. When we understand why our Heavenly Father has given us this pattern for living, when we remember why we committed to making it a foundational part of our lives, the gospel ceases to become a burden and, instead, becomes a joy and a delight. It becomes precious and sweet."
My other favorite:
"Wherever you are, whatever your circumstances may be, you are not forgotten. No matter how dark your days may seem, no matter how insignificant you may feel, no matter how overshadowed you think you may be, your Heavenly Father has not forgotten you."
Remember that, "God loves you because you are His child. He loves you even though at times you may feel lonely or make mistakes."
I know that this talk was intended originally or women but if you substitute the feminine words for masculine ones then this talk is equally as relevant to men lol. President Uchtdorf is such an amazing man. This talk is warming, uplifting and down right inspiring :)
I saw this at the library and remembered really liking this talk so I picked it up. It is a beautiful book with a loving message that is just as uplifting today as it was all those years ago when I first heard it.
One of my goals this year is to read more books that help me feel closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. This is a short but wonderful book that is uplifting and validating, geared to women. It was a great choice for me!
What a sweet, small book! I read this book when President Uchtdorf gave it as a published talk in our church's Ensign magazine. This version was lovely with the illustrations of Forget Me Not flowers on the chapter heading pages. The message was the same with or without the little flower reminders. The tone of this book was very uplifting and encouraging to women. He tells us 5 things never to forget: 1-to be patient with yourself 2-the difference between a good sacrifice and a foolish sacrifice 3-to be happy NOW 4-the why of the gospel 5-that the Lord loves you Each of these subjects offered hope and encouragement and examples to follow. I felt the love of this leader of the church for women and their importance and value in the sight of our Heavenly Father. One of the best messages of this book was, "Don't wait for your golden ticket, as in Charlie and the Chocolate Factory, but be happy today." Also he reminded us that we are not perfect, we all have strengths and weaknesses. We should keep working on our weaknesses, but stop punishing ourselves for our mistakes along the way. God loves you because you are his daughter. Be happy.
This book is a talk given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf in the latest general Relief Society meeting. The forget me not flower is symbolic of five things that we should never forget. My favorite is "forget not to be patient with yourself". That is something I constantly need to be reminded of. President Uchtdorf gives wonderful talks, and this has been one of my all time favorite talks. The book is so pretty, too. The pictures of forget me not flowers are gorgeous. I recommend this book for any woman. It takes a very short time to read, but it's something that I will want to go back to and reflect on often.
This book was sent to me via a wonderful friend. Im so glad that she did as I have read it and found it very uplifting. A book that can be read more than once when your feeling like you need a little inspiration and a story filled with alot of reminders and a message written within the pages.
An uplifting book to read when you feeling like you need a little faith in yourself. For all that you do .. Always remember to not Forget not to be happy now !!!
Thank you to my wonderful friend ** kath ** who always thinks of me in the times when I forget to xxxx
The book is wonderfully illustrated - but all in all. The message behind it all is truly inspirational ;)
I heard this talk in general conference and loved it. Then was given this book as a gift from my mom and read it and loved it ! This is definetely one of those talks that need to be read regularly so we do not forget how wonderful, unique and special we women are!
Why are these kinds of stories so good? It's because they are true. Every single thing that was said is true now, 20 years ago, and forever into the future. Forget not that you are not alone, you don't have to be sad. You can be anything you want to be and come out on top.
President Uchtdorf always has good counsel to share. My 8 year old happened to come in while I was reading this and read the whole book along with me. That will be a cherished memory for this mom.
A short but deeply inspiring message — one worth revisiting often
Forget Me Not by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf is a brief but profoundly meaningful read. In just a few pages, he reminds us of five simple yet powerful truths that can bring light, balance, and joy back into our daily lives.
Life’s constant busyness can make us impatient, distracted, and even forgetful of the blessings that surround us. This message beautifully helps us refocus on what truly matters: being patient and kind with ourselves, recognizing which sacrifices are wise and which are not, and finding happiness in the simple gifts God gives us every day.
Elder Uchtdorf also helps us remember that understanding the why of the gospel brings purpose to everything we do—and, above all, that our Heavenly Father knows us, loves us, and wants us to return to Him ready and prepared for eternal joy.
One of my favorite lines says it all:
“Please never forget that you must be patient and compassionate with yourselves, that some sacrifices are better than others, that you need not wait for a golden ticket to be happy… and never forget that your Heavenly Father knows, loves, and cherishes you.”
This book is simple, short, and full of light. I highly recommend it to anyone seeking peace, perspective, and a gentle reminder of God’s perfect love.
A short book taken from a 2011 General Conference talk that President Uchtdorf gave. The symbolism of the forget-me-not flower has been important in our family and especially with my daughter who loved her great-grandfather who lived with and died from Alzheimer’s. Uchtdorf takes that same flower and uses it for five truths that we should always remember about ourselves and our place in God’s kingdom. The talk this book is based on was given during a General Relief Society meeting, where the audience was predominately women of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, so that is who he specifically speaks to in this book.
There is no rating high enough for this book! I have been juggling many uncertainties in my life and after reading this book along with many conversations with multiple people this book answered the one battle I've been questioning myself for many years and this book gave me the understanding of why I can't seem to get unstuck and change myself to reach the change I want to be and want the world to see. I've been dreaming too small instead of dreaming the big CHANGE!
This is the amazing talk that was given in General Conference. I can remember the first time I heard this story the power of love that washed over me. Now 6 years later that is still the case. I feel like I was sitting in a room across from him as he reminded me of my worth and just how loved I am. I also love that he gave council in how to feel that love as well. So times I worry I am past feeling. That is why I find his loving guidance a wonderful blessing.
I don't read a lot but I wanted to spend today reading or watching uplifting books & videos. I came across this book on my tablet and like President Uchtdorf, I love the forget-me-not flower. It is small and seems so delicate.
I loved reading this book. It is inspiring and beautiful. As sister we are precious to our father in heaven. I thoroughly enjoyed every page, every word and every thought that would enter my mind as I read it. Thank you.
I love me some Uchtdorf! Loving compationate example!
I love me some Uchtdorf! Loving compationate example! I sincerely appreciated his kind, unconditional love and understanding leadership in the First Presidency of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints! This book carries beautiful messages of hope to the amazing people in my life whom I am fortunate to call aunt, sister, mother and wife! ❤
I love the profound thoughts along with the humor in this book. Dieter F. Uchtdorf has a way with words. He can make you laugh and the next moment make you feel committed to trying harder to be a better person. I especially love that he uses the Forget Me Not flower as something we can relate to and remember.
No matter how small our service to our Heavenly Father may seem to us, Elder Uchtdorf reminds us of one of the smallest yet most beautiful of flowers, the forget me not! He fills my heart with the love of our Heavenly Father and reminds us how important each one of us is to the most supreme being, God Himself! A most uplifting read for all of us.
This is a simple yet deep meditation over the forget me not. Its something that we usually overlook, but for some people it could be a wonder, and this is true for the author. Its the same, our existence would be a wonder and a bless for many people, each of us are precious.
A great reminder that we are not forgotten to GOD, he remembers each of us. Let us forget not that we are special and we are not overlooked except by ourselves at times. We affect others in many ways we may not see, so we need to look closer at ourselves and not forget others are watching and learning from us,and we are never forgotten as we realize how much GOD loves us.
Dieter Uchdorf writes a beautiful book reminding us that God never forgets us and they love us. He also helps us to recognize when can make better choices in our lives to forget not God nor those around us that we love and have stewardship to love, protect, and teach to love others.
I love this little book. I read it in one day. It's an easy read. It points out the beauty of the Forget Me Not flower. Then, each little chapter has a sweet reminder of important thoughts and why we should not forget it. Then, the author explains why you should not forget that sentence. I wanted to highlight everything and keep it forever.