A message of hope from President Russell M. Nelson.
During this time of turmoil and uncertainty across the nation and around the world with the pandemic, President Russell M. Nelson, the Lord’s living prophet today, has offered us a message filled with hope and healing. In a world that feels heavy with fear, his word remind us of the power of gratitude. He extended a simple and profound challenge to help heal our hearts. In this message of hope, President Nelson shows us how. Choosing gratitude can heal hearts- our own and others. I love how President Nelson says, “Counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems.”
I want to take a moment to follow his counsel and express my own gratitude.
I am deeply grateful for my wife. She is the love of my life, the one I have chosen above all others to spend the rest of eternity with. She is strong, wise, and endlessly supportive. Her faith and goodness bless our family daily. In short, she is the most amazing person I know and I can’t survive without her in my life.
I’m thankful for my children, each of whom are awesome in their own ways.
My oldest daughter is an incredibly creative artist. Her imagination and artistic talents inspire me.
My second daughter is a natural peacemaker. She is very intelligent.
My son is my little buddy. We have such a good time together. He loves cars and I love watching him use his imagination to bring those cars to life.
And my youngest daughter? She is a real character bursting with personality and charm.
My family is the greatest blessing, and I am filled with gratitude for them every day.
I hope President Nelson’s message of hope helps you recognize the blessings in your life as we all push through the pandemic together with our hope in Jesus Christ.
Here is another excellent video produced by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shares how he hears the voice of the Lord.
Image Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint published another video about how the brethren of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles hear the voice of the Spirit. This video is of Elder Dale G. Renlund.
It’s time for General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!
Twice a year, members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints gather, either in person or online, for General Conference, a worldwide broadcast where we hear messages of hope, faith, and direction from living prophets, apostles, and other Church leaders.
General Conference is an opportunity to receive counsel from the Lord’s chosen servants and to be uplifted by teachings centered on Jesus Christ and His restored gospel. These messages are meant not only for church members, but for all who are seeking truth, peace, and purpose in today’s world.
I’ve written about General Conference before, and you can read more about it here.
If you’d like to read, listen to, or watch you can visit the Church’s official website at churchofjesuschrist.org. Whether you’re tuning in life or revisiting talks afterward, there’s always something that will speak to your heart and bring you closer to the Savior Jesus Christ.
This video shares a powerful summary from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s recent General Conference talk “A Perfect Brightness of Hope.” It is a message that is worth revisiting again and again, especially in times when we need renewed strength and perspective. Elder Holland’s words remind us that hope is not simply a passing feeling, but a divine gift that anchors our souls in Jesus Christ.
To hear the voice of the Spirit can be both in the literal sense to hear an audible voice and also to have a feeling inside of you, an inner voice, telling you what to do.
There are times when God will give you audible commands and you can hear a disconnected voice, but these are not as frequent as the still small voice inside of you. We often do not need God shouting at us, but instead the gentle promptings.
The Scriptures share Elijah’s experience:
“And, behold,the Lord passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains, and brake in pieces the rocks before the Lord; but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the Lord was not in the earthquake: and after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” —1 Kings 19: 11–12
The Holy Ghost can speak to us in multiple ways, each customized to how we recognize that voice. Sometimes it might be a burning in our chest, what we like to call the warm fuzzies, or it might be thoughts of things we need to do, or it can be a good feeling about something we read. That’s not an extensive list, but some things to give you an idea of what to look for.
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave his view of how he is able to hear the voice of the Spirit.
You can watch how others are also able to #HearHim.
One final thought: There is a saying, “You want to talk to God, you pray. You want God to talk to you, you read the scriptures. If you don’t feel like you are hearing the Spirit, perhaps the best place to start is in the scriptures.
Image Credit: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
In the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, we don’t have one person who gives talks or sermons each week during our sacrament meeting. Instead, speakers are selected from the members of the congregation and are asked to prepare a talk. I was recently asked to speak, and the subject of the talk was to be based on a recent speech given at General Conference. The talk was Spiritually Defining Memories by Elder Neil L. Anderson. I thought I would also share it here.
My Talk on Spiritually Defining Moments
During General Conference this year we celebrated the 200 year anniversary of Joseph Smith’s First Vision. The experience was so powerful that, despite facing opposition, this 14-year-old boy testified of the experience again and again throughout his life stating,
“I had actually seen a light, and in the midst of that light I saw two Personages, and they did, in reality, speak to me; and though I was hated and persecuted for saying that I had seen a vision, yet it was true. … I knew it, and I knew that God knew it, and I could not deny it.”
Joseph Smith continued to testify of Jesus Christ and God the Father until his untimely death. As he turned himself over to his captors at Carthage Jail, knowing that he would not return, he wrote, “I am going like a lamb to the slaughter, but I am calm as a summer’s morning; I have a conscience void of offense towards God, and towards all men.”
Elder Neil L. Anderson referred to experiences like these as our “spiritually defining experiences.” He said:
“There is a lesson for us in the Prophet Joseph’s example. Along with the peaceful direction we receive from the Holy Ghost, from time to time, God powerfully and very personally assures each of us that He knows us and loves us and that He is blessing us specifically and openly. Then, in our moments of difficulty, the Savior brings these experiences back into our mind.”
My Experience with Spiritually Defining Memories
One experience stands above the rest– something I return to when times are tough and I find myself doubting.
Several years, I was in my room reading when I suddenly felt the desire to pray. I knelt down and began to pray. I don’t remember getting much further than addressing Heavenly Father when I was overcome with the most overwhelming sense of love from my Heavenly Father. As I basked in that heavenly feeling, there was little more I needed to say. I simply said, “Thank you” and closed my prayer.
With this experience I can completely relate with Elder Anderson when he said:
“When personal difficulty, doubt, or discouragement darken our path, or when world conditions beyond our control lead us to wonder about the future, the spiritually defining memories from our book of life are like luminous stones that help brighten the road ahead, assuring us that God knows us, loves us, and has sent His Son, Jesus Christ, to help us return home. And when someone sets their defining memories aside and is lost or confused, we turn them toward the Savior as we share our faith and memories with them, helping them rediscover those precious spiritual moments they once treasured.”
Though my experience was a spiritually defining moment, it is still several years old. We are entitled to personal revelation and the companionship of the Holy Ghost on a daily basis. We just need to ensure we are positioning ourselves to be receptive when the Lord sees fit to bless us.
Elder Anderson reminds us:
“We hear Him in our prayers, in our homes, in the scriptures, in our hymns, as we worthily partake of the sacrament, as we declare our faith, as we serve others, and as we attend the temple with fellow believers. Spiritually defining moments come as we prayerfully listen to general conference and as we better keep the commandments.”
An Invitation
We have recently heard President Russell M. Nelson say:
“I invite you to think deeply and often about this key question: How do you hear Him? I also invite you to take steps to hear Him better and more often.”
Embrace your sacred spiritually defining memories. Believe them. Write them down. Share them with your family. Trust that they come to you from your Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son. Let those memories bring patience to your doubts and understanding to your difficulties.
I promise you that as you willingly acknowledge and carefully treasure the spiritually defining memories in your life, more and more will come to you. Heavenly Father knows you and loves you. And He is actively involved in your life.
Image Credit: The Salt Lake Temple-Dallas Golden, Man Praying- The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
