The Ministering of Angels - Learn How to ask for God’s Angels to Help Us and Those We Love

 

2 Nephi 32: 2-3

Do ye not remember that I said unto you that after ye had received the Holy Ghost ye could speak with the tongue of angels? And now, how could ye speak with the tongue of angels save it were by the Holy Ghost?

Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.

 

Alma 32:22-23:   Therefore [God] desireth, in the first place, that ye should believe, yea, even on his word. And now, he imparteth his word by angels unto men, yea, not only men but women also.

Now this is not all; little children do have words given unto them many times, which confound the wise and the learned.

 

Abraham 1:15

An Angel Saves Abraham

 

3 Nephi 19:13–14 After they were baptized, the disciples received the Holy Ghost. Fire seemed to surround them, and angels came down from heaven and ministered unto them.

 

President Russell M. Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation”, CR October 2021

And to each of you who has made temple covenants, I plead with you to seek—prayerfully and consistently—to understand temple covenants and ordinances.  Spiritual doors will open. You will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God’s angels to attend you, and how better to receive direction from heaven. Your diligent efforts to do so will reinforce and strengthen your spiritual foundation.

 

 

Elder Dallin H. Oaks: “In general, the blessings of spiritual companionship and communication are only available to those who are clean...through the…ordinances of baptism and the sacrament, we are cleansed of our sins and promised that if we keep our covenants, we will always have His Spirit to be with us.

I believe that promise not only refers to the Holy Ghost but also to the ministering of angels, for ‘angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ.’” (Oct Conf. 1998, “The Aaronic Priesthood and the Sacrament”)

 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland stated: “I believe we need to speak of and believe in and bear testimony to the ministry of angels more than we sometimes do. They constitute one of God’s great methods of witnessing through the veil” (“A Standard unto My People” [address delivered at the Church Educational System Symposium on the Book of Mormon, Aug. 9, 1994], 11; si.lds.org).

 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Ministry of Angels,” Oct 2008

From the beginning down through the dispensations, God has used angels as His emissaries in conveying love and concern for His children. Usually such beings are not seen. Sometimes they are. But seen or unseen, they are always near. Sometimes their assignments are very grand and have significance for the whole world. Sometimes the messages are more private. Occasionally the angelic purpose is to warn. But most often it is to comfort, to provide some form of merciful attention, guidance in difficult times.

I testify that angels are still sent to help us.

 

May we all believe more readily in, and have more gratitude for, the Lord’s promise as contained in one of President Monson’s favorite scriptures: “I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, … my Spirit shall be in your [heart], and mine angels round about you, to bear you up.” In the process of praying for those angels to attend us, may we all try to be a little more angelic ourselves.

 

President Joseph F. Smith “When messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred, friends, and fellow-beings and fellow-servants. The ancient prophets who died were those who came to visit their fellow creatures upon the earth …

In like manner our fathers and mothers, brothers, sisters and friends who have passed away from this earth, having been faithful, and worthy to enjoy these rights and privileges, may have a mission given them to visit their relatives and friends upon the earth again, bringing from the divine Presence messages of love, of warning, or reproof and instruction, to those whom they had learned to love in the flesh.” (Gospel Doctrine, Salt Lake City: Deseret Book Co., 1970, pp. 435–36. bold and italics added)

 

Joseph F. Smith. We are told by the Prophet Joseph Smith, that "there are no angels who minister to this earth but those who do belong or have belonged to it" [D&C 130:5]. Hence, when messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred, friends, and fellow-beings and fellow-servants.

Joseph F. Smith. If we can see, by the enlightening influence of the Spirit of God and through the words that have been spoken by the holy prophets of God, beyond the veil that separates us from the spirit world, surely those who have passed beyond, can see more clearly through the veil back here to us than it is possible for us to see to them from our sphere of action. I believe we move and have our being in the presence of heavenly messengers and of heavenly beings. We are not separated from them. . . .We are closely related to our kindred, to our ancestors, to our friends and associates and co-laborers who have preceded us into the spirit world. We cannot forget them; we do not cease to love them; we always hold them in our hearts, in memory, and thus we are associated and united to them by ties that we cannot break, that we cannot dissolve or free ourselves from. If this is the case with us in our finite condition, surrounded by our mortal weaknesses, shortsightedness, lack of inspiration and wisdom, from time to time, how much more certain it is, and reasonable and consistent, to believe that those who have been faithful, who have gone beyond, are still engaged in the work for the salvation of the souls of men, in the opening of the prison doors to them that are bound and proclaiming liberty to the captives, who can see us better than we can see them—that they know us better than we know them. . . .I claim that we live in their presence, they see us, they are solicitous for our welfare, they love us now more than ever. For now they see the dangers that beset us; they can comprehend better than ever before, the weaknesses that are liable to mislead us into dark and forbidden paths. They see the temptations and the evils that beset us in life, and the proneness of mortal beings to yield to temptation and to wrong doing; hence their solicitude for us and their love for us and their desire for our well being must be greater than that which we feel for ourselves (Gospel Doctrine, 430). April Conf. Report, 1916, p. 2-4

 

 

 

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Place No More for the Enemy of My Soul,” Apr. 2010

Pray without ceasing. Ask for angels to help you. Remember that the temple arms you “with [God’s] power, … [puts His] glory … round about [you], and [gives His] angels … charge over [you].”

 

John A. Widstoe, quoted in Boyd K. Packer’s The Holy Temple, 252.

Whoever seeks to help those on the other side receives help in return in all the affairs of life.

 

Bruce C. Hafen: “Some of these personal visits [from angels] were dramatic and powerful. Think of the angels who ministered to the Nephite children in the account of 3 Nephi 17, or the angel who chastised Alma and Mosiah’s sons in answer to a father’s prayer. (See Mosiah 27.)

 

“Other personal manifestations have been so quiet that those who received them were unaware of the angelic presence. The ministry of these unseen angels is among the most sublime forms of interaction between heaven and earth, powerfully expressing God’s concern for us and bestowing tangible assurance and spiritual sustenance upon those in great need” (“When Do the Angels Come?” Ensign, Apr. 1992, 12).

 

Francis Webster.  I have pulled my handcart when I was so weak and weary from illness and lack of food that I could hardly put one foot ahead of the other. I have looked ahead and seen a patch of sand or a hill slope and I have said, 'I can only go that far and there I must give up, for I cannot pull the load through it.' I have gone on to that sand and when I reached it the cart began pushing me! I have looked back many times to see who was pushing my cart, but my eyes saw no one.  I knew then that the Angels of God were there. Was I sorry that I chose to come by handcart?  (Relief Society Magazine, January, 1948, 8).

 

(Journal of Discourses, Vol.3, p.230, Heber C. Kimball, March 2, 1856).

[T]he Lord has said that there are more for us than there can be against us. “Who are they,” says one? Righteous men [and women] who have been upon the earth.

The God whom I serve . . . has millions of angels at His command. Do you suppose that there are any angels here today?

I would not wonder if there were ten times more angels here than people. We do not see them, but they are here watching us, and are anxious for our salvation”

 

(Collected Discourses, Vol.2, George Q. Cannon, November, 1890).

“Now, this is the truth. We humble people; we who feel ourselves sometimes so worthless, so good‑for‑nothing; we are not so worthless as we think.

There is not one of us that [God] has not cared for and caressed. There is not one of us that He has not given His angels charge concerning.

We may be insignificant and contemptible in our own eyes, and in the eyes of others, but the truth remains that we are the children of God, and that He has actually given His angels‑‑invisible beings of power and might‑‑charge concerning us, and they watch over us and have us in their keeping

 

(Collected Discourses, Vol.3, James E. Talmage, June 25, 1893).

“[Our Heavenly Father] has greater affection than we can comprehend by [a] father’s love for His children. As a result of that great love, He has set heavenly beings to watch over us and to guard us from the attacks of evil powers while we live on earth. Do we realize that in our daily walk and work we are not alone, but that angels attend us wherever our duty causes us to go? It is only when we stray into unholy places, only when we tread upon forbidden ground, that they leave us to ourselves; and then they watch us from the distance with sorrow and tears.

Our eyes are so heavy, our ears so dull, that we see and hear only the things of earth. Could our vision be opened, we would see in this room at this very moment more worshippers than are occupying these seats; could our ears be unstopped we would hear more than our own feeble voices joining in the hymns of praise that we sing.

“When at times trouble comes upon us, and we feel almost given up to despair, and think we have been deserted by friends, let us think of the heavenly companions whom God has assigned to us; (Collected Discourses, Vol.3, James E. Talmage, June 25, 1893).

 

Wendy Watson Nelson, “My Soul delighteth in the covenants of the Lord.” 2 Nephi 11:5,

BYU Women’s  Conference, April 30, 2015

 

As we keep our covenants, to what else do we have access? Joseph Smith declared that if we as covenant women “live up to (our) privilege,” the angels will not be able to be restrained from being our associates. Our “privilege” includes our covenants. Our covenants are a “privilege”! Therefore, as we live up to our covenants, the angels will not be able to be restrained from being our associates.3

 

We could also say it this way: As we keep our covenants, we can ask for angels to help us. Literally!

It was during Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s April 2010 general conference talk that I first learned this truth. He said, “Ask for angels to help you.” He said it with such clarity, and yet in a manner that implied this was something we all knew. But for me it was an entirely new principle. I wanted to call out, “Wait! Wait! What? You mean I could have been asking for angels to help me all this time?”

 

Without intending to sound too dramatic, I can say with all candor that Elder Holland’s six words changed my life. “Ask for angels to help you.” That counsel changed my prayers, changed my understanding of the very real help from heaven that is always available to us as we keep our covenants.

 

I started to ask for assistance from those on the other side of the veil from that moment on. Now I’m not talking about praying for fantasy angels with wings to magically fairy-dust our problems away. I’m not talking about praying to angels. I’m talking about praying to your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for those on the other side to be “dispatched” (Elder Holland’s word) to assist you. Perhaps a loved one or two could be sent to help you with whatever you need.

 

Can you imagine the effort it took those angels who pushed from the rear of handcarts as they helped the pioneers over the steep, snowy, windy, freezing, jagged terrain of Rocky Ridge? If angels can manage that, they can certainly help you and me over our present Rocky Ridges. We know the Lord gets His work done with the help of His angels. So could you use a little more help in your life?

If so, keep your covenants with more exactness than ever before. And then ask for angels to help you with whatever you need. Or ask for them to be dispatched to help those you love.  (continued)

 

Does your child need help? Is your husband in trouble? Does your aunt need comfort? Does your best friend need direction? Ask for angels to be assigned to help them. As a covenant-keeping woman, you can do just that!

 

One of my former institute students, let’s call her Barbara, followed through with that suggestion with thrilling results. Barbara has served as proxy for many of my ancestors. During a few particular temple sessions, Barbara had special experiences with a woman named Genevieve and with Genevieve’s sisters. Barbara felt a deep connection with them.

 

So she prayed and asked if Genevieve and her sisters, who now live on the other side of the veil, could be dispatched to help Barbara’s own sister, who lives on this side of the veil. Barbara’s sister had not been active in the Church for years, and she was having heart-wrenching difficulties with some rigorous life events.

 

Here are Barbara’s words: “I prayed that my sister could find peace in this world; that she could find direction back to Heavenly Father; that the sisters of Genevieve could help her find her way back, and watch over her in this process. A few weeks later my sister told me that she was taking her three boys to church! Later she asked me how to get her patriarchal blessing. The eldest boy turned eight this summer and was baptized. And my sister is now attending temple preparation classes.”

 

How can we explain such miracles? Mormon tells us, “My beloved [sisters], have miracles ceased? Behold I say unto you, Nay; neither have angels ceased to minister unto the children of men. . . . And the office of their ministry is to call men [and women] to repentance, and to fulfill and to do the work of the covenants of the Father.” 

 

 

Wendy Nelson, “How Angels Can Help Us More in Our Lives”

“Now, I’m not talking about praying to fantasy angels with wings to magically fairy-dust our problems away. I’m not talking about praying to angels. I’m talking about praying to our Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for those on the other side to be “dispatched” (Elder Holland’s word) to assist us. Perhaps a departed loved one could be sent to help you with whatever you need.”

 

“So, could you use a little more help in your life?  If so, keep your covenants with more exactness than you ever have before! And then ask for angels (a.k.a. your ancestors and other loved ones) to help you… Or ask for them to be dispatched to help those you love!

 

 

The Joy and Importance of Motherhood

My Mom's mother, my grandma, wasn't able to have children for the first 16 years of their marriage, so when they were finally blessed with children, they became the joy and center of their lives. This focus on the blessing of having children became ingrained in our family culture.

My mother taught me that being a mother is a gift to look forward to. I also remember her saying many times, "When you are a mom you give up your own life for 30 years." I realize this isn't a popular principle right now and I acknowledge we need to take care of our own needs. But now that my 30 years are past, I can see the great blessings that have come from that sacrifice. As the Savior taught, "He who loses his life shall find it." The joy that motherhood has brought into my life can't be expressed in words.

For me, one of the biggest challenges of being a stay-home mom was that much of what we do isn't visible. What we cleaned in the morning doesn't stay clean, the laundry pile never stays down, and the time we spend reading, teaching and talking with our children usually isn't immediately apparent. Over the years when I would get discouraged and tired, I would read General Conference talks to remind myself that what I was doing was highly valued. Here are some of my favorites:0

President Russell M. Nelson, Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel, (October 2018) 

"No one can duplicate the influence of a mother. Men can and often do communicate the love of Heavenly Father and the Savior to others. Women have a special gift for it—a divine endowment. You have the capacity to sense what someone needs—and when he or she needs it. You can reach out, comfort, teach, and strengthen someone in his or her very moment of need. Women see things differently than men do, and oh, how we need your perspective! Your nature leads you to think of others first, to consider the effect that any course of action will have on others.

My dear sisters, we need you! We “need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices.” We simply cannot gather Israel without you. I love you and thank you and now bless you with the ability to leave the world behind as you assist in this crucial and urgent work."

First Presidency Letter Regarding Parents Teaching Children  Published: Saturday, Feb. 27, 1999

We call upon parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles which will keep them close to the Church. The home is the basis of a righteous life, and no other instrumentality can take its place or fulfill its essential functions in carrying forward this God-given responsibility.

We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace the divinely-appointed duties that only parents and families can adequately perform.

 Russell M. Nelson, “Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women,” Ensign, May 1999

 “May years ago the First Presidency issued a statement that has had a profound and lasting influence upon me. “Motherhood,” they wrote, “is near to divinity. It is the highest, holiest service to be assumed by mankind. It places her who honors its holy calling and service next to the angels.”

Because mothers are essential to God’s great plan of happiness, their sacred work is opposed by Satan, who would destroy the family and demean the worth of women.”  

Elder Richard G. Scott, “The Power of Correct Principles,” May 1993

When as mothers, you are consistently in the home, at least during the hours the children are predominantly there, you can detect the individual needs of each child and provide ways to satisfy them.  Your divinely given instincts help sense a child’s special talents and unique capacities so that you can nurture and strengthen them.

Parents don’t make the mistake of purposefully intervening to soften or eliminate the natural consequences of your child’s deliberate decisions to violate the commandments.  Such acts reinforce false principles, open the door for more serious sin, and lessen the likelihood of repentance.

You must be willing to forgo personal pleasure and self-interest for family-centered activity, and not turn over to church, school, or society the principal role of fostering a child’s well-rounded development.  It takes time, great effort, and significant personal sacrifice to ‘train up a child in the way he should go.’  But where can you find greater rewards for a job well done?

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “The Moral Force of Women.” Oct. 2013

Certainly there are trends and forces at work that would weaken and even eliminate your influence, to the great detriment of individuals, families, and society at large. Let me mention three as a caution and a warning.

A pernicious philosophy that undermines women’s moral influence is the devaluation of marriage and of motherhood and homemaking as a career. Some view homemaking with outright contempt, arguing it demeans women and that the relentless demands of raising children are a form of exploitation. They ridicule what they call “the mommy track” as a career. This is not fair or right. We do not diminish the value of what women or men achieve in any worthy endeavor or career—we all benefit from those achievements—but we still recognize there is not a higher good than motherhood and fatherhood in marriage. There is no superior career, and no amount of money, authority, or public acclaim can exceed the ultimate rewards of family. Whatever else a woman may accomplish, her moral influence is no more optimally employed than here.

Jeffrey R. Holland, “Because She Is a Mother” Ensign, May 1997

“In speaking of mothers generally, I especially wish to praise and encourage young mothers. The work of a mother is hard, too often unheralded work. Through these years, mothers go longer on less sleep and give more to others with less personal

Remember that families are the highest priority of all, especially in those formative years.  

Do the best you can through these years, but whatever else you do, cherish that role that is so uniquely yours and for which heaven itself sends angels to watch over you and your little ones.  Please know that it is worth it then, now, and forever. When you have come to the Lord in meekness and lowliness of heart and, as one mother said, “pounded on the doors of heaven to ask for, to plead for, to demand guidance and wisdom and help for this wondrous task,” that door is thrown open to provide you the influence and the help of all eternity.”

PRESIDENT BOYD K. PACKER, Children of God, BYU Women’s Conference, May 5, 2006

There is another dangerous trend as mothers, sometimes beyond their control, are being drawn out of the home. What could a mother possibly bring into the home that can equal her being at home with the children while they grow and mature?

Now the birthrate is declining in every country in the world. In order for a nation’s population to remain stable, the birthrate must be just over two children per woman of childbearing years. That trend is seen in the Church. Worldwide, the birthrate among members married in the temple is notably higher than in the world, but this rate too has been declining. Worldwide, the birthrate of Church members is only slightly higher than the world at large.

The First Presidency has written, “Marriage is ordained of God, and the paramount purpose of this sacred principle is to bring into the world immortal spirits to be reared in health and nobility of character, to fill the measure of their mortal existence.”   In the ordinary home and the ordinary family, in almost every conceivable way, the destroyer leads humanity carefully away from the source of all happiness.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, “Behold Thy Mother” Oct. 2015

Today I declare from this pulpit what has been said here before: that no love in mortality comes closer to approximating the pure love of Jesus Christ than the selfless love a devoted mother has for her child.
This kind of resolute love “suffereth long, and is kind, … seeketh not her own, … but … beareth all things, believeth all things, hopeth all things, endureth all things.” Most encouraging of all, such fidelity “never faileth.” “For the mountains shall depart and the hills be removed,” Jehovah said, “but my kindness shall not depart from thee.” So too say our mothers.

To all of our mothers everywhere, past, present, or future, I say, “Thank you. Thank you for giving birth, for shaping souls, for forming character, and for demonstrating the pure love of Christ.” To all mothers in every circumstance, including those who struggle—and all will—I say, “Be peaceful. Believe in God and yourself. You are doing better than you think you are. In fact, you are saviors on Mount Zion, and like the Master you follow, your love ‘never faileth.’” I can pay no higher tribute to anyone.

 
Related Posts: 

1. Women: Satan Distorts the Value and Role of Women
2. Steps to Righteous Parenting | Parenting the Way the Savior Would | How to Be More Patient
3. How to Be a Better Parent: Counsel From Prophets and Apostles
4. Women: Should Mothers Work? A Gospel Perspective

Steps to Righteous Parenting | Parenting the Way the Savior Would | How to Be More Patient with your Children

 A few weeks ago, I was invited to do an in-depth study on the talk, "Adorned with the Virtue of Temperance," By Elder Ulisses Soares in relation to parenting. I love how Elder Soares taught that “Temperance harmonizes and strengthens other Christlike attributes mentioned in this revelation: humility, faith, hope, charity, and the pure love that flows from Him.”

One of the new insights I got from studying Elder Soares’s talk the past few weeks is that temperance is not just about "stopping" a behavior; it is a proactive power. When you cultivate it, you gain a "serene strength" that allows you to remain calm, like when your children are struggling.

For me, I found that temperance comes in trying to live a Christlike life, so I have gathered here the righteous parenting principles that helped me parent the most, but the truest answer is any temperance we develop is a gift from God. 

You can see from how long my post is that becoming Christlike and righteous parenting are my two deepest desires, so I was grateful for the opportunity to study temperance.

1. Temperance and Humility

Elder Soares mentioned humility six times and charity seven times. He highlighted Doctrine and Covenants 12:8. It states, no one can assist in this work (including motherhood and fatherhood) unless they are "humble and full of love... being temperate in all things."

The Antidote to Pride:

• President Ezra Taft Benson: "The antidote for pride is humility—meekness, submissiveness" (“Beware of Pride,” April 1989 Gen Conf). In parenting, you could ask for help to recognize when pride is impacting your parenting.

• Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf : “So how do we conquer this sin of pride that is so prevalent and so damaging? How do we become more humble? It is almost impossible to be lifted up in pride when our hearts are filled with charity. “No one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love.” When we see the world around us through the lens of the pure love of Christ, we begin to understand humility.”

• When we are filled with humility and charity, we stop seeing a child’s tantrum or mistake as frustrating, and instead we see a child of God who needs our guidance in learning.

• Dallin H. Oaks BYU 2026: We all need helpers to teach us humility. President Ezra Taft Benson gave us a great teaching about humility. He did this as part of his memorable teachings about pride. “The antidote for pride,” he taught, “is humility—meekness, submissiveness.” “Humility responds to God’s will—to the fear of His judgments and to the needs of those around us.” “Let us choose to be humble,” he pleaded. I add, look to the needs of others and humility follows.
• President Spencer W. Kimball defined humility as “teachableness.” He explained: “Humility is teachableness—an ability to realize that all virtues and abilities are not concentrated in one’s self. … Humility is never accusing nor contentious. … Humility is repentant and seeks not to justify its follies. It is forgiving of others in the realization that there may be errors of the same kind or worse [that we ourselves commit]. … Humility makes no bid for popularity and notoriety; demands no honors.”

2. Temperance and Charity 

No one can assist in this work unless they are "humble and full of love... being temperate in all things." When a parent feels frustrated, they can pray for charity in that moment.

Elder Soares: “A serene strength arises in [disciples], and they become better capable of restraining anger, nurturing patience, and treating others with tolerance, respect, and dignity, even when the winds of adversity blow fiercely.”

When a challenging moment happened, I found that when I focused on how much I love that child and paused in humility to ask for the Lord’s guidance in the moment, I reacted much better than just trying to have self-control. For example, I was in a seminary devotional one time about the Savior’s atonement, and I was thinking about how much self-control He had to not be angry with those who were causing his suffering. I had the spiritual insight that it was His love for each individual that enabled Him to endure the pain with love to those who were causing the pain.

So praying for charity and remembering that the "suffering" or sacrifice in being patient is for the joy of seeing your children become disciples of Christ, changed my internal emotions and let me come up with a better reaction to a situation.

“As in all things, Jesus Christ is our ultimate exemplar, “who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.” Think of that! In order for Him to endure the most excruciating experience ever endured on earth, our Savior focused on joy! And what was the joy that was set before Him? Surely it included the joy of cleansing, healing, and strengthening us.”

— President Russell M. Nelson, “Joy and Spiritual Survival,” October 2016 Gen Conf.

 

3. Temperance is a gift, not just something we develop

Nelson- Because the Savior, through His infinite Atonement, redeemed each of us from weakness, mistakes, and sin…you can rise above this world. As we strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ, our hearts and our very natures begin to change. The Savior lifts us above the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with greater charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self-discipline, peace, and rest.

Bednar- In wanting to develop more faith, more charity, or whatever the attribute might be, we need to understand they are not traits that we develop. Those are spiritual gifts. If I understand anything about spiritual gifts, we can receive them only if God trusts us to be in the right place at the right time, having been influenced by Him. Sometimes we want to have those gifts so we can flaunt them or so other people will think highly of us. That simply cannot be the reason. The reason we desire spiritual gifts should be to allow God to use us, to help us be in the right place at the right time, and to be the conduit to bless other people. And that ever-increasing purity of motive can only come through the strengthening power and grace of the Savior’s Atonement. We cannot do that without Him.

This is a surrender of what we want, when we want it, and how we want it. And in that submissiveness, which is one of the elements of meekness, we express to Him, “Make of me what you will.” Then the experiences come that teach us the lessons but for which we would never volunteer.

Principles for Righteous Parenting

1. Righteous Parenting: You can’t do it all - "What to Start and Stop"

It is impossible to be a perfect parent all at once. To refine your temperance, you could follow President Nelson’s counsel to seek personal revelation during your weekly efforts. He invited us to, "Pray to know what to stop doing and what to start doing." — President Russell M. Nelson, “Think Celestial!” October 2023 Gen Conf.

2. Righteous Parenting: Teaching the Doctrine (the “Why”) is more effective than discussing the behavior.

True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior. --Boyd K. Packer, “Do Not Fear,” Gen. Conf., Apr 2004 - 

3. Righteous Parenting: Read from the Book of Mormon daily

Parts of this quote below have been quoted in General Conference at least 7 times which to me is a witness of how true it is. I first heard it when President Benson, quoted Pres. Marion G. Romney:

            I feel certain that if parents will read from the Book of Mormon regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein.  The spirit of contention will depart.  Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom.  Children will be more responsive and submissive to that counsel.  Righteousness will increase.  Faith, hope and charity-the pure love of Christ-will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy and happiness.

                                                            (Marion G. Romney, Gen. Conf. Apr. 1960 and 1980)

4. Righteous Parenting: taught in the Book of Mormon

One way we could improve our parenting is to read the Book of Mormon with a focus on “How could these verses apply to parenting? Here are three Book of Mormon teachings that impacted my parenting in a big way.

The first was when the Lord asked Nephi to build a boat. Nephi said that rather than building it after the manner of men, he went to the mount often and prayed to know how to build the boat. I think righteous parenting can be more challenging than building a boat, but the Lord can inspire us with what a particular child needs at a certain time.

1 Nephi 18 Nephi said:

1.      And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship.

2.      Now I, Nephi, did not work the timbers after the manner which was learned by men. [This teaches we should seek parenting counsel in prayer, the scriptures, and General Conference as our primary parenting “podcasts.”]

3.      And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.” [I learned that if I pray oft, the Lord would show me how to parent a particular child in a better way.]

The second Book of Mormon story that impacted my parenting came from an example of President Oaks’ teaching on “Good verses better or best.” When Alma the Younger was serving as both the chief judge and the high priest over the church, the people of the church "began to wax proud" because of their great riches and fine apparel. Their pride was a major hindrance to the Church.

Alma felt the best way he could help was to make time to try the power of the word of God and bear "pure testimony." So, in Alma chapter 4, Alma gave up being chief judge, QUOTE “And this he did that he himself might go forth among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them.” So, I try to continually pray and humbly ask the Lord what I need to give up [start doing or stop doing] to make my family my highest priority."

The third parenting lesson from the Book of Mormon is that the Lord’s mercy and His justice are both manifestations of His love. Even when the Lord’s justice brought hard things, it was out of love to teach His children true principles.

One of the practical parenting ideas that helped me a lot was when my husband and I would talk beforehand and determine which circumstances needed rules and what natural consequences would best help them learn, i.e., have a script before hand, so I don’t stress in the moment deciding the best way to handle it. Some natural consequences were too long term, so they couldn’t learn in the moment from the consequence, so we had to figure out a semi-natural consequence.)

 

5. Righteous Parenting: Pray Always

Isaiah 55:8-9 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Nelson: It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought.” By focusing our attention on Jesus Christ, all else around us—while still present—is viewed through our love for Him. Less important distractions fade.

Holland-RootsTech “I thought I prayed all the time, more or less. But the lesson was, ‘Pray more than you pray.’ However much you’ve prayed, pray more. And in however many places you’ve prayed, pray in more places. However many times during the day you pray, pray more times in the day. And it started to give meaning to me, an overwhelming meaning to me that … it was quite literal when God had said, ‘pray always.’”

Nelson- Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. In coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation.

_________________________________    

 

Elder Soares: “As the Apostle Paul taught, they know that they can do all things through Christ, who strengthens them.” 

Recent LDS Conference Talks on Grace and the Enabling Power of the Savior's Atonement

I love what I am learning about the enabling power of the Savior's Atonement from the recent conference talks about Grace. 

See also: 

The Atonement: Grace, the Enabling Power of the Atonement, and "In the Strength of the Lord"

The Atonement: The Redeeming and Strengthening Power of the Atonement

President Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” Oct 2022

My message to you today is that because Jesus Christ overcame this fallen world, and because He atoned for each of us, you too can overcome this sin-saturated, self-centered, and often exhausting world.

Because the Savior, through His infinite Atonement, redeemed each of us from weakness, mistakes, and sin, and because He experienced every pain, worry, and burden you have ever had,⁵ then as you truly repent and seek His help, you can rise above this present precarious world. You can overcome the spiritually and emotionally exhausting plagues of the world, including arrogance, pride, anger, immorality, hatred, greed, jealousy, and fear.

Overcoming the world is not an event that happens in a day or two. It happens over a lifetime as we repeatedly embrace the doctrine of Christ. We cultivate faith in Jesus Christ by repenting daily and keeping covenants that endow us with power. We stay on the covenant path and are blessed with spiritual strength, personal revelation, increasing faith, and the ministering of angels. Living the doctrine of Christ can produce the most powerful virtuous cycle, creating spiritual momentum in our lives.¹⁰

As we strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ, our hearts and our very natures begin to change. The Savior lifts us above the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with greater charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self-discipline, peace, and rest.

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf , “The Gift of Grace,” April 2015

I have tried to understand the Savior’s Atonement with my finite mind, and the only explanation I can come up with is this: God loves us deeply, perfectly, and everlastingly. I cannot even begin to estimate “the breadth, and length, and depth, and height … [of] the love of Christ.”⁷

A powerful expression of that love is what the scriptures often call the grace of God—the divine assistance and endowment of strength by which we grow from the flawed and limited beings we are now into exalted beings of “truth and light, until [we are] glorified in truth and [know] all things.”⁸

First: Grace Unlocks the Gates of Heaven

Even if we were to serve God with our whole souls, it is not enough, for we would still be “unprofitable servants.”¹² We cannot earn our way into heaven; the demands of justice stand as a barrier, which we are powerless to overcome on our own.

But all is not lost. The grace of God is our great and everlasting hope.

But the grace of God does not merely restore us to our previous innocent state. If salvation means only erasing our mistakes and sins, then salvation—as wonderful as it is—does not fulfill the Father’s aspirations for us. His aim is much higher: He wants His sons and daughters to become like Him.

Second: Grace Opens the Windows of Heaven

Another element of God’s grace is the opening of the windows of heaven, through which God pours out blessings of power and strength, enabling us to achieve things that otherwise would be far beyond our reach. It is by God’s amazing grace that His children can overcome the undercurrents and quicksands of the deceiver, rise above sin, and “be perfect[ed] in Christ.”²²

Though we all have weaknesses, we can overcome them. Indeed it is by the grace of God that, if we humble ourselves and have faith, weak things can become strong.²³

Throughout our lives, God’s grace bestows temporal blessings and spiritual gifts that magnify our abilities and enrich our lives. His grace refines us. His grace helps us become our best selves.

Are we like Simon? Are we confident and comfortable in our good deeds, trusting in our own righteousness? Are we perhaps a little impatient with those who are not living up to our standards? Are we on autopilot, going through the motions, attending our meetings, yawning through Gospel Doctrine class, and perhaps checking our cell phones during sacrament service?

Do we understand our indebtedness to Heavenly Father and plead with all our souls for the grace of God?

Salvation cannot be bought with the currency of obedience; it is purchased by the blood of the Son of God.²⁶ Thinking that we can trade our good works for salvation is like buying a plane ticket and then supposing we own the airline. 

Why Then Obey?

If grace is a gift of God, why then is obedience to God’s commandments so important? 

Our obedience to God’s commandments comes as a natural outgrowth of our endless love and gratitude for the goodness of God. This form of genuine love and gratitude will miraculously merge our works with God’s grace. 

Grace is a gift of God, and our desire to be obedient to each of God’s commandments is the reaching out of our mortal hand to receive this sacred gift from our Heavenly Father.

All We Can Do

The prophet Nephi made an important contribution to our understanding of God’s grace when he declared, “We labor diligently … to persuade our children, and also our brethren, to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God; for we know that it is by grace that we are saved, after all we can do.”³¹

However, I wonder if sometimes we misinterpret the phrase “after all we can do.” We must understand that “after” does not equal “because.”

We are not saved “because” of all that we can do. Have any of us done all that we can do? Does God wait until we’ve expended every effort before He will intervene in our lives with His saving grace?

Many people feel discouraged because they constantly fall short. They know firsthand that “the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.”³² They raise their voices with Nephi in proclaiming, “My soul grieveth because of mine iniquities.”³³

I am certain Nephi knew that the Savior’s grace allows and enables us to overcome sin.³⁴ This is why Nephi labored so diligently to persuade his children and brethren “to believe in Christ, and to be reconciled to God.”³⁵

After all, that is what we can do! And that is our task in mortality!

Elder Dallin H. Oaks, “Strengthened by the Atonement of Jesus Christ,” October 2015

He therefore knows our struggles, our heartaches, our temptations, and our suffering, for He willingly experienced them all as an essential part of His Atonement. And because of this, His Atonement empowers Him to succor us—to give us the strength to bear it all.

Isaiah taught that the Messiah would bear our “griefs” and our “sorrows” (Isaiah 53:4). Isaiah also taught of His strengthening us: “Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee” (Isaiah 41:10).

We see that because of His Atonement, the Savior has the power to succor—to help—every mortal pain and affliction. Sometimes His power heals an infirmity, but the scriptures and our experiences teach that sometimes He succors or helps by giving us the strength or patience to endure our infirmities.

There are millions of God-fearing people who pray to God to be lifted out of their afflictions. Our Savior has revealed that He “descended below all things” (D&C 88:6). As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “Having ‘descended below all things,’ He comprehends, perfectly and personally, the full range of human suffering.” We might even say that having descended beneath it all, He is perfectly positioned to lift us and give us the strength we need to endure our afflictions. We have only to ask.

I know these things to be true. Our Savior’s Atonement does more than assure us of immortality by a universal resurrection and give us the opportunity to be cleansed from sin by repentance and baptism. His Atonement also provides the opportunity to call upon Him who has experienced all of our mortal infirmities to give us the strength to bear the burdens of mortality. He knows of our anguish, and He is there for us.

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “The Divine Gift of Repentance,” October 2011

Repentance is the necessary condition, and the grace of Christ is the power by which “mercy can satisfy the demands of justice” (Alma 34:16). Our witness is this:

“We know that justification [or forgiveness of sins] through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true;

“And we know also, that sanctification [or purification from the effects of sin] through the grace of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ is just and true, to all those who love and serve God with all their mights, minds, and strength” (D&C 20:30–31).

It would mock the Savior’s suffering in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross for us to expect that He should transform us into angelic beings with no real effort on our part. Rather, we seek His grace to complement and reward our most diligent efforts (see 2 Nephi 25:23). Perhaps as much as praying for mercy, we should pray for time and opportunity to work and strive and overcome. Surely the Lord smiles upon one who desires to come to judgment worthily, who resolutely labors day by day to replace weakness with strength.

Proven Strategies on How to be a Better Parent - One of our Highest Responsibilities

 Think about how the world provides unlimited ways we can spend our time. But our relationship to God and the time we spend for our families are really our highest priorities. My prayer today is that Spirit of the Lord can be with each of us, so He can teach us how the Lord can help us with this.

When President Hickley was the prophet, they did a First Presidency letter teaching us that even though other activities might be good, we need to be more intentional on making time to help our families live the gospel.

They said: We call upon parents to devote their best efforts to the teaching and rearing of their children in gospel principles. We counsel parents and children to give highest priority to family prayer, family home evening, gospel study and instruction, and wholesome family activities. However worthy and appropriate other demands or activities may be, they must not be permitted to displace our divinely-appointed duties.

So if we want to find lasting joy, the Lord is asking for our Best efforts, highest priority, and not permitting other things to displace the duties of families.

In our recent General Conference, our prophet, President Dallin H. Oaks talked about how

family-centered the gospel of Jesus Christ is. His talk is filled with counsel and the teachings that Jesus Christ is giving to us as parents, grandparents, aunts/uncles, and other family members. We live in the information age with more parenting advice, blogs, and podcasts than you could absorb in a year. Instead, ask yourself, what steps can I take to get my parenting advice from the Savior?

 President Dallin H. Oaks, The Family-Centered Gospel of Jesus Christ

As the Lord teaches us in Isaiah,

Seek ye the Lord For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord. For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways.

For example, one of the concerns that President Oaks mentioned is that in today’s society, parents have less influence on their children: QUOTE:

In today’s urban society, few members experience consistent family-centered activities. Urban living and modern transportation, organized entertainment, and high-speed communication have made it easy for youth to treat their homes as boardinghouses, where there is far less parental direction of their activities.

As parental influences diminish, Latter-day Saints still have a God-given responsibility to teach their children.

I have a personal testimony that Heavenly Father is anxious to send promptings on how we spend our time or how to help a child who is struggling because the Lord’s ways are higher. Here is one example of how God’s ways are higher than man’s ways.

One way the Lord helps us become better parents is through the counsel we receive in General Conference. I invite each of us to prayerfully study Pres. Oaks recent talk. For example, he taught:

Parents, single or married—and others, like grandparents, who fill that role for children—are the master teachers. The family circle is the ideal place to demonstrate and learn eternal values, and other essential lessons of life.

Our Savior, Jesus Christ, is our ultimate role model. We will be blessed if we model our lives after His teachings and self-sacrifice. Following Christ and giving ourselves in service to one another is the best remedy for the selfishness and individualism that now seem to be so common.

Some may say, “But we have no time for any of that.” To find time to do what is truly worthwhile, many parents will find that they can turn their family on if they all turn their technologies off. And parents, remember, what those children really want for dinner is time with you.

President Oaks continues: Great blessings come to families if they pray together, kneeling night and morning to offer thanks for blessings and to pray over common concerns. Families are also blessed as they worship together in Church services and in other devotional settings. Family bonds are also strengthened by family stories, creating family traditions, and sharing sacred experiences.

For most years, my New Year’s goals revolved around being a better parent. There is a magic bullet for this.

Two of the biggest challenges parents face in raising children is first knowing how to effectively teach our children, including having our children follow our counsel, and second is helping our children treat each other with more kindness. One of my favorite parenting quotes that solves these 2 challenges isn’t found on a typical parenting blog. Rather, parts of it have been quoted in General Conference at least 7 times which to me is a witness of how true it is. It promises us that if we read the Book of Mormon, there will be less contention and our children will listen to our counsel.

I first heard it in 1986 when our prophet, President Benson, quoted Pres. Marion G. Romney
who said:

            I counsel you to make reading in the Book of Mormon a few minutes each day a lifelong practice....I feel certain that if parents will read from the Book of Mormon regularly, both by themselves and with their children, the spirit of that great book will come to permeate our homes and all who dwell therein.  The spirit of contention will depart.  Parents will counsel their children in greater love and wisdom.  Children will be more responsive and submissive to that counsel.  Righteousness will increase.  Faith, hope and charity-the pure love of Christ-will abound in our homes and lives, bringing in their wake peace, joy and happiness.

                                                            (Marion G. Romney, Gen. Conf. Apr. 1960 and 1980)

So your magic bullet for parenting is read the Book of Mormon.

Multiple recent prophets have made great promises that come from reading the B of M daily.

Another way we could improve our parenting is to read the Book of Mormon with a focus on “How could these verses apply to parenting? Let me share two examples that impacted my parenting.

The first was when the Lord asked Nephi to build a boat. Nephi said that rather than building it after the manner of men, he went to the mount often and prayed to know how to build the boat. I think righteous parenting can be more challenging than building a boat, but the Lord can inspire us on what a particular child needs at a certain time.

1 Nephi 18 Nephi said “And the Lord did show me from time to time after what manner I should work the timbers of the ship. Now I, Nephi, did not wok the timbers after the manner which was learned by men. And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft, and I did pray oft unto the Lord; wherefore the Lord showed unto me great things.” I learned that if I pray oft, the Lord would show me how to parent in a better way.

The second Book of Mormon story that impacted my parenting came from an example of

“Good verses better or best.” When Alma the Younger was serving as both the chief judge and the high priest over the church, the people of the church "began to wax proud" because of their great riches and fine apparel. Their pride was a major hindrance to the Church. Alma felt the best way he could help was to make more time to try the power of the word of God and bear "pure testimony."

So in Alma chapter 4  Alma gave up being chief judge, QUOTE “And this he did that he himself might go forth among the people of Nephi, that he might preach the word of God unto them.” So, I try to continually pray and humbly ask the Lord what I need to give up to make my family my highest priority.

As President Oaks said, “Some may say, “But we have no time for things like family prayer & scriptures or other things the Lord might prompt us to do, but I learned that when I prayed often to know where to spend my time, I would get quiet promptings that became a great blessing to my family.

Pres. Nelson said a similar thing several times: He said If we will truly receive the Holy Ghost and learn to discern and understand His promptings, we will be guided in matters large & small.

https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2018/04/revelation-for-the-church-revelation-for-our-lives?lang=eng

In this last conference, Sister Browning taught how parents could use primary songs to teach our children the doctrine of Jesus Christ. ?

President Dallin H. Oaks once taught that “the singing of hymns is one of the best ways to learn the doctrine of the restored gospel.” Those words are true for all of us but are especially so for children. Primary music is one of God’s most tender tools for planting the seeds of testimony in the hearts of the Savior’s youngest disciples. Parents,

A prophet of the Lord, President Russell M. Nelson, taught: “[Music] can exert a continuing influence for good well beyond times when children are small. … [It] has [the] power to provide spiritual nourishment. It has healing power. It has [the] power to facilitate worship; it allows us to contemplate the [Savior’s] Atonement and the Restoration of the gospel with its saving principles and exalting ordinances. Music provides power for us to express prayerful thoughts and bear testimony of sacred truths.”

Some of us make the time to create playlists of music we enjoy. Could we strengthen our family’s testimonies by creating Playlists so they learn the newer primary songs that so beautifully teach the doctrine of Jesus Christ: Like the beautiful song, “Gethsemane” or these lyrics from ” I Will Walk With Jesus,”

I will trust in Jesus. I will hear His call.

He will never leave me, even when I fall.

Jesus gives me power, lifts and comforts me,

Helping me to live and grow eternally.

Chorus: As I walk with Jesus to my home above,

He will bless me with His Spirit and fill me with His love,

Change my heart forever and help me clearly see.

I will walk with Jesus, and He will walk with me.

Parenting in today’s world feels a lot like trying to build a boat for the first time, but I have seen many times in my personal life and bear witness that the Lord is anxious to open the windows of heaven and pour down blessings on our families when we make time to prayerfully ask for His help.

I am especially grateful for a testimony the through the atonement of our Savior we can receive the strength and help to do things beyond our own ability. “I feel my Savior’s love, and I am grateful that His gentleness enfolds me.”