Favorite Prophetic Priorities, Quotes, and Major Themes from President Russell M. Nelson

This blog post is a collection of my favorite quotes that I want to work on from each of President Nelson's talks. 

President Nelson seems to be continually teaching on these themes:

   1) How to increase our knowledge about and our faith in the Savior

   2) The importance of repentance and becoming more pure

   3) How to survive spiritually 

   4) How to let God prevail in our lives

   5) How to hear His voice

   6) The need to help gather Israel.

UPDATE: Since I first posted this in July of 2022, I have realized that President Nelson's prophetic priorities can be grouped into these three:

    1) Increase our discipleship and understanding of Jesus Christ

    2) Gather Israel

    3) Prepare for the Second Coming

Where would you include his teachings and focus on the power of our temple covenants? For me, the temple impacts all three of these prophetic priorities.

In a ward council meeting on 3/9/25 our stake president shared how he studies President Nelson's talks. He studies them by breaking them down into categories in four columns with 1) prophetic warnings, 2) inspired invitations, 3) promised blessings, and 4) personal blessings. I am excited to implement this approach!! 

I gathered some sentences from the his talks below into categories:

Need to come closer to Christ

• It is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. (What are some of the unprecedented measures Pres. Nelson has focused on in the past 5 years?)
• We have never needed positive spiritual momentum more than we do now, to counteract the speed with which evil and the darker signs of the times are intensifying.
• These are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
• There has never been a time in the history of the world when knowledge of our Savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul.

 How to get the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our life.

• To do anything well requires effort. Becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ is no exception.
• Immerse yourself in the scriptures to understand better Christ’s mission and ministry.
• Know the doctrine of Christ so that you understand its power for your life. 
• Internalize the truth that the Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to you. He took upon Himself your misery, your mistakes, your weakness, and your sins. He paid the compensatory price and provided the power for you to move every mountain you will ever face.
• Ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for help.
• The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple. 
• Our Father knows that when we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear, what will help us the very most is to hear His Son.
• Because when we seek to hear—truly hear—His Son, we will be guided to know what to do in any circumstance.
• I invite you to read the Book of Mormon between now and the end of the year. As you read, I would encourage you to mark each verse that speaks of or refers to the Savior. Then, be intentional about talking of Christ, rejoicing in Christ, and preaching of Christ with your families and friends. You and they will be drawn closer to the Savior through this process. And changes, even miracles, will begin to happen.
• I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation.
• I asked the young adults of the Church to consecrate a portion of their time each week to study everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the standard works. I invited them to let the scriptural citations about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide become their personal core curriculum.
• Learn about miracles. Miracles come according to your faith in the Lord.
• Seek and expect miracles. The Lord will bless you with miracles if you believe in Him, “doubting nothing.” Do the spiritual work to seek miracles. Prayerfully ask God to help you exercise that kind of faith.

 Blessings that the Atonement of Jesus Christ brings in our lives.

• Nothing invites the Spirit more than fixing your focus on Jesus Christ.
• Each of God’s children deserves the opportunity to hear and accept the healing, redeeming message of Jesus Christ. No other message is more vital to our happiness—now and forever.
• The more you learn about the Savior, the easier it will be to trust in His mercy, His infinite love, and His strengthening, healing, and redeeming power.
• Faith in Jesus Christ is the greatest power available to us in this life. All things are possible to them that believe.
• The pure doctrine of Christ is powerful. It changes the life of everyone who understands it and seeks to implement it in his or her life. The doctrine of Christ helps us find and stay on the covenant path.
• When your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear.
• Few things will accelerate your spiritual momentum more than realizing the Lord is helping you to move a mountain in your life.
• During these perilous times of which the Apostle Paul prophesied, Satan is no longer even trying to hide his attacks on God’s plan. Emboldened evil abounds. Therefore, the only way to survive spiritually is to be determined to let God prevail in our lives, to learn to hear His voice, and to use our energy to help gather Israel.
• Our Father knows that when we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear, what will help us the very most is to hear His Son.
• Because when we seek to hear—truly hear—His Son, we will be guided to know what to do in any circumstance.

President Nelson, “What is True?” Oct 2022

From this pulpit today and tomorrow, you will continue to hear truth. Please make notes of thoughts that catch your attention and those that come into your mind and stay in your heart. Prayerfully ask the Lord to confirm that what you have heard is true.

 

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

In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior’s power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns “with power and great glory,”¹ He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful.

I grieve for those who leave the Church because they feel membership requires too much of them. They have not yet discovered that making and keeping covenants actually makes life easier! Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ. Please ponder that stunning truth!

The reward for keeping covenants with God is heavenly power—power that strengthens us to withstand our trials, temptations, and heartaches better. This power eases our way. Those who live the higher laws of Jesus Christ have access to His higher power. Thus, covenant keepers are entitled to a special kind of rest that comes to them through their covenantal relationship with God.

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. Despite the distractions and distortions that swirl around us, you can find true rest—meaning relief and peace—even amid your most vexing problems.

What does it mean to overcome the world? It means overcoming the temptation to care more about the things of this world than the things of God. It means trusting the doctrine of Christ more than the philosophies of men. It means delighting in truth, denouncing deception, and becoming “humble followers of Christ.”⁶ It means choosing to refrain from anything that drives the Spirit away. It means being willing to “give away” even our favorite sins.⁷

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.

Please do not misunderstand me: I did not say that making covenants makes life easy. In fact, expect opposition, because the adversary does not want you to discover the power of Jesus Christ.

I reaffirm a profound teaching of President Ezra Taft Benson: “Men and women who turn their lives over to God will discover that He can make a lot more out of their lives than they can. He will deepen their joys, expand their vision, quicken their minds, … lift their spirits, multiply their blessings, increase their opportunities, comfort their souls, raise up friends, and pour out peace.”¹²

 

President Nelson, “Preaching the Gospel of Peace,” April 2022

The gospel of Jesus Christ has never been needed more than it is today. We have the sacred responsibility to share the power and peace of Jesus Christ with all who will listen and who will let God prevail in their lives. The spiritual darkness in the world makes the light of Jesus Christ needed more than ever.

 

President Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” April 2022

My call today, dear brothers and sisters, is to end conflicts that are raging in your heart, your home, and your life. Bury any and all inclinations to hurt others—whether those inclinations be a temper, a sharp tongue, or a resentment for someone who has hurt you. The Savior commanded us to turn the other cheek,¹ to love our enemies, and to pray for those who despitefully use us.² Followers of Jesus Christ should set the example for all the world to follow. I plead with you to do all you can to end personal conflicts that are currently raging in your hearts and in your lives.

We have never needed positive spiritual momentum more than we do now, to counteract the speed with which evil and the darker signs of the times are intensifying. I would like to suggest five specific actions we can take to help us maintain positive spiritual momentum.

1.       Get on the covenant path and stay there.

2.       Discover the joy of daily repentance.

3.       Learn about God and how He works.

4.       Seek and expect miracles.

5.       End conflict in your personal life.

How important is repentance? Alma taught that we should “preach nothing save it were repentance and faith on the Lord.”⁷ Repentance is required of every accountable person who desires eternal glory.⁸  Repenting is the key to progress. Pure faith keeps us moving forward on the covenant path. Please do not fear or delay repenting. Satan delights in your misery. Cut it short. Cast his influence out of your life! Start today to experience the joy of putting off the natural man.

One of our greatest challenges today is distinguishing between the truths of God and the counterfeits of Satan. With frightening speed, a testimony that is not nourished daily “by the good word of God”²⁰ can crumble. Thus, the antidote to Satan’s scheme is clear: we need daily experiences worshipping the Lord and studying His gospel. I plead with you to let God prevail in your life. Give Him a fair share of your time. As you do, notice what happens to your positive spiritual momentum.

Moroni assured us that “God has not ceased to be a God of miracles.”²¹ Every book of scripture demonstrates how willing the Lord is to intervene in the lives of those who believe in Him.²² He parted the Red Sea for Moses, helped Nephi retrieve the brass plates, and restored His Church through the Prophet Joseph Smith. Each of these miracles took time and may not have been exactly what those individuals originally requested from the Lord.

In the same way, the Lord will bless you with miracles if you believe in Him, “doubting nothing.”²³ Do the spiritual work to seek miracles. Prayerfully ask God to help you exercise that kind of faith. I promise that you can experience for yourself that Jesus Christ “giveth power to the faint; and to them that have no might he increaseth strength.”²⁴ Few things will accelerate your spiritual momentum more than realizing the Lord is helping you to move a mountain in your life.

When the Savior atoned for all mankind, He opened a way that those who follow Him can have access to His healing, strengthening, and redeeming power. These spiritual privileges are available to all who seek to hear Him and follow Him.

 

President Nelson, “Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation,” Oct. 2021

The General Authorities and General Officers of the Church who speak will focus their messages on our Savior, Jesus Christ, His mercy, and His infinite redeeming power. There has never been a time in the history of the world when knowledge of our Savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul. In that spirit, I invite you to listen for three things during this conference: pure truth, the pure doctrine of Christ, and pure revelation. The pure doctrine of Christ is powerful. It changes the life of everyone who understands it and seeks to implement it in his or her life. The doctrine of Christ helps us find and stay on the covenant path.

 

President Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” Oct 2021

It is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never taken before—to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.

My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.²

The temple lies at the center of strengthening our faith and spiritual fortitude because the Savior and His doctrine are the very heart of the temple. Everything taught in the temple, through instruction and through the Spirit, increases our understanding of Jesus Christ. His essential ordinances bind us to Him through sacred priesthood covenants. Then, as we keep our covenants, He endows us with His healing, strengthening power.³ And oh, how we will need His power in the days ahead.

Ponder these three truths:

1. The Restoration is a process, not an event, and will continue until the Lord comes again.
2. The ultimate objective of the gathering of Israel¹⁵ is to bring the blessings of the temple to God’s faithful children.
3. As we seek how to accomplish that objective more effectively, the Lord reveals more insights. The ongoing Restoration needs ongoing revelation.

Under the Lord’s direction and in answer to our prayers, recent procedural adjustments have been made. He is the One who wants you to understand with great clarity exactly what you are making covenants to do. He is the One who wants you to experience fully His sacred ordinances. He wants you to comprehend your privileges, promises, and responsibilities. He wants you to have spiritual insights and awakenings you’ve never had before.

Should distance, health challenges, or other constraints prohibit your temple attendance for a season, I invite you to set a regular time to rehearse in your mind the covenants you have made.

 

President Nelson, “Make Time for the Lord,” Oct. 2021

We set our own priorities and determine how we use our energy, time, and means. We decide how we will treat each other. We choose those to whom we will turn for truth and guidance.

The voices and pressures of the world are engaging and numerous. But too many voices are deceptive, seductive, and can pull us off the covenant path. To avoid the inevitable heartbreak that follows, I plead with you today to counter the lure of the world by making time for the Lord in your life—each and every day. If most of the information you get comes from social or other media, your ability to hear the whisperings of the Spirit will be diminished. If you are not also seeking the Lord through daily prayer and gospel study, you leave yourself vulnerable to philosophies that may be intriguing but are not true. Even Saints who are otherwise faithful can be derailed by the steady beat of Babylon’s band. My brothers and sisters, I plead with you to make time for the Lord! Make your own spiritual foundation firm and able to stand the test of time by doing those things that allow the Holy Ghost to be with you always.

 

President Nelson, “Welcome Message,” April 2021

The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of repentance.3 Because of the Savior’s Atonement, His gospel provides an invitation to keep changing, growing, and becoming more pure. It is a gospel of hope, of healing, and of progress. Thus, the gospel is a message of joy! Our spirits rejoice with every small step forward we take.

Part of the gathering of Israel, and a very important part, is the charge for us as a people to be worthy and willing to help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. As we listen to the messages that have been carefully prepared by our leaders under the direction of the Holy Ghost, I invite you to pray to identify the debris you should remove from your life so you can become more worthy.

 

President Nelson, “What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget,” April 2021

You may feel that there is still more you need to do to make your home truly a sanctuary of faith. If so, please do it! If you are married, counsel with your wife as your equal partner in this crucial work. There are few pursuits more important than this. Between now and the time the Lord comes again, we all need our homes to be places of serenity and security.

Attitudes and actions that invite the Spirit will increase the holiness of your home. Equally certain is the fact that holiness will vanish if there is anything in your behavior or environment that offends the Holy Spirit, for then “the heavens withdraw themselves.” Your commitment to make your home your primary sanctuary of faith should never end. As faith and holiness decrease in this fallen world, your need for holy places will increase. I

We live in a time prophesied long ago, when “all things shall be in commotion; and surely, men’s hearts shall fail them; for fear shall come upon all people.” That was true before the pandemic, and it will be true after. Commotion in the world will continue to increase. In contrast, the voice of the Lord is not “a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but … it [is] a still voice of perfect mildness, [like] a whisper, and it [pierces] even to the very soul.” In order to hear this still voice, you too must be still!

For a time, the pandemic has canceled activities that would normally fill our lives. Soon we may be able to choose to fill that time again with the noise and commotion of the world. Or we can use our time to hear the voice of the Lord whispering His guidance, comfort, and peace. Quiet time is sacred time—time that will facilitate personal revelation and instill peace.

Discipline yourself to have time alone and with your loved ones. Open your heart to God in prayer. Take time to immerse yourself in the scriptures and worship in the temple.

 

President Nelson, Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains, April 2021

Everything good in life—every potential blessing of eternal significance—begins with faith. Allowing God to prevail in our lives begins with faith that He is willing to guide us. True repentance begins with faith that Jesus Christ has the power to cleanse, heal, and strengthen us.

The Lord does not require perfect faith for us to have access to His perfect power. But He does ask us to believe.

Through your faith, Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life, even though your personal challenges may loom as large as Mount Everest. Your mountains may be loneliness, doubt, illness, or other personal problems. Your mountains will vary, and yet the answer to each of your challenges is to increase your faith. That takes work. Lazy learners and lax disciples will always struggle to muster even a particle of faith.

 

INVITATION: Moving your mountains may require a miracle. Learn about miracles. Miracles come according to your faith in the Lord. Central to that faith is trusting His will and timetable—how and when He will bless you with the miraculous help you desire. Only your unbelief will keep God from blessing you with miracles to move the mountains in your life.

First, study. The more you learn about the Savior, the easier it will be to trust in His mercy, His infinite love, and His strengthening, healing, and redeeming power. The Savior is never closer to you than when you are facing or climbing a mountain with faith.

Second, choose to believe in Jesus Christ.

Third, act in faith. What would you do if you had more faith? Think about it. Write about it. Then receive more faith by doing something that requires more faith.

Fourth, partake of sacred ordinances worthily. Ordinances unlock the power of God for your life.

And fifth, ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for help. God knows what will help your faith grow. Ask, and then ask again.

Truly, faith is the power that enables the unlikely to accomplish the impossible.

 

President Nelson, COVID-19 and Temples, April 2021

Meanwhile, keep your temple covenants and blessings foremost in your minds and hearts. Stay true to the covenants you have made. Ordinances of the temple fill our lives with power and strength available in no other way.

President Nelson, "Let God Prevail," Oct. 2020

During these perilous times of which the Apostle Paul prophesied, Satan is no longer even trying to hide his attacks on God’s plan. Emboldened evil abounds. Therefore, the only way to survive spiritually is to be determined to let God prevail in our lives, to learn to hear His voice, and to use our energy to help gather Israel.

One of the Hebraic meanings of the word Israel is “let God prevail.” Thus the very name of Israel refers to a person who is willing to let God prevail in his or her life. That concept stirs my soul!

Are you willing to let God prevail in your life? Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life? Will you allow His words, His commandments, and His covenants to influence what you do each day? Will you allow His voice to take priority over any other? Are you willing to let whatever He needs you to do take precedence over every other ambition? Are you willing to have your will swallowed up in His?

Jill then said, “Myopic caused me to stop, think, and heal. That word now fills me with peace. It reminds me to expand my perspective and seek the eternal. It reminds me that there is a divine plan and that my dad still lives and loves and looks out for me. Myopic has led me to God.

We often pray that we and the missionaries will be led to those who are prepared to receive the truths of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. I wonder, to whom will we be led when we plead to find those who are willing to let God prevail in their lives?

Brothers and sisters, please listen carefully to what I am about to say. God does not love one race more than another. His doctrine on this matter is clear. He invites all to come unto Him, “black and white, bond and free, male and female.”

As you study your scriptures during the next six months, I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I think you will be astounded! Ponder these promises. Talk about them with your family and friends. Then live and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in your own life. My dear brothers and sisters, as you choose to let God prevail in your lives, you will experience for yourselves that our God is “a God of miracles.”

 

President Russell M. Nelson, A New Normal, Oct. 2020

If you really want to embrace a new normal, I invite you to turn your heart, mind, and soul increasingly to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Embrace your new normal by repenting daily. Seek to be increasingly pure in thought, word, and deed. Minister to others. Keep an eternal perspective. Magnify your callings. And whatever your challenges, my dear brothers and sisters, live each day so that you are more prepared to meet your Maker.

President Nelson, Embrace the Future with Faith, Oct. 2020

How are we to deal with both the somber prophecies and the glorious pronouncements about our day? The Lord told us how with simple, but stunning, reassurance: “If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” What a promise! It is one that can literally change the way we see our future.

If preparation is our key to embracing this dispensation and our future with faith, how can we best prepare? For decades, the Lord’s prophets have urged us to store food, water, and financial reserves for a time of need. The current pandemic has reinforced the wisdom of that counsel. I urge you to take steps to be temporally prepared. But I am even more concerned about your spiritual and emotional preparation.

In that regard, we can learn a lot from Captain Moroni. As commander of the Nephite armies, he faced opposing forces that were stronger, greater in number, and meaner. So, Moroni prepared his people in three essential ways.

First, he helped them create areas where they would be safe—“places of security” he called them. Second, he prepared “the minds of the people to be faithful unto the Lord.” And third, he never stopped preparing his people—physically or spiritually.

President Nelson "Hear Him" April 2020

As we seek to be disciples of Jesus Christ, our efforts to hear Him need to be ever more intentional. It takes conscious and consistent effort to fill our daily lives with His words, His teachings, His truths.
I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation.

 

President Nelson "Hear Him" Feb. 2020

In the scriptures, there are very few sacred instances in which the voice of God the Father has been heard.  So, when He says something, we really need to listen.  Repeatedly, He has personally introduced His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, with a specific charge to “Hear Him!”

Our Father loves us and yearns for each one of us to choose to return to His holy presence.  He pleads with us to listen to the voice of Jesus Christ. 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. 

I invite you to be proactive and look for opportunities to share your feelings about the Lord Jesus Christ with your family and friends. Now, as one of the Lord’s special witnesses, I bless you in your efforts to get on and stay on His covenant path, and strive with all your heart, might, mind and soul to Hear Him!

President Russell M. Nelson, "Spiritual Treasures," Oct. 2019
How I yearn for you to understand that the restoration of the priesthood is just as relevant to you as a woman as it is to any man. Because the Melchizedek Priesthood has been restored, both covenant-keeping women and men have access to “all the spiritual blessings of the church” or, we might say, to all the spiritual treasures the Lord has for His children.

Those who are endowed in the house of the Lord receive a gift of God’s priesthood power by virtue of their covenant, along with a gift of knowledge to know how to draw upon that power.

How do I draw the Savior’s power into my life?”

You won’t find this process spelled out in any manual. The Holy Ghost will be your personal tutor as you seek to understand what the Lord would have you know and do. This process is neither quick nor easy, but it is spiritually invigorating. What could possibly be more exciting than to labor with the Spirit to understand God’s power—priesthood power?

What I can tell you is that accessing the power of God in your life requires the same things that the Lord instructed Emma and each of you to do.

So, I invite you to study prayerfully section 25 of the Doctrine and Covenants and discover what the Holy Ghost will teach you. Your personal spiritual endeavor will bring you joy as you gain, understand, and use the power with which you have been endowed.

Part of this endeavor will require you to put aside many things of this world. Sometimes we speak almost casually about walking away from the world with its contention, pervasive temptations, and false philosophies. But truly doing so requires you to examine your life meticulously and regularly. As you do so, the Holy Ghost will prompt you about what is no longer needful, what is no longer worthy of your time and energy.

As you shift your focus away from worldly distractions, some things that seem important to you now will recede in priority. You will need to say no to some things, even though they may seem harmless. As you embark upon and continue this lifelong process of consecrating your life to the Lord, the changes in your perspective, feelings, and spiritual strength will amaze you!

President Russell M. Nelson, “Come, Follow Me,” April 2019

Some erroneously believe that the Resurrection of Jesus Christ provides a promise that all people will be with their loved ones after death.They need to understand that while there is a place for them hereafter—with wonderful men and women who also chose not to make covenants with God—that is not the place where families will be reunited and be given the privilege to live and progress forever.

President Russell M. Nelson, “The Correct Name of the Church,” Oct 2018

He was brutally reviled, mocked, spit upon, and scourged. In the Garden of Gethsemane, our Savior took upon Himself every pain, every sin, and all of the anguish and suffering ever experienced by you and me and by everyone who has ever lived or will ever live. Under the weight of that excruciating burden, He bled from every pore.7 All of this suffering was intensified as He was cruelly crucified on Calvary’s cross.

Through these excruciating experiences and His subsequent Resurrection—His infinite Atonement—He granted immortality to all and ransomed each one of us from the effects of sin on condition of our repentance.

If we as a people and as individuals are to have access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ—to cleanse and heal us, to strengthen and magnify us, and ultimately to exalt us—we must clearly acknowledge Him as the source of that power. We can begin by calling His Church by the name He decreed.

 

President Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives, Apr. 2018

Said President Lorenzo Snow, “This is the grand privilege of every Latter-day Saint … that it is our right to have the manifestations of the Spirit every day of our lives.” If we will truly receive the Holy Ghost and learn to discern and understand His promptings, we will be guided in matters large and small.

I know that good inspiration is based upon good information.

Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort. 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. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”

Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work.

But 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. Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.

 

President Russell M. Nelson, "Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives Today," April 2017

I would like to speak about how we can draw into our lives the power of our Lord and Master, Jesus Christ.

(1  We begin by learning about Him. 

a.    The more we know about the Savior’s ministry and mission7—the more we understand His doctrine8 and what He did for us—the more we know that He can provide the power that we need for our lives.

b.    Earlier this year, I asked the young adults of the Church to consecrate a portion of their time each week to study everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the standard works.9 I invited them to let the scriptural citations about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide become their personal core curriculum. 

c.     I read and underlined every verse cited about Jesus Christ, as listed under the main heading and the 57 subtitles in the Topical Guide. When I finished that exciting exercise, my wife asked me what impact it had on me. I told her, “I am a different man!”

d.    It is doctrinally incomplete to speak of the Lord’s atoning sacrifice by shortcut phrases, such as “the Atonement” or “the enabling power of the Atonement” or “applying the Atonement” or “being strengthened by the Atonement.” The Savior’s atoning sacrifice—the central act of all human history—is best understood and appreciated when we expressly and clearly connect it to Him.

 

(2  We choose to have faith in Him and follow Him.

a.    As we invest time in learning about the Savior and His atoning sacrifice, we are drawn to participate in another key element to accessing His power: we choose to have faith in Him and follow Him.

b.    True disciples of Jesus Christ are willing to stand out, speak up, and be different from the people of the world.

c.    They are undaunted, devoted, and courageous.

d.    There is nothing easy or automatic about becoming such powerful disciples. Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel.

e.    It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every thought.15 But when we do, our doubts and fears flee.16

f.     Faith in Jesus Christ propels us to do things we otherwise would not do. Faith that motivates us to action gives us more access to His power.

(3  Make sacred covenants and keep those covenants with precision. 

a.      Our covenants bind us to Him and give us godly power.

b.      Covenant-keeping men and women seek for ways to keep themselves unspotted from the world so there will be nothing blocking their access to the Savior’s power. 

(4  Reach up to Him in faith. 

a.     Such reaching requires diligent, focused effort.

b.     Many of us have cried out from the depths of our hearts a variation of this woman’s words: “If I could spiritually stretch enough to draw the Savior’s power into my life, I would know how to handle my heart-wrenching situation. I would know what to do. And I would have the power to do it.”

c.     When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours.

d.    When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.21

e.    When you spiritually stretch beyond anything you have ever done before, then His power will flow into you.

f.     And then you will understand the deep meaning of words we sing in the hymn “The Spirit of God”:

The Lord is extending the Saints’ understanding. …  The knowledge and power of God are expanding;

The veil o’er the earth is beginning to burst.

 

President Russell M. Nelson, “True Millennials: Do the Impossible,”

Learn how to access the power of heaven. Prayer is a key. Pray to know what to stop doing and what to start doing. Pray to know what to add to your environment and what to remove so the Spirit can be with you in abundance. Plead with the Lord for the gift of discernment. Then live and work to be worthy to receive that gift so that when confusing events arise in the world, you will know exactly what is true and what is not.

“Serve with love. Loving service to those who have lost their way or who are wounded in spirit opens your heart to personal revelation. Spend more time—much more time—in places where the Spirit is present. That means more time with friends who are seeking to have the Spirit with them. Spend more time on your knees in prayer, more time in the scriptures, more time in family history work, more time in the temple. I promise you that as you consistently give the Lord a generous portion of your time, He will multiply the remainder.”

Great power lies in learning who you really are. Ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, how He feels about you and your mission here on earth. If you ask with real intent, over time the Spirit will whisper the life-changing truth to you. Record those impressions and review them often, and follow through with exactness. I promise you that when you begin to catch even a glimpse of how your Heavenly Father sees you and what He is counting on you to do for Him, your life will never be the same!

 

 Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into our Lives - President Russell M. Nelson’s Challenge

Earlier this year, I asked the young adults of the Church to consecrate a portion of their time each week to study everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the standard works. I invited them to let the scriptural citations about Jesus Christ in the Topical Guide become their personal core curriculum.

I gave that challenge because I had already accepted it myself. I read and underlined every verse cited about Jesus Christ, as listed under the main heading and the 57 subtitles in the Topical Guide. When I finished that exciting exercise, my wife asked me what impact it had on me. I told her, “I am a different man!”

I felt a renewed devotion to Him as I read again in the Book of Mormon the Savior’s own statement about His mission in mortality. He declared:

“I came into the world to do the will of my Father, because my Father sent me. And my Father sent me that I might be lifted up upon the cross.”

 

President Russell M. Nelson’s Challenge from the 2017 Devotional for Young Adults

·         Study everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the Old Testament.

·         Study His laws as recorded in the New Testament.

·         Study His doctrine as recorded in the Book of Mormon.

·         Study His words as recorded in the Doctrine and Covenants.

From LDS.org Blog:   President Russell M. Nelson’s Challenge to Study About the Savior

I promised those listening that if they would proceed to learn all they can about Jesus Christ, their love for Him and for God’s laws would grow beyond what they could currently imagine.

On December 1, 2016, I obtained a new set of scriptures and proceeded to begin the same assignment that I would later extend to young adults in January. When I finished the assignment six weeks later, I had looked up and marked more than 2,200 citations from the four books of scripture.

As I mentioned at the devotional, in a coming day, you will present yourself before the Savior. You will be overwhelmed to the point of tears to be in His holy presence. You will thank Him for strengthening you to do the impossible, for turning your weaknesses into strengths, and for making it possible for you to live with Him and your family forever. His identity, His Atonement, and His attributes will become personal and real to you.

Below are statements made by President Russell M. Nelson since he was called as prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Sunday, January 14, 2018. This post also includes a few quotes from his 2017 talk, "Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives."

The Promises and Blessings of Family History Work and Temple Work

President Nelson "Hear Him" April 2020

We can also hear Him in the temple. The house of the Lord is a house of learning. There the Lord teaches in His own way. There each ordinance teaches about the Savior. There we learn how to part the veil and communicate more clearly with heaven. There we learn how to rebuke the adversary and draw upon the Lord’s priesthood power to strengthen us and those we love. How eager each of us should be to seek refuge there.

Please schedule regular time to worship and serve in the temple. Every minute of that time will bless you and your family in ways nothing else can. Take time to ponder what you hear and feel when you are there. Ask the Lord to teach you how to open the heavens to bless your life and the lives of those you love and serve.

While worshipping in the temple is presently not possible, I invite you to increase your participation in family history, including family history research and indexing. I promise that as you increase your time in temple and family history work, you will increase and improve your ability to hear Him.

Pres. Russell M. Nelson, Hope of Israel, June 2018

These surely are the latter days, and the Lord is hastening His work to gather Israel. That gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty. When we speak of the gathering, we are simply saying this fundamental truth: every one of our Heavenly Father’s children, on both sides of the veil, deserves to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They decide for themselves if they want to know more.

Participating in the gathering of Israel will require some sacrifice on your part. It may even require some changes in your life. It will definitely take some of your time and energy and your God-given talents.

My dear extraordinary youth, you were sent to earth at this precise time, the most crucial time in the history of the world, to help gather Israel. There is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than that. There is nothing of greater consequence. Absolutely nothing.

This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth.

Pres. Monson, “Hastening the Work,” June 2014

We, as spirit children of our Heavenly Father, were sent to earth at this time that we might participate in hastening this great work. I believe He is hastening His work in the spirit world. The Lord expects you and me to perform our family history work well. I think the first thing we must do if we are to perform our work well is to have the Spirit of our Heavenly Father with us.

When we live as righteously as we know how to live, He will open the way for the fulfillment of the blessings that so earnestly and diligently we seek.

President Howard W. Hunter, A Temple Motivated People, 1995

There are some members who engage in temple work but fail to do family history research on their own family lines. Although they perform a divine service in assisting others, they lose a blessing by not seeking their own kindred dead as divinely directed by latter-day prophets.

“I have learned that those who engage in family history research and then perform the temple ordinance work for those whose names they have found will know the additional joy of receiving both halves of the blessing."

Elder Dale G. Renlund, “Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing,”April 2018

But as we participate in family history and temple work today, we also lay claim to “healing” blessings promised by prophets and apostles. These blessings are also breathtakingly amazing because of their scope, specificity, and consequence in mortality. This long list includes these blessings:

•          Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice;
•          Increased influence of the Holy Ghost to feel strength and direction for our own lives;
•          Increased faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding;
•          Increased ability and motivation to learn and repent because of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of where we are going;
•          Increased refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts;
•          Increased joy through an increased ability to feel the love of the Lord;
•          Increased family blessings, no matter our current, past, or future family situation or how imperfect our family tree may be;
•          Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, so we no longer feel alone;
•          Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus, with the Lord’s help, serve others;
•          Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary;
•          Increased assistance to mend troubled, broken, or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole

If you have prayed for any of these blessings, participate in family history and temple work. As you do so, your prayers will be answered. When ordinances are performed on behalf of the deceased, God’s children on earth are healed. No wonder President Russell M. Nelson, in his first message as President of the Church, declared, “Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.”

SPIRITUAL PROTECTION & DEEPENED CONVERSION

Boyd K. Packer, "The Holy Temple," 2010

No work is more of a protection to this Church than temple work and the family history research that supports it. No work is more spiritually refining. No work we do gives us more power. No work requires a higher standard of righteousness. 

Elder Richard G. Scott, “The Joy of Redeeming the Dead,” 2012

Do you young people want a sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in your life? Immerse yourself in searching for your ancestors, prepare their names for the sacred vicarious ordinances available in the temple, and then go to the temple to stand as proxy for them. 

Elder David A. Bednar, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” October 2011

I encourage you to study, to search out your ancestors, and to prepare yourselves to perform proxy baptisms in the house of the Lord for your kindred dead. As you respond in faith to this invitation, your conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary.

 You also will count your many blessings as young people devote more time to family history work and temple service and less time to video games, surfing the Internet, and Facebooking.

As you respond in faith to this invitation,

·         your hearts shall turn to the fathers.

·         The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts.

·         Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you.

·         Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase.

·         Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding.

·         And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary.

·         As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives.

Elder Dale G. Renlund, RootsTech 2016 Opening Session

I feel grateful to add my testimony to those other testimonies—to be one more apostolic voice in support of this temple challenge. I extend the promise of protection that’s been offered in the past. Brothers and sisters, I promise you protection for you and your family as you take this challenge, to “find as many names to take to the temple as ordinances you perform in the temple, and teach others to do the same.” Not just baptisms, but all temple ordinances.

And if you accept this challenge, blessings will begin to flow to you and your family like the power of the river spoken of by Ezekiel. And the river will grow as you continue to perform this work and teach others to do the same.

·         You’ll find not only protection from the temptation and ills of this world,

·         but you’ll also find personal power—

o   power to change,

o   power to repent,

o   power to learn,

o   power to be sanctified,

o   and power to turn the hearts of your family together and heal that which needs healing.

"Every thought or word or act we direct at this sacred work is pleasing to the Lord. Every hour spent on genealogical research, however unproductive it appears, is worthwhile. It is pleasing to the Lord. It is our testimony to Him that we accept the doctrine of the resurrection and the plan of salvation. It draws us close to those who have gone before. It welds eternal links in family associations and draws us closer to Him who is our Lord."  Elder Boyd K. Packer - The Holy Temple p. 255

HELP FROM THE OTHER SIDE

Boyd K. Packer, "The Holy Temple," 2010

Brother Widtsoe reaffirmed that ‘those who give themselves with all their might and mind to this [family history] work receive help from the other side. Whoever seeks to help those in the other side receives help in return in all the affairs of life.’

Elder Henry B. Eyring, “Hearts Bound Together,” April 2005

“Remember that the names which will be so difficult to find are of real people to whom you owe your existence in this world and whom you will meet again in the spirit world. … Their hearts are bound to you. Their hope is in your hands. You will have more than your own strength as you choose to labor on to find them.”

Elder Russell M. Nelson, “A New Harvest Time," Ensign, May 1998

"Elijah came to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the children to the fathers. With that, natural affection between generations began to be enriched. This restoration was accompanied by what is sometimes called the Spirit of Elijah—a manifestation of the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the divine nature of the family. Hence, people throughout the world, regardless of religious affiliation, are gathering records of deceased relatives at an ever-increasing rate.

"Elijah came not only to stimulate research for ancestors. He also enabled families to be eternally linked beyond the bounds of mortality. Indeed, the opportunity for families to be sealed forever is the real reason for our research"

Elder Richard G. Scott, “Finding Happiness,” 19 Aug 1997

Temple attendance has a calming, settling, consoling influence that distills peace and contentment. The accompanying family history work to identify ancestors to receive those ordinances yields similar blessings. 

Family History Discussion: Great Advise and Stories from Wendy Watson and Sheri Dew 

Wendy Nelson: Working in silence in such an environment led me to pray, “Please lead me to those who are ready to make covenants with Thee and receive their ordinances.” That prayer opened the heavens for me and helped me feel which branches, limbs, and sometimes even twigs I should pursue.

Because of that prayer that I say as I begin each of my research sessions, “Please lead me to those who are ready to make covenants with Thee and receive their ordinances,” whenever I have a block and can’t find the information which would qualify a person for his ordinances, I think about the possibilities behind the block.

Could it be that this person has not yet been taught by the missionaries on the other side of the veil and has not yet embraced the gospel of Jesus Christ? Could that be the reason for the block? So I move on to someone else who has been taught and is now ready to make covenants and receive their ordinances. I’ll come back to that other person later.

President Joseph F. Smith taught something truly profound when he said this:
“When messengers are sent to minister to the inhabitants of this earth, they are not strangers, but from the ranks of our kindred [and] friends.... 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 have learned to love in the flesh.”

Sheri Dew: What we’re saying is that Wendy and I believe in angels. We believed Elder Holland when he said, “Ask for angels to help you.” Think about that. Ask for angels to help you. Then we believed him also when he said that angels could be dispatched to help us, and then he explained further: “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.” [Then they share a story about asking for help from our ancestors.]

MAKING TIME FOR THE WORK

President Russell M. Nelson, “Open the Heavens through Temple and Family History Work”, Ensign October 2017

That means sacrificing time we normally spend on other activities. We need to be spending more time in the temple and in doing family history research, which includes indexing. Over time, I realized that if I was working on an overwhelming project and I was out of time, energy, and ideas, if I would make a sacrifice of time by finding the ordinance-qualifying information for some ancestors or by going to the temple to be proxy for them, the heavens opened and the energy and ideas started flowing. Somehow I had enough time to meet my deadline. It was totally impossible, but it would happen every time.

I invite you to prayerfully consider what kind of sacrifice—preferably a sacrifice of time—you can make in order to do more temple and family history work this year.

Elder Dale G. Renlund, “Family History and Temple Work: Sealing and Healing,”April 2018

President Russell M. Nelson, however, cautioned: “We can be inspired all day long about temple and family history experiences others have had. But we must do something to actually experience the joy ourselves.” He continued, “I invite you to prayerfully consider what kind of sacrifice—preferably a sacrifice of time—you can make [to] do more temple and family history work.”

President Brigham Young - Opposition to Temple Work
We cannot … administer the further ordinances of God, in the fullest sense of the word, legally unto the people … until we have a temple built for that purpose (DBY, 394–95).

Some say, “I do not like to do it, for we never began to build a temple without the bells of hell beginning to ring.” I want to hear them ring again. We completed a temple in Kirtland and in Nauvoo; and did not the bells of hell toll all the time we were building them? They did, every week and every day (DBY, 410).

Text of President Dallin H. Oaks, RootsTech 2018

When individuals and families search out their ancestors’ inspiring actions and words, they will receive strength and direction for their own lives.

25:45 As we observed youth doing family history, we saw them:

·         experience almost instantaneous joy and

·         increased confidence.

·         They become more connected to their families.

·         They no longer feel so alone.

·         They begin to feel a celestial kinship.

·         They learn what it means to feel the Spirit.

·         Family history offers a healing influence and an assurance that each person is precious in the eyes of our Heavenly Father.

An important part of learning about our ancestors should occur in the home. That is where the hearts of the children can most effectively turn to their fathers.

26:40 To help in our reading to children, we created a compilation of family experiences, spiritual promptings, and miracles called “Tell Me a Story.” Sister Oaks: We recommend that everyone create their own family history book.

34:35 The youth came to understand who they are and came to feel a closeness to their Savior. Share these ideas with your families.

41:34 Brothers and sisters, we live in the last days, wonderful days in which the Lord has promised that knowledge will flow down from Heaven until nothing shall be withheld from those who have endured valiantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Technological resources unthinkable only a short time ago have been revealed and are being eagerly used by the rising generation. We must teach that generation to use it for holy purposes like FamilySearch, not for the evil or even the trivial.

Family history also connects us to heaven. It gives us an eternal perspective. As President Russell M. Nelson has said:

While temple and family history work has the power to bless those beyond the veil, it has an equal power to bless the living. It has a refining influence on those who are engaged in it.

References and Blessings of Family History Work compiled by Theron Stoddard based on Elder Renlund's Talk

Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice	D. Todd Christofferson, “The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus”
Increased influence of the Holy Ghost to feel strength and direction for our own lives	Boyd K. Packer, “Your Family History: Getting Started”
Increased faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding	David A. Bednar, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Ensign, Nov. 2011
Increased ability and motivation to learn and repent because of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of where we are going	Thomas S. Monson, “Constant Truths for Changing Times,” Ensign, May 2005
Increased refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts	Boyd K. Packer, “Your Family History: Getting Started”
Increased joy through an increased ability to feel the love of the Lord	Henry B. Eyring, “Hearts Bound Together,” Ensign, May 2005
Increased family blessings, no matter our current, past, or future family situation or how imperfect our family tree may be	David A. Bednar, “Missionary, Family History, and Temple Work,” Ensign, Oct. 2014, 30–35. Quentin L. Cook, “The Joy of Family History Work,” Ensign, Feb. 2016, 28–33.
Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, so we no longer feel alone	Boyd K. Packer, “Your Family History, Ensign, 2003. (Share story of John McCarthy in the wreck of the Julia Ann story and how I gained greater appreciation for the Telfords; their strength of testimony helped strengthen mine)
Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus, with the Lord’s help, serve others	Dale G. Renlund, Ruth L. Renlund, and Ashley R. Renlund, “Family History and Temple Blessings,” Ensign, Feb. 2017, 26–31.
Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary	David A. Bednar, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Ensign, Nov. 2011. Richard G. Scott, “The Joy of Redeeming the Dead,” Ensign, Nov. 2012
Increased assistance to mend troubled, broken, or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole	David A. Bednar, “Missionary, Family History, and Temple Work,” Ensign, Oct. 2014, 30–35

Increased understanding of the Savior and His atoning sacrifice “I think that vicarious work for the dead more nearly approaches the vicarious sacrifice of the Savior Himself than any other work of which I know. It is given with love, without hope of compensation, or repayment or anything of the kind. What a glorious principle.” - President Hinckley (D. Todd Christofferson, “The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus”) As you add this work to your righteous life, the Gift of the Holy Ghost will be a stronger influence upon you. Your belief in and appreciation for the Savior will increase. You will better understand the power of His Atonement, and you will be safeguarded from the distractions that can so easily pull you from His commandments (Neil L. Andersen, “Sharing the Temple Challenge,” Family Discovery Day, Feb. 2015, LDS.org).

Increased influence of the Holy Ghost to feel strength and direction for our own lives We came to know that an inspiration will follow those who move into it. It is just a matter of getting started. Once we started, we found the time. Somehow we were able to carry on all of the other responsibilities. There seemed to be an increased inspiration in our lives because of this work. (Boyd K. Packer, “Your Family History, Ensign, 2003) Often in the temple, and as we engage in family history research, we feel promptings and have impressions from the Holy Ghost. Occasionally in the temple the veil between us and those on the other side becomes very thin. We get additional assistance in our efforts to be saviors on Mount Zion (Quentin L. Cook, “See Yourself in the Temple,” Ensign, May 2016, 97–101).

Increased faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding As you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts. Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives (David A. Bednar, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Ensign, Nov. 2011). Never forget that family history—and the temple ordinances enabled by it—is an essential part of the work of salvation and that participation in this sacred work for the dead blesses the lives of the living. It strengthens our faith in and commitment to the gospel, helps us resist temptation, draws our families  closer together, and strengthens our wards and stakes (Quentin L. Cook, “The Joy of Family History Work,” Ensign, Feb. 2016, 28–33).

Increased ability and motivation to learn and repent because of an understanding of who we are, where we come from, and a clearer vision of where we are going We discover something about ourselves when we learn about our ancestors.  members of my family gathered together in the Salt Lake Temple to perform sealings for some of our deceased ancestors. This was one of the most spiritual experiences our family has had together and enhanced the love we have for one another and the obligation which is ours to live worthy of our heritage (Thomas S. Monson, “Constant Truths for Changing Times,” Ensign, May 2005).

Increased refining, sanctifying, and moderating influences in our hearts Family history work has the power to do something for the dead. It has an equal power to do something to the living. Family history work of Church members has a refining, spiritualizing, tempering influence on those who are engaged in it. They understand that they are tying their family together, their living family here with those who have gone before. (Boyd K. Packer, “Your Family History, Ensign, 2003) While temple and family history work has the power to bless those beyond the veil, it has an equal power to bless the living. It has a refining influence on those who are engaged in it. They are literally helping to exalt their families (Russell M. Nelson, “Generations Linked in Love,” Ensign, May 2010). The bones of our ancestors lay in the ground, and their spirits are in heaven, but we live on in the stories that their lives told and retold, their challenges, their courage, their noble deeds.  A recent study by a university in the South concludes persuasively that if you want a happier family, create, refine, and retell the stories of your ancestors’ positive moments. Emphasize their ability to bounce back and persist through adversity. That act alone will increase the odds that your family will thrive for many generations to come. Family stories count. Children should know that they belong to something bigger than themselves. (Dallin H. Oaks and Kristen M. Oaks, “Connected to Eternal Families,” Family Discovery Day, Mar. 2018, LDS.org).

Increased joy through an increased ability to feel the love of the Lord Think of the Savior when you meet Him. You will have that interview. He paid the price of the sins of you and all of Heavenly Father’s spirit children. He is Jehovah. He sent Elijah. He conferred the powers of the priesthood to seal and to bless out of perfect love. And He has trusted you by letting you hear the gospel in your lifetime, giving you the chance to accept the obligation to offer it to those of your ancestors who did not have your priceless opportunity. Think of the gratitude He has for those who pay the price in work and faith to find the names of their ancestors and who love them and Him enough to offer them eternal life in families, the greatest of all the gifts of God. He offered them an infinite sacrifice. He will love and appreciate those who paid whatever price they could to allow their ancestors to choose His offer of eternal life (Henry B. Eyring, “Hearts Bound Together,” Ensign, May 2005). There is something powerful in searching out those who need temple ordinances, learning who they are, and then being part of their receiving these sacred ordinances. This is how you become “saviors on Mount Zion” (see Obadiah 1:21 and D&C 103:9). There is a joy and satisfaction that is understood only through spiritual feelings. We are linked to our ancestors forever (Neil L. Andersen, “‘My Days’ of Temples and Technology,” Ensign, Feb. 2015, 28–35).

Increased family blessings, no matter our current, past, or future family situation or how imperfect our family tree may be A yearning for connection to our past can prepare an individual to receive the virtue of the word of God and fortify his or her faith. A heart turning to the fathers uniquely helps an individual withstand the influence of the adversary and strengthen conversion… Hearts and conversion. Turning to the fathers awakens and prepares a heart for the mighty change. Thus, the spirit of Elijah helps in conversion.  Hearts and retention. Turning to the fathers sustains and strengthens hearts that have experienced the mighty change. Thus, the spirit of Elijah helps in retaining new converts. Hearts and reactivation. Turning to the fathers softens a heart that has become hardened after experiencing the mighty change. Thus, the spirit of Elijah is key in reactivation. (David A. Bednar, “Missionary, Family History, and Temple Work,” Ensign, Oct. 2014, 30–35). As an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I promise that if you look beyond the bonds of time and mortality and help those who cannot help themselves, you will be blessed with more closeness and joy in your family and with the divine protection afforded those who are faithful in His service…  May you parents, youth, and children find joy and be blessed in every other aspect of your life as you fulfill the obligation that has been sent from heaven to participate in the sacred work for the dead (Quentin L. Cook, “The Joy of Family History Work,” Ensign, Feb. 2016, 28–33).

Increased love and appreciation for ancestors and living relatives, so we no longer feel alone As we observed youth doing family history, we saw them experience almost instantaneous joy and increased confidence. They become more connected to their families. They no longer feel so alone. They begin to feel a celestial kinship. They learn what it means to feel the Spirit. Family history offers a healing influence and an assurance that each person is precious in the eyes of our Heavenly Father (Dallin H. Oaks and Kristen M. Oaks, “Connected to Eternal Families,” Family Discovery Day, Mar. 2018, LDS.org). Family history work in one sense would justify itself even if one were not successful in clearing names for temple work. The process of searching, the means of going after those names, would be worth all the effort you could invest. The reason: You cannot find names without knowing that they represent people. You begin to find out things about people. When we research our own lines we become interested in more than just names or the number of names going through the temple. Our interest turns our hearts to our fathers—we seek to find them and to know them and to serve them. (Boyd K. Packer, “Your Family History, Ensign, 2003) If you learn stories about their lives, write them down and keep them. You are not just gathering names. Those you never met in life will become friends you love. Your heart will be bound to theirs forever (Henry B. Eyring, “Hearts Bound Together,” Ensign, May 2005). And there is also much focus on extended family, genealogy, and personal family history, providing young and old with a stronger sense of roots, identity, and belonging (M. Russell Ballard, “Faith, Family, Facts, and Fruits,” Ensign, Nov. 2007). Consider the spiritual connections that are formed when a young woman helps her grandmother enter family information into a computer or when a young man sees the name of his great-grandfather on a census record. When our hearts turn to our ancestors, something changes inside us. We feel part of something greater than ourselves. Our inborn yearnings for family connections are fulfilled when we are linked to our ancestors through sacred ordinances of the temple (Russell M. Nelson, “Generations Linked in Love,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010). As you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts. Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase (David A. Bednar, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Ensign, Nov. 2011).

Members of my family gathered together in the Salt Lake Temple to perform sealings for some of our deceased ancestors. This was one of the most spiritual experiences our family has had together and enhanced the love we have for one another and the obligation which is ours to live worthy of our heritage (Thomas S. Monson, “Constant Truths for Changing Times,” Ensign, May 2005). The Lord has provided ways for us to feel love in families that can continue forever. Young people in the Church today are feeling their hearts turn to their families. They are searching for names of family members who did not have the opportunity to receive the ordinances of salvation in this life. They take those names to the temple. When they enter the waters of baptism, they have the opportunity to feel the love of the Lord and of the family members for whom they are performing proxy ordinances (Henry B. Eyring, “The Promise of Hearts Turning,” Ensign, July 2014).

Increased power to discern that which needs healing and thus, with the Lord’s help, serve others If you accept this challenge, blessings will begin to flow to you and your family like the power of the river spoken of by Ezekiel. And the river will grow as you continue to perform this work and teach others to do the same. You will find not only protection from the temptation and ills of the world, but you will also find personal power—power to change, power to repent, power to learn, power to be sanctified, and power to turn the hearts of your family members to each other and heal that which needs healing (Dale G. Renlund, Ruth L. Renlund, and Ashley R. Renlund, “Family History and Temple Blessings,” Ensign, Feb. 2017, 26–31).

Increased faith, so that conversion to the Savior becomes deep and abiding As you respond in faith to this invitation, your hearts shall turn to the fathers. The promises made to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob will be implanted in your hearts. Your patriarchal blessing, with its declaration of lineage, will link you to these fathers and be more meaningful to you. Your love and gratitude for your ancestors will increase. Your testimony of and conversion to the Savior will become deep and abiding. And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives (David A. Bednar, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Ensign, Nov. 2011).

Increased protection from temptations and the intensifying influence of the adversary And I promise you will be protected against the intensifying influence of the adversary. As you participate in and love this holy work, you will be safeguarded in your youth and throughout your lives (David A. Bednar, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Ensign, Nov. 2011). Do you young people want a sure way to eliminate the influence of the adversary in your life? Immerse yourself in searching for your ancestors, prepare their names for the sacred vicarious ordinances available in the temple, and then go to the temple to stand as proxy for them to receive the ordinances of baptism and the gift of the Holy Ghost. As you grow older, you will be able to participate in receiving the other ordinances as well. I can think of no greater protection from the influence of the adversary in your life (Richard G. Scott, “The Joy of Redeeming the Dead,” Ensign, Nov. 2012). In the world in which you live, the House of the Lord is essential and central to you remaining spiritually strong. The Lord has said, “My disciples shall stand in holy places, and shall not be moved” (D&C 45:32). This is who we are and who we want to be…  My young brothers and sisters, as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I invoke a blessing upon you. As you accept this challenge and as you teach it to others, I promise you that you will feel the beautiful link that binds us together as families through the generations. You will feel a happiness for those who accept your sacred offering. Your hearts will truly be turned to your fathers, and you will feel their hearts turned toward you. You will feel purpose and strength that will help you to avoid the temptations that surround you. You will better see the unseen, the eternal things that the world does not see (Neil L. Andersen, “Sharing the Temple Challenge,” Family Discovery Day, Feb. 2015, LDS.org). No work is more of a protection to this Church than temple work and the family history research that supports it. No work is more spiritually refining. No work we do gives us more power. No work requires a higher standard of righteousness.  Our labors in the temple cover us with a shield and a protection, both individually and as a people (Boyd K. Packer, “The Holy Temple,” Ensign, Oct. 2010, 35, as quoted by, Quentin L. Cook, “The Joy of Family History Work,” Ensign, Feb. 2016, 28–33).

Increased assistance to mend troubled, broken, or anxious hearts and make the wounded whole Hearts and reactivation. Turning to the fathers softens a heart that has become hardened after experiencing the mighty change. Thus, the spirit of Elijah is key in reactivation… Can we begin to understand the role of temple and family history work in helping an investigator or a less-active member obtain a deeper understanding of the plan of salvation? Do we recognize that one of the greatest influences on convert retention is the spirit of Elijah? Can we more fully appreciate the importance of heart-turning moments occasioned by the sharing of family stories as a means of finding people to teach by both members and missionaries? Can we help those we serve access more often the powers of godliness by participating worthily in ordinances such as the sacrament and baptisms and confirmations for the dead? (David A. Bednar, “Missionary, Family History, and Temple Work,” Ensign, Oct. 2014, 30–35).

Faith promoting stories of our ancestors can be found on FamilySearch in the Memories section of each individual. How many can you find? How many can you contribute that are not posted there yet?

Have you ever climbed a large mountain? President Monson once said, “We must plunge into this work, and we must prepare for some uphill climbing. This is not an easy task, but the Lord has placed it upon you, and He has placed it upon me” (Thomas S. Monson, “Hastening the Work,” Ensign, June. 2014, 4). Like President Monson said, offering ordinances to those who have not been given the opportunity is like climbing a mountain. It takes effort. It is not easy. At times it seems like there is more than we can do. But as we climb to the summit, helping our ancestors one step at a time, we see vistas we could not have imagined from the valley floor. We receive reassurance about our place in eternity. We see that we are part of a great family, many coming before us and others following us. Elder Richard G. Scott said it this way, “This work is a spiritual work, a monumental effort of cooperation on both sides of the veil, where help is given in both directions” (Richard G. Scott, “The Joy of Redeeming the Dead,” Ensign, Nov. 2012, 95). We come to know like never before that life continues after this life. We feel the righteous influence of our ancestors upon us. (Neil L. Andersen, “Sharing the Temple Challenge,” Family Discovery Day, Feb. 2015, LDS.org)

All members should participate by prayerfully selecting those ways that fit their personal circumstances at a particular time. This should be done under the influence of the Spirit of the Lord and with the guidance of priesthood leaders who issue calls and direct the Church-administered portions of this work. Our effort is not to compel everyone to do everything, but to encourage everyone to do something. (Dallin H. Oaks, “Family History: ‘In Wisdom and Order,’” Ensign, June 1989, 6–8;)

We become connected to our ancestors in the family tree by our knowledge of their lives. We bond with them as we understand the circumstances and personal values that shaped them. They are real people to whom we owe our existence in this world and whom we will meet again in the hereafter. We learn better who we are, where we come from, and are blessed with a clearer vision of where we are going. When individuals and families search out their ancestors’ inspiring actions and words, they will receive strength and direction for their own lives (Dallin H. Oaks and Kristen M. Oaks, “Connected to Eternal Families,” Family Discovery Day, Mar. 2018, LDS.org).

●      But as we participate in family history and temple work today, we also lay claim to “healing” blessings promised by prophets and apostles.

○      Dallin H. Oaks, “Family History: ‘In Wisdom and Order’”

○      D. Todd Christofferson, “The Redemption of the Dead and the Testimony of Jesus”: More nearly approaches the vicarious sacrifice of the Savior. - President Hinckley

○      Boyd K. Packer, “Your Family History: Getting Started”: inspiration will follow those who move into it. Found the time to carry on all other responsibilities. has a refining, spiritualizing, tempering influence on those who are engaged in it.

○      Thomas S. Monson, “Constant Truths for Changing Times,” Ensign, May 2005: We discover something about ourselves when we learn about our ancestors.  members of my family gathered together in the Salt Lake Temple to perform sealings for some of our deceased ancestors. This was one of the most spiritual experiences our family has had together and enhanced the love we have for one another and the obligation which is ours to live worthy of our heritage.

○      Henry B. Eyring, “Hearts Bound Together,” Ensign, May 2005: Those you never met in life will become friends you love.

○      M. Russell Ballard, “Faith, Family, Facts, and Fruits,” Ensign, Nov. 2007.

○      Russell M. Nelson, “Salvation and Exaltation,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2008: 

○      Russell M. Nelson, “Generations Linked in Love,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2010:

○      David A. Bednar, “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn,” Ensign, Nov. 2011.

○      Richard G. Scott, “The Joy of Redeeming the Dead,” Ensign, Nov. 2012.

○      Quentin L. Cook, “Roots and Branches,” Ensign, May 2014

○      Thomas S. Monson, “Hastening the Work,” Ensign, June 2014

○      Henry B. Eyring, “The Promise of Hearts Turning,” Ensign, July 2014.

○      David A. Bednar, “Missionary, Family History, and Temple Work,” Ensign, Oct. 2014, 30–35.

○      Neil L. Andersen, “‘My Days’ of Temples and Technology,” Ensign, Feb. 2015, 28–35.

○      Neil L. Andersen, “Sharing the Temple Challenge,” Family Discovery Day, Feb. 2015, LDS.org.

○      Quentin L. Cook, “The Joy of Family History Work,” Ensign, Feb. 2016, 28–33.

○      Gary E. Stevenson, “Where Are the Keys and Authority of the Priesthood?” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 29–32: None?

○      Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “In Praise of Those Who Save,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2016, 77–80: 

○      Quentin L. Cook, “See Yourself in the Temple,” Ensign, May 2016, 97–101.

○      Dale G. Renlund, Ruth L. Renlund, and Ashley R. Renlund, “Family History and Temple Blessings,” Ensign, Feb. 2017, 26–31.

○      Dallin H. Oaks and Kristen M. Oaks, “Connected to Eternal Families,” Family Discovery Day, Mar. 2018, LDS.org.

Other References

MyFavoriteScriptures Blog: The Closeness of Our Family Who are in the Spirit World

MyFavoriteScriptures Blog: The Blessings of Temple Attendance

The Blessings of Family History Work for the Living

https://cfhg.byu.edu/Pages/companion/lesson_1.pdf

• “Hearts Bound Together” by President Henry B. Eyring
• “The Joy of Redeeming the Dead” by Elder Richard G. Scott
• “The Hearts of the Children Shall Turn” by Elder David A. Bednar
• “Your Family History: Getting Started” by President Boyd K. Packer
• Many other Resources, including a related Media Library