Potemkin Village

Tonight I was reading a talk given by President Dieter F. Uchtdorf called, “On Being Genuine.” The following story was very thought provoking.

 “In the late 18th century, Catherine the Great of Russia announced she would tour the southern part of her empire, accompanied by several foreign ambassadors. The governor of the area, Grigory Potemkin, desperately wanted to impress these visitors. And so he went to remarkable lengths to showcase the country’s accomplishments.

 “For part of the journey, Catherine floated down the Dnieper River, proudly pointing out to the ambassadors the thriving hamlets along the shore, filled with industrious and happy townspeople. There was only one problem: it was all for show. It is said that Potemkin had assembled pasteboard facades of shops and homes. He had even positioned busy-looking peasants to create the impression of a prosperous economy. Once the party disappeared around the bend of the river, Potemkin’s men packed up the fake village and rushed it downstream in preparation for Catherine’s next pass.

 “Although modern historians have questioned the truthfulness of this story, the term ‘Potemkin village’ has entered the world’s vocabulary. It now refers to any attempt to make others believe we are better than we really are.”

I have been reflecting on how often I put up a “Potemkin village” as I go throughout life. When I want to impress somebody or when I feel uncomfortable in a situation do I stay true to who I am or do I put up a facade? It can be so easy to say and do things that are not true to who I am just because of a situation I am in. My goal is to be my true self no matter what the situation. I think that is going to take some time…

As I reflect on this I feel that the only way to get to the point of always being true is by becoming close to the Savior, Jesus Christ. I believe that the closer we become to Him, the closer we become to our core true selves, the way God created us to be. Part of the role of Jesus Christ is to connect us to our pure self. We can only do that through drawing upon the powers of the atonement. He can help us to peel back the facades and find the truth behind the scenes.

What situations cause you to put up a facade?