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."

How to "Hear Him" by Apostles and Prophets - #HearHim

 

Pres. Russell M. Nelson, Hear Him, April 2020 Conference

The increasing darkness that accompanies tribulation makes the light of Jesus Christ shine ever brighter. The Book of Mormon chronicles the classic rise and fall of two major civilizations. Their history demonstrates how easy it is for a majority of the people to forget God, reject warnings of the Lord’s prophets, and seek power, popularity, and pleasures of the flesh.

Messages from our Heavenly Father are strikingly different. He communicates simply, quietly, and with such stunning plainness that we cannot misunderstand Him.8

For example, whenever He has introduced His Only Begotten Son to mortals upon the earth, He has done so with remarkably few words. On the Mount of Transfiguration to Peter, James, and John, God said, “This is my beloved Son: hear him.”9 His words to the Nephites in ancient Bountiful were “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.”10 And to Joseph Smith, in that profound declaration that opened this dispensation, God simply said, “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”11

Now, my dear brothers and sisters, consider the fact that in these three instances just mentioned, just before the Father introduced the Son, the people involved were in a state of fear and, to some degree, desperation.

The Apostles were afraid when they saw Jesus Christ encircled by a cloud on the Mount of Transfiguration. The Nephites were afraid because they had been through destruction and darkness for several days. Joseph Smith was in the grips of a force of darkness just before the heavens opened.

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.

The very first word in the Doctrine and Covenants is hearken.12 It means “to listen with the intent to obey.”13 To hearken means to “hear Him”—to hear what the Savior says and then to heed His counsel. In those two words—“Hear Him”—God gives us the pattern for success, happiness, and joy in this life. We are to hear the words of the Lord, hearken to them, and heed what He has told us!

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.

We simply cannot rely upon information we bump into on social media. With billions of words online and in a marketing-saturated world constantly infiltrated by noisy, nefarious efforts of the adversary, where can we go to hear Him?

We can go to the scriptures. They teach us about Jesus Christ and His gospel, the magnitude of His Atonement, and our Father’s great plan of happiness and redemption. Daily immersion in the word of God is crucial for spiritual survival, especially in these days of increasing upheaval. As we feast on the words of Christ daily, the words of Christ will tell us how to respond to difficulties we never thought we would face.

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.

When these temporary COVID-19 restrictions are lifted, 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.

We also hear Him more clearly as we refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now. In the Godhead, the Holy Ghost is the messenger. He will bring thoughts to your mind which the Father and Son want you to receive. He is the Comforter. He will bring a feeling of peace to your heart. He testifies of truth and will confirm what is true as you hear and read the word of the Lord.

I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation.

Doing so will help you know how to move ahead with your life, what to do during times of crisis, and how to discern and avoid the temptations and the deceptions of the adversary.

And, finally, we hear Him as we heed the words of prophets, seers, and revelators. Ordained Apostles of Jesus Christ always testify of Him. They point the way as we make our way through the heart-wrenching maze of our mortal experiences.

What will happen as you more intentionally hear, hearken, and heed what the Savior has said and what He is saying now through His prophets? I promise that you will be blessed with additional power to deal with temptation, struggles, and weakness. I promise miracles in your marriage, family relationships, and daily work. And I promise that your capacity to feel joy will increase even if turbulence increases in your life.

 

Pres. Oaks, Hear Him to Bring Others Closer to Him

I Hear Him through Thoughts and Feelings

“Hear Him” are the two words used by God the Father in introducing His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, to Joseph Smith to usher in the glorious Restoration of the gospel (Joseph Smith—History 1:17). These two words resonate persuasively with me as I reflect on experiences during my life. I have given many talks, and in my experience inspiration for those talks comes as thoughts to the mind. Sometimes it is an impression to look at something I read earlier. But most often, it is a succession of ideas that I would describe by saying they are written on the blackboard of my mind. I do not hear a voice, but sometimes I see and feel words.

I Hear Him through Strong Impressions

I often reflect on an experience I had over 50 years ago while serving as a counselor in the Chicago Illinois South Stake presidency. I had received an invitation to be the sacrament speaker in the evening at our far west unit near Aurora, Illinois. This was about a one-hour drive from my home. Whenever I received an invitation to speak without an assignment of subject, I usually received an impression about what I should say, but on this particular occasion, I did not receive any impression.

As the Sabbath day wore on without an impression, I pondered as I drove. I thought, “What will I say for the 45 minutes that I have been invited to speak?” I was halfway to Aurora before I got an impression. I remember it was strong, and it came to me with such force that I knew it was the answer to my prayers. The impression was “Speak about your experiences in the criminal courts in Chicago.” At the time, I was working over the summer as a prosecutor in the Cook County Criminal Court to gain additional experience to help me in my teaching responsibilities. I had never spoken about my experiences in the criminal courts. I rarely spoke about any personal experiences in my talks, so the impression was a great surprise.

I spoke about the various kinds of thievery that youth offenders were being prosecuted for, including shoplifting. I stressed how serious this kind of crime was and what happened to these youth when they were found guilty of such offenses. After I concluded my talk, a mother came up to me, thanking me for my talk. She told me she had a young son who had been involved in shoplifting. She and her husband tried to impress upon him the seriousness of that activity, but they had not been able to make any headway. This mother said, “When I learned that you were going to speak this evening, knowing about your background, I prayed to the Lord that you would say something that would help our son. You did,” she said. “He listened to you in a way he has never listened to us, and I thank you for hearing the Spirit of the Lord and following it, and I thank you for what you have said.”

I Hear Him through Following the Guidance of the Spirit

As I pondered that experience in the Aurora Branch so many years ago, I have related it to the many talks I have to give. I am rarely assigned a particular subject, but the Lord has been good to me in impressions on subjects I should speak about. For reasons I cannot explain, my pattern in preparing and giving talks has been to focus on gospel doctrine and not my own personal experiences. So, when I receive a strong impression to speak about a personal experience, I listen to that impression and try to hear Him and follow it.

There are times when one or two people in a congregation really need to hear a particular subject. That was my experience in Aurora, Illinois, that evening, and it has been my experience often since that time. Hear Him—listen to the promptings of His Spirit—and instead of just giving a talk that will be generally helpful to a large group, you may be prompted to answer the prayers of someone for specific inspiration and instruction on a particular subject. When something like that happens to me, I am filled with gratitude. My pattern is to thank the Lord and to pray that the desired effect will take place in the hearts and minds of those who needed to hear that message.

I Hear Him through the Actions and Ministrations of Others

Most of the time when we ask the Lord for help, it does not come by a visitation such as Joseph Smith had or as the Apostle Paul had on the road to Damascus. Most of the answers we receive are through the actions of others. The Lord might impress someone to minister, to send a letter, to make a phone call, or to offer a suggestion here and there. That is the typical way the Lord helps us. Every person in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints who has the gift of the Holy Ghost has the right to be prompted of the Lord, regardless of status or circumstance.

Our hands are His hands when we hear Him and feel impressed to help one of His children.

We Hear Him in Our Own Circumstances

When the Lord invited us to “hear Him,” He was appealing to each of us in our own individual circumstance, with our own cultural awareness and our own abilities to understand a message. In a worldwide Church such as we have, there are so many different cultures, languages, symbols, and other methods of communication that surely the Lord speaks to us through the languages, the symbols, and the circumstances we individually can understand and hear.

When you receive an impression, act upon it, however unusual it seems or however inadequate you feel in following it. Act upon it. There is a reason for it. You may not know the reason, but blessings will come to you and to others if you hear Him and follow His direction.

 

Pres. Ballard, How I hear Him in Still and Quiet Moments

Receiving revelation only comes, at least in my case, when I have those still and quiet moments. I have found I cannot connect with heaven in a mass of clutter.

Since the early days of my life, I have sought to hear the voice of the Lord and understand His guiding hand in my life. A defining moment in my journey to understand His voice came while I served as a young missionary in England. This experience has shaped the rest of my life. I think of this moment as one of the first times that I have felt very, very close to heaven.

I remember walking down the side of the River Trent in Nottingham, England. I had been made the district president over 30 missionaries, and we were responsible for ministering to nine branches. We didn’t have the correct number of missionaries serving in our mission, so I didn’t have a companion at that time (sometimes that happened in those early days of missionary work).

As I was walking along that river, all alone, I said a prayer in my heart. I desired to feel some guidance from the Lord. I pled that He would be pleased with what I was trying to do. I asked, “Am I doing what you want?”

I did not hear a voice. I did not see any angels. But I had an impact within my bosom—within my heart—that has never left me. That moment was when I first learned what it feels like to be very, very close to heaven.

As a 20-year-old missionary, I learned a lesson from that experience: most things we hear from heaven are ultimately felt in our hearts. And then hopefully that feeling trickles up into our minds, where it helps guide us to follow what we hear. From this experience, and countless others, I have learned that we must be still to hear the Lord’s voice. The Lord made it pretty clear when He said, “Be still, and know that I am God” (Psalm 46:10).

Be Still

While technology has often been a blessing in my life, it can also be a distraction that places a barrier between us and our ability to hear the Lord’s voice. I tell my grandchildren that they should set aside quiet time each day to think about their lives and ponder what the Lord wants them to do.

Receiving revelation only comes, at least in my case, when I have those still and quiet moments. I have found I cannot connect with heaven in a mass of clutter. You have to find those quiet moments in your life when you can contemplate the things of the Spirit. In my experience, when I am in that mode and striving to be still, that’s when I get impressions. That’s when I get a thought that I know is from heaven.

For example, I give a lot of talks in my calling. I don’t usually write them out, except when I have to because of time limits. So, I usually think, “Well, what should I say?” Sometimes the answer comes in the middle of the night—a very quiet part of my day. And I won’t hear a voice but rather an impression of what the Lord is prompting me to do and to say.

Hear, Feel, Learn, and Know

I have also found that profound spiritual insight can come from reading and listening to the gospel being taught by those who are witnesses of the Lord, Jesus Christ. As I have heard their words, I’ve felt things that have made all the difference in my spiritual conversion.

I encourage missionaries wherever I go to recognize that conversion, reactivation, and even staying active in The Church of Jesus Christ always begins with what people feel more than what they know. One of the great blessings of hearing the Lord and feeling the power of the Lord is that the Holy Ghost can cause us to listen, feel, learn, and know.

I am eternally thankful for the shaping experience I had as a young missionary in England, because it taught me what it feels like to experience the Lord’s guiding hand in my life. Today, 71 years later, I can boldly testify that it is a privilege for us to be able to “Hear Him” in our modern world. May we each strive for quiet moments, free from distraction, to feel the presence of the Lord in our lives.

 

 

Elder Holland on how to Hear Him

I Hear Him through Determined Prayer. 

There is a great lesson in [Joseph’s prayer] about muscular, urgent, determined prayer to fight through, whether it is the adversary’s opposition, the cares of the day, or the distractions of our mind. We have many things that can keep us from having that divine experience. And we, like Joseph, will have to exert all our power to have the magnificent experience that God wants us to have.

I Hear Him by Making Quality Time to Pray Vocally.

I believe it is important for us to pray out loud. It is basic to what God intends for us in our communication with Him. We should make every effort to let Him hear us—literally. But it is always a penetrating voice. For me, to say out loud the words of my prayer is to make it crisp and almost visible. Prayer takes on a meaning and a life that is not quite the same when I am just thinking words or mumbling a bit. When we communicate clearly to Him, we can expect to “hear Him” more clearly in return.

If you wait until midnight, when you are exhausted, and then say your prayers, it might be only a half-hearted effort before you tumble into bed. Consider moving that prayer up to earlier in the evening, when you are alert and attentive and can make it more powerful. Prayer time ought to be quality time, not just time that happens to be left over when everything else is done.

I Hear Him through Reading the Scriptures

For me, the most obvious and most immediate way that God has spoken to me, day in and day out, has been through the scriptures. The 18th section of the Doctrine and Covenants teaches that if you have read the words, you have heard the voice of God (see D&C 18:36). It is literal to me that those words on that page are His words. They are canonized and carry a spiritual impact. If I am in tune, I hear His voice.

I Hear Him by Trusting My Feelings

Another way I “hear Him” is to trust what I feel. I often get asked, “How do I know that what I am feeling is coming from the Lord?” If your searching is honorable and true and clean and noble, trust the feelings that come. I encourage people to act on those feelings and to believe that their instincts can be founded on truth. At that point you do not have to ask, “Did it come from Him?” He will make sure that it doesn’t come from an evil source.

God wants us to be like Him. We mature, and with effort we become more like God. We think more of His thoughts and feel more of His feelings. We are one with Him, and our impressions ought to be indistinguishable from His promptings. That unity is one of the things the Savior prayed for. By striving to live as one with Him, you will be more like God and you will “hear Him” and trust Him, even as you trust your own feelings when praying to Him.

 

Elder Soares, I "Hear Him" by Aligning My Mind with His Will

I am trying to reflect my faith in the Savior Jesus Christ and His gospel, which is always nourished by hearing the word of God from the holy scriptures and from the teachings of the prophets. This spiritual effort has opened my ears and my mind and has helped improve my ability to listen to the Lord more intensely in my life.

I Hear Him by Aligning My Mind with Him

I have been making a daily effort to align my mind with things that are good, praiseworthy, and virtuous. At the same time, I have made an extra effort to eliminate everything that is not good from my mind and my heart. When an impure thought penetrates my mind, I work hard for it not to remain in there because I know this can lead me to make inappropriate choices and bring undesirable consequences to my life. I always try to substitute it for something good because I am sure that light and darkness cannot occupy the same space at the same time.

I Hear Him through the Book of Mormon

Another way I have tried to fill my soul with light is through the Book of Mormon. The introduction of the Book of Mormon reads: “We invite all men [and women] everywhere to read the Book of Mormon, to ponder in their hearts the message it contains, and then to ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ if the book is true. Those who pursue this course and ask in faith will gain a testimony of its truth and divinity by the power of the Holy Ghost.”

When I accepted this invitation to read and ponder the Book of Mormon, I also accepted an invitation to know the Lord. When I follow this pattern, I feel confident that this promise will be kept and that I will hear the Lord’s voice confirming the truth of what I have studied and read. This has happened step by step as I have continued to study the Book Mormon.

The combination of reading, pondering, and prayer was part of my preparation to hear the Lord, as the Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ and His divine mission. When we place our faith on the Lord’s promises, we are also preparing to hear His voice, which is soft, sweet, clear, and unmistakable.

I Hear Him by Making Commitments to the Lord

In putting my faith in the Lord’s promises and His gospel, I have made commitments to love Jesus Christ above anything else, to forego the things that were not good in my life, and to respect God’s commandments. Fulfilling those commitments requires constant dedication, and I have learned that I can become more like Christ, walk in His light, and reduce the influence of evil over my life. This has helped to increase my spiritual sensibility, and my willingness to hear Him and understand His voice has been expanded. By accepting the Savior’s invitation to follow Him, I am submitting to the will of the Lord. I can say with certainty that this has helped me to develop a greater ability to listen to the Lord and to follow Him.

I Hear Him by Teaching the Gospel and Following the Spirit

I remember an experience when I served as mission president. I had prepared a speech for the missionaries in a zone conference that I thought was very good. I was completely prepared, and in the morning, I started to have a doubtful feeling—as if I heard the Lord’s voice saying, “This is not what your missionaries need.”

I knelt and prayed, and then the Lord directed me to section 33 of the Doctrine and Covenants, which is a revelation given to the Prophet Joseph Smith for two men who were called to preach the gospel. I changed the speech completely, and it met the exact needs the missionaries had on that occasion. I remember that the feeling of peace that came to my heart was so strong, confirming in my mind and my heart that this was what the missionaries needed to learn on that day. That decision to listen to the Lord changed the direction of our mission, changed the missionaries’ vision, and changed the way we carried out the work.

The Lord gives me a warm, unmistakable feeling in my whole body when something is correct. The process with me is step by step. First, I must do my part. When I’m going in the wrong direction, I feel confused and lost. But when I allow my mind to reflect, the Lord starts to enlighten my mind, and the ideas start to come with more clarity.

This process has helped me to center my life more on the Savior and has helped me to hear Him more intensely and continuously.

 

Elder Gary E. Stevenson, How I #Hear Him

 

Each of us can hear Him by listening to and heeding the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

As I’ve traveled around the world, the Holy Ghost has also testified to me that God is mindful of all of His children. He wants each of us to hear the voice of His Son, Jesus Christ, through the Holy Ghost.

Our beloved prophet has recently invited us to “think deeply and often about this key question: How do you hear Him?”’

Throughout my life, I have most consistently heard the voice of the Lord through the Holy Ghost. Following baptism, members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. It is a unique privilege and blessing to have the constant companionship of a third member of the Godhead.

The scriptures teach us that “the Comforter knoweth all things, and beareth record of the Father and of the Son” (Doctrine and Covenants 42:17). I have learned that when the promptings of the Holy Ghost come to us, we are literally hearing what the Lord desires us to hear.

I testify of four special roles of the Holy Ghost that help us in our daily lives: He will teach us, He will testify to us, He will warn us, and He will comfort us.

During challenging times, the Holy Ghost has brought comfort to my heart. We are taught in John 14:26–27, “The Comforter, which is the Holy Ghost, whom the Father will send in my name, he shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled, neither let it be afraid.”

As I’ve traveled around the world, the Holy Ghost has also testified to me that God is mindful of all of His children. He wants each of us to hear the voice of His Son, Jesus Christ, through the Holy Ghost. This applies to everyone, wherever they may be—the taxi driver in Calcutta, the engineer in London, the elementary school child in Ghana, and the farmer in Chile.

I am grateful for these eternal truths which the Spirit testifies to our mind and heart:

Each of us can know that we have loving Heavenly Parents.Each of us can feel the redeeming and sanctifying power of our Savior, Jesus Christ. And each of us can hear Him by listening to and heeding the promptings of the Holy Ghost.

 

Elder Gong, How We Can “Hear Him” during Times of Loneliness

While we may be physically distant from each other, we do not have to be spiritually distant from Jesus Christ. You and I can use this unique time as an opportunity to “hear Him.”

All of us have experienced times of loneliness and isolation. This era of social distancing has brought a new sense of isolation that many of us never experienced before. I have grown to understand that while we may be physically distant from each other, we do not have to be spiritually distant from Jesus Christ. You and I can use this unique time as an opportunity to “hear Him.”

In the past few weeks, one of the things that I’ve felt very deeply, and in a new way, is the Lord’s voice through the scriptures. I have studied stories and parables of those who feel lost from the Lord. I have learned about the Savior’s individual love for each of us through the parables of the lost coin, the prodigal son, and the lost sheep (Luke 15). I feel particularly drawn to a verse in the parable of the prodigal son where the Lord expresses His love for those of us who feel lost. The Lord says, “For this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found” (Luke 15:24).

What I’ve come to feel in a deep, deep way is that the first part of the verse refers to our Savior: “For this my son was dead, and is alive again.” Our Savior lives! And because He lives, we are never lost. The second part of the verse states, “He was lost, and is found.” This part reminds me that because of our Savior’s sacrifice, we can always be found.

The scriptures have taught me that I am never truly lost, because the Father’s Son was dead and is alive again. I find great hope in the assurance that no one is ever lost to the Lord—no matter our circumstances, no matter how alone we may feel, no matter how much we may sense that we cannot connect with the world around us.

This understanding brings enhanced meaning to the new Church symbol President Nelson announced at general conference. We have the restored name of His Church—The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints—in a cornerstone. Of course, our cornerstone is the living Jesus Christ.

Jesus Christ reaches out to each of us. The living Christ, asking, inviting, calling to us in His own name and in His own voice, knowing that we’re never lost. We’re never alone. There are challenges, to be sure. But He’s always there because He lives and because He loves us. These are some of the most precious and sacred moments we have when we feel the Lord encircling us in His arms of love.

The new Church symbol reminds me that you and I are never truly isolated or alone, because we have access to the Savior of the world, Jesus Christ. Because He lived and died, we will never be alone. When we come to Him, His arms encircle us, His love encircles us, and we are more able to “hear Him” in our lives.

 

During this period of social distancing and COVID-19, I have felt the Savior beckon, “I see you. I know you. I love you.” When you truly know that He sees you, He knows you, and He loves you, you can understand that you are not isolated. You could never be isolated, because you have a knowledge of and a relationship with the living Son of God.

 

Elder Renlund, How I Hear Him through Personal Study and Prayer

Through the difficult challenges in my life, I have learned an important lesson about myself: my initial impulse sometimes has been to back away from personal, private acts of devotion that keep me connected to heaven. And yet I have learned this is the time when, instead of leaning back, I should lean in and do my utmost to continue seeking the Lord’s guidance. I’d like to share some life-altering experiences from my early family life that helped teach me this lesson.

 

A Prayer of Gratitude for Priesthood Power

Early in our marriage, my wife, Ruth, became ill with cancer. Our lives were shattered. For me, it was a time when it seemed as though the heavens were closed. I didn’t know how to take care of our 14-month-old baby girl, Ashley. I didn’t know how to get her to eat. Sometimes I fed her ice cream and soda. I had a hard time praying, because so many of our dreams were dashed and I was so worried about Ruth.

 

When Ruth came home from the hospital after her first treatment, she was so weak that she just lay on the bed. We had a pattern of saying evening prayer together. I was a coward and I called on her to pray that night. I’ll never forget the words that she said: “Heavenly Father, we thank Thee for priesthood power that makes it possible that no matter what happens, we can be together forever.”

 

It felt like the ceiling had cracked. The Spirit filled the room. I went from feeling like the heavens were closed to feeling like they were wide open, filling us with peace, joy, and comfort.

 

Feeding Ourselves Spiritually

That experience, and many others, taught me about the importance of feeding myself spiritually. When I am struggling or busy, I need to lean in and do my best to engage in personal revelation. Those are the times when I need heaven’s help most in determining my priorities.

 

I had an experience with this during my medical residency. My internship was overwhelmingly busy and exhausting. One Sunday, I knew that if I hurried home from work, I could go with Ruth and Ashley to church. They left at about 2:00 in the afternoon to go to our ward that met at 2:30. But, instead, I decided to stall on my way home from work. That way, I would just walk home and lie down for a nap. And I did that.

 

But when I got home and I lay down, I couldn’t sleep. I realized that the testimony and the zeal that had always been part of me weren’t there anymore. I remember getting off the couch, kneeling down, pleading for forgiveness, and pledging that I would change.

 

The next day, I took a paperback copy of the Book of Mormon to the hospital so I could read in the scriptures every day, no matter what. And some days it was not very much—but every day I read something. I made a list of things I would do, including praying at least twice a day and going to church if my schedule allowed. And then within just a couple of weeks, that zeal and warmth of my testimony were back. I shudder to think what would have happened if I’d continued down that course—if I had fallen asleep and found joy in skipping church. I believe our lives would have been very different.

 

How I Hear Him on a Daily Basis

In my daily life, I have found that I hear Him best when I have formulated a question. And I hear more clearly if that question is a yes-or-no question and I’m leaning one way more than the other. Often I hear Him most clearly when the answer is no—when it’s “Don’t do that” or “No, that’s not the right direction.”

 

The answers I receive are always in short, clipped statements, as opposed to something with a long explanation. I rarely, if ever, get a long explanation to any of the things where I hear the Holy Ghost whispering to me. It’s usually just short, clipped, terse—it’s an impression or thought. It’s occasionally a voice, but it is one that is always peaceful, calming, and reassuring.

 

The other thing that helps me hear Him is when I’m focused on someone else—when I have a question that relates to how I can help someone else. I’ve also learned that you should never suppress a generous thought. Often when a generous thought comes about doing something kind, I have learned to just do it. And it turns out that it was an inspired thought.

 

A Crucial Lesson for All of Us

When I first heard that the overarching theme of the Church in 2020 would be “Hear Him,” I immediately had the thought that the most crucial thing all of us can learn how to do is to hear our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ speaking to us through the Holy Ghost.

 

I believe that James 1:5 is more important now than ever. It reads “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him.”

 

In the age of COVID-19, we are in a unique situation. There is no rule book for navigating these challenging times. Each of us needs to plead for personal revelation and then act on it. And once we have received that revelation, then we will know what to do. The revelation we receive will always be framed and supported by scriptures, by the words of living prophets, and by the direction we receive from our local leaders. But within that context, there is so much variation that God will inspire us as to how we should live our lives.

 

I believe that personal revelation has never been more crucial for our lives than in 2020. I hope that each of us can have personal revelatory experiences this year that teach us how to hear Him.

 

 

Elder Uchtdorf, I “Hear Him” by Feeling His Love for Me

As a young child living in East Germany, I had the great privilege of being assigned to pump air into our organ during our Church meetings. Back then, organs were not electric and required air to be manually pumped into the pipes. I remember being about 10 years old and intently watching the conductor for signals about whether I should pump faster or slower. While the congregation sang our beloved hymns of the Restoration, I pumped with all my strength so the organ would not run out of wind.

 

There was an additional benefit that came from this assignment: I sat in a seat that offered a great view of a stained-glass window that beautified the front part of the chapel. The stained glass portrayed the First Vision, with Joseph Smith kneeling in the Sacred Grove, looking up toward heaven and into a pillar of light. Seeing this window with our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, gave me a glimpse of what it feels like to hear Him. Here I was, a little boy in post–World War II Germany, and yet I felt very close to our Savior, Jesus Christ.

 

I Hear Him by Feeling the Savior’s Love for Me

As I think back on that experience and countless other experiences in my life, I realize that my most personal experiences with hearing the Lord’s voice have come when I think about how much I love the Savior and, in turn, feel His love for me.

 

This love creates a connection—it opens a door—that allows me to feel the power of the Holy Ghost. All of a sudden, then I hear His voice because I’m on that bridge that was opened by the Savior’s love for me and my love for Him. Often, things will come to my mind that I have heard or felt before. Over time, I have learned that if I’m not feeling grateful, then I struggle to hear His voice. But when I am able to recognize all that the Lord has given me, I hear His voice more clearly.

 

I’ve seen this in my professional life as well as my family life. There were times as a child, as a teenager, and as an adult when I faced moments when I didn’t know what to do. So I would find a quiet spot to connect with Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, by the gift of the Holy Ghost. Then, all of a sudden, a stream of answers would come to me that helped me face the situation I was in.

 

I have the same experience today as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. Some have asked me, “Does the Lord speak to you all the time?” I answer that He speaks to me in the same way He’s spoken to me all my life—by the gift of the Holy Ghost. And I have learned that it is when I am focusing on the love He has for me and my love for Him that I hear Him. This process carries me to answers and responses from Him, which I’ve needed all my life.

 

I “Hear Him” in All Languages

As many of you know, German is my native language. As a boy, I also learned Russian, which was my first foreign language. Later, when I became a pilot, I found out that I had to learn English. At home, Harriet and I speak German. Our prayers are in German. Many of our grandchildren speak German as well. But with our great-grandchildren and the wives of our grandchildren, we have to speak English. And, of course, my Church assignments require me to speak English.

 

What I have learned is that I feel and hear the voice of the Lord in any language. The voice of the Lord transcends the language we speak. Even though I often pray in German, I don’t know whether the answers come in German, but they do come to me. And when I pray in English, the answers come too.

 

I Hear Him by Partaking of the Sacrament

During the COVID-19 pandemic, I have had the unique opportunity of blessing the sacrament in my own home, like many of you have. This experience brings a huge, wonderful, and warm feeling of gratitude that completely overcomes me. This gratitude opens the door to a space where I can hear Him more clearly.

 

As I sit there, blessing and partaking of the sacrament, I feel drawn to the Savior and I ponder what He means to me. I realize that through Him, through His gracious and wonderful gift, I can experience a remission of all my shortcomings. I have learned that these are moments when I really hear Him. The Spirit teaches me what I need to do and what I need to change in my life. These moments have become very sacred for Harriet and me.

 

A Lifelong Blessing

In my life, I have lived through World War II. I lived through divided Germany. I was a refugee twice. But throughout all of that, I have relied on my firm belief that there is a God in heaven, there is a Jesus Christ, there is a Holy Ghost, and there is a restored gospel of Jesus Christ.

 

When we follow the invitation to hear the Savior’s voice in our lives, there is no reason to fear the future. There is always hope because of Jesus Christ. He will be with us and guide us through our most difficult times as we seek to hear Him.

 

Elder Bednar, “Hear Him” in Your Heart and in Your Mind

 

When I yearn for the companionship of the Holy Ghost by turning off distractions and making time for precious moments of spiritual subtleness, I see with new eyes and hear with new ears.

I find the word “Hear” fascinating.

 

This word is used many times in the scriptures, and I do not believe it refers solely to physiological hearing with natural ears. Rather, it is hearing with the mind and hearing with the heart. How do I hear the voice of Jesus Christ, not necessarily by words or sounds alone, but “Hear Him” in my mind and in my heart? (See Doctrine and Covenants 8: 1-4)

 

I would like to describe several important lessons that I have learned about appropriately striving to “Hear Him.”

 

I Hear Him in Many Different Ways

As I reflect on patterns that help me to “Hear Him, I remember that revelations are conveyed through the Holy Ghost in a variety of ways, including dreams, visions, inspiration, and conversations with heavenly messengers (e.g., Joseph Smith’s First Vision). Some revelations are received immediately and intensely, some are recognized gradually and subtly.

 

I Hear Him by Pressing Forward in Service

Hearing Him and receiving inspiration typically occur when I am following Him and acting in accordance with what He has instructed me to do. For example, I find that as I am ministering to an individual, I more readily recognize inspired thoughts and feelings about the needs of that particular person. Acting in accordance with the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ is an expression of our faith in Him, and pressing forward in service is an invitation to receive inspiration.

 

I Hear Him through Righteous Music

I love to sing the hymn, “How Firm a Foundation.” Nobody on the planet sings more terribly than I do. But the combination of the stirring music and the words to the hymn help me to learn about grace and the strengthening power of the Savior’s Atonement in a powerful way. The hymns that I love the most focus on the restoration and teach powerful doctrinal lessons. And in those messages, in both the music and the lyrics, you can “Hear Him.” For me, music often is a channel for the voice of the Lord.

 

I Hear Him through the Scriptures and Sincere Prayer

I cannot think of anything more important in this day than having the promise that I can hear Him, that I can receive His guidance, His reassurance, and His protection in my life. Hearing Him is not complicated but is spiritually demanding and takes time. One of the ways that I can hear Him is in the scriptures. The scriptures are the pre-recorded voice of the Lord. It is not hearing an audible voice per se, although that can happen. It is hearing the scriptures in a feeling—a feeling in my mind, a feeling in my heart. For me, the scriptures are key in receiving and recognizing those thoughts and feelings.

 

Even in a busy, fast-paced world, where many voices beckon for our attention, I can “be still,” and “Hear Him.” As I strive to hear His voice in the scriptures, as I pray sincerely—not just saying prayers, but praying with a sincere heart and real intent—then according to the Lord’s will and timing I can be blessed in marvelous ways.

 

I Hear Him Through the Holy Ghost

I have learned over time that one of the great blessings of striving to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost is that I can see myself as I really am. Such experiences are both painful and joyful. By the power of the Holy Ghost, thoughts come to my mind and feelings to my heart that can help me to see things that are going well and the things that I need to improve and do better. The Holy Ghost enables me to see the good, the bad, and the opportunities to improve that I otherwise would never see.

 

I Hear Him by Recording Spiritual Impressions

Elder Richard G. Scott once taught me that spiritual knowledge, properly recorded, is available in times of need. As I record what I feel in my heart and the thoughts that come to my mind by the power of the Holy Ghost, it is like writing on “small plates” – my personal sacred writings. It is a pattern of hearing Him and recording the things that will help me to always remember what He said.

 

Perfection is Not Required to Hear Him

I think sometimes expectations get in the way. Pressing forward and doing my best does not require immediate perfection. Sometimes, I may think that a very dramatic spiritual impression is going to come. But most often His messages to me are quiet, subtle, and small. If I expect a big answer and I receive a series of small answers, I may not recognize them. And if I expect a loud answer and I receive many soft ones, I may not recognize them.

 

We also sometimes might feel unworthy or wonder, “was that just me or was that the spirit of the Lord?” “Was that an impression from the Holy Ghost?” The Spirit of the Lord always invites and entices God’s children to do good, to be good, and to become better. As we consistently do our best to remember and honor our covenants and keep the commandments, things work out. I do not have to be perfect; rather, I simply need to do my best and press forward on the covenant path.

 

As my desire to “Hear Him” increases, as I strive to live the restored gospel and work to overcome worldly distractions, and as I make time for simple moments of pondering and prayer, I am blessed by the power of the Holy Ghost to see with new eyes and “Hear Him” with new ears.

 

I Hear Him by Approaching Him with Prayer and Faith

 

Henry B. Eyring, Second Counselor

 

Receiving guidance from the Holy Ghost will take more than casual listening and reading. You will need to pray and work in faith to put the words of truth down into your heart. You must pray that God will bless you with His Spirit, that He will lead you into all truth and show you the right way.

 

I Hear Him through the Power of the Restoration

I have found in my life that human judgment and logical thinking will not be enough to get answers to the questions that matter most. I need revelation from God. And we need not just one revelation in a time of stress, but a constantly renewed stream. We need not just one flash of light and comfort, but the continuing blessing of communication with God.

 

I Hear Him by Following the Pattern of the First Vision

The First Vision also offered a pattern I use to hear the voice of the Lord. Joseph Smith began and continued his ministry with the realization that his own wisdom was not sufficient to know what course he should pursue. He followed a pattern we can all follow to qualify for continuing personal revelation:

•        He studied the words God had already revealed in the scriptures.

•        He pondered what he had read and felt.

•        He returned to the scriptures often and carefully.

•        Out of the faith he gained by studying and pondering, he resolved to pray.

•        When revelation came, he received truth and light, lived the truth he had been given, and sought more truth.

•        He returned to the scriptures again and received further revelation from God, which he wrote down.

•        He continued to pray and obey, thus receiving even further light and instructions.

My challenge is to act so that I can receive the messages of truth Heavenly Father is ready to send to me as revelation and to recognize what He has already sent. Pondering the scriptures leads me to ask the right questions in prayer. And just as surely as the heavens were opened to Joseph Smith after he pondered the scriptures in faith, God will answer your prayers and He will lead you by the hand.

 

Anyone Can Hear Him through the Promise of the Holy Ghost

In the same way that making wise choices takes an “uphill” effort, in order to know God’s will I must be committed to do it. The words “Thy will be done” (Matthew 6:10), written in the heart, are the window to revelation. The answer comes by the Holy Spirit, and I need that guidance often. To have the Holy Ghost as my companion, I must be worthy, cleansed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ. So my obedience to the commandments, my desire to do His will, and my asking in faith will determine how clearly the Master can guide me by answers to my prayers.

 

Hear Him by Eliminating Distraction

There will be noise and people around you most of your waking day. God hears your silent prayers, but you may have to learn to shut out the distractions, because the moment you need the connection with God may not come in quiet times. You will not survive spiritually without the protection of the companionship of the Holy Ghost in your daily life. You must pray for it and work to have it. Only with that guide will you be able to find your way along the strait and narrow path through the mists of evil.

Receiving guidance from the Holy Ghost will take more than casual listening and reading. You will need to pray and work in faith to put the words of truth down into your heart. You must pray that God will bless you with His Spirit, that He will lead you into all truth and show you the right way.

 

Elder D. Todd Christofferson, I Hear Him through Prayer, Pondering, and Trusting in Him

 

In the Sacred Grove, Joseph Smith gave a very simple but powerful example of how to hear the voice of the Lord and how to seek wisdom and guidance from God. We can all strive to go to the Lord in prayer regularly. Heavenly Father has given us all what we call the Light of Christ—that sense of truth and right and wrong—to guide us. As I seek Him, He gives me what I need according to His wisdom, love, and understanding of my needs and according to my preparation to receive what He is willing to share with me. I would like to share with you several ways that I have learned to “hear Him.”

 

I Hear Him through Sincere Desire

I hope that everyone can understand that there is not a “perfect prayer.” We do not have to follow a specific kind of pattern or verbiage. The one thing that is required is the heart—the real desire to receive what the Lord would have us receive. Our commitment to act on His promptings is what really draws forth His voice and His direction.

 

Even when you are being as sincere as is possible, you may not get the immediate response from the Lord that you were expecting. It comes at His discretion and according to His will. We must be sincere, having the patience and the humility to wait for God to respond, as Joseph did. Sometimes we wait a long time; other times it is almost instantaneous.

 

I Hear Him When I Am Willing to Trust His Timing

When I was a teenager, I had the chance to be at the Sacred Grove in Palmyra, New York. I was participating in the Hill Cumorah Pageant that was presented at that time in the summer. After the performance one evening, I went alone to the Sacred Grove. It was a very pleasant and quiet summer evening in July, and a beautiful moon was shining down. I entered the grove alone and thought, “This is really the perfect setting for me to pray and to receive the kinds of answers that Joseph Smith received here in this very place.”

 

I prayed with deep sincerity for a long time and wanted a similar confirmation. I thought I was humble in the sense that I said, “However you want to respond is fine with me.” But nothing came—no response. I finally left disappointed, not knowing what I had done wrong.

 

About six weeks later, I was home reading in the Book of Mormon, pondering a little in a quiet moment, when there came flooding over me that confirming spirit. I learned from that experience that you cannot tell God how and when He should respond to your prayers. You have to say, “I am always open. I am always ready. I am always willing to hear.”

 

We Can Hear Him Wherever We Are

My Sacred Grove experience also taught me that I did not have to be in any special place or make a pilgrimage to some special location to receive a witness of the Spirit and an answer to my prayer, just as you do not have to go to Jerusalem to get a witness of Jesus Christ and His Atonement and Resurrection. I learned from that experience that the location is quite immaterial and the Lord can find us wherever we are.

 

I Hear Him by Writing Down My Experiences

My former mission president, Elder Richard G. Scott, used to say to us as missionaries, “When you get communications from the Spirit … write it down, make a record. It is important to remember it.” When we wrote down what we had received, Elder Scott encouraged us to pray and ask, “Have I captured it, and is there anything more?” More often than not, there was more. It was the springboard to additional communication from the Lord. That is a process that I found indeed helps me to hear His voice, remember it, and then hear more.

 

Remembering the communications that have come when you have heard Him does two things. It refreshes the spiritual direction that has come to you, but it also brings back the feelings of that moment. It brings back the things you experienced in that moment, and the witness of the Spirit that was present returns again and reaffirms what happened, whenever that might have been. When you write down your impressions, you have more to build on and can develop a deeper, broader foundation.

 

I Hear Him through Pondering and Quiet Reflection

In our culture, there is so much noise and distraction that you have to intentionally work to find that quiet time regularly. A prayer in which you are the only one speaking shuts off the communication coming the other way. There has to be time to meditate and think and ponder as well as speak.

 

I would hope no one would look at someone who seems to have an open conduit into heaven and feel discouraged or think, “Well, that is not my experience. I will never have that.” Just keep striving, and over time you will increase and enhance your ability both to receive and to understand what comes to you. I do not think any of us ought to compare ourselves to someone else in that regard.

 

In the Book of Mormon, the Savior said: “I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time. Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again” (3 Nephi 17:2–3).

 

That is like all of us. We are often weak, certainly in comparison to Him. We cannot immediately understand everything that He has to give us or that is appropriate for Him to speak at a given moment, and that is all right. He did not condemn the people; He just said, “Go to your homes, ponder it, ask the Father, and prepare your minds to faithfully receive more.”

 

If faith becomes a struggle, it is something you can ask for, just as the man who sought the blessing for his child said, “Help thou mine unbelief” (Mark 9:24). We ought to ask for the spiritual gift of faith to believe and seek the knowledge that He is willing to give us, diligently following the path that He has outlined. This applies to every person in the world. He does answer, and we can hear Him.

 

Elder Neil L. Anderson, I Hear Him through Sincere Prayer and Reflection

 

Honest, sincere, personal prayer opens the window to revelation from our Heavenly Father. Trying to listen to the quiet impressions of the Spirit and promising my Heavenly Father that I will be more attentive to those things seems to bring a greater ability for me to hear Him.

 

Sometimes the Holy Spirit is so unforgettable that the memory may never leave you. President M. Russell Ballard spoke about a special prompting he felt as a missionary 70 years ago and has never forgotten. Those are powerful, defining memories. Many times receiving heavenly guidance is like that. Other times it is quick and sure but not nearly as intensive. Here are some of the ways I currently hear Him.

 

I Hear Him When I Am Willing to Change

One of my favorite scriptures is “Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers” (Doctrine and Covenants 112:10). I find that I hear Him most strongly when I come before Him with humility, true honesty, a willingness to let Him prevail, and a desire to become more than I am through change and repentance.

 

I have found that in my own life, when a loved one or a friend suggests things that I need to change, the natural man inside of me sometimes responds first: “You are not seeing it from my point of view. Who are you to judge?” However, when I kneel humbly before my Heavenly Father and ask in the depth of sincerity, “Father, what do I need to change? Where am I lacking?” a calm feeling comes upon me. And at the appropriate time, I hear Him and the truth penetrates my heart. At times it is uncomfortable. But if I do not reject the spiritual insight, hearing His honesty with me allows me to be honest with myself.

 

Real change rarely happens in a day, but with time, we can become more like we want to be. As I hear Him and act on the spiritual direction I receive from Him, He showers His Spirit and His approval upon me. There is nothing better than feeling His Spirit and approval.

 

I Hear Him through Sincere Prayer and Reflection

Many years ago, I had a difficult situation. At the time, I was working with President James E. Faust, who was then in the First Presidency. I took the problem to him because I knew he could solve it. After I asked for his advice about the problem, rather than just giving me the answer, he said to me, “Well, Neil, have you prayed about it?” I told him I had prayed about it. Then he paused as if I was not understanding him, and he said, “Have you prayed all night like Enos prayed?” I had to admit I had not done that. And he said, “When you do that, you will have your answer.” He was right—when I prayed for an extensive period of time, the answer came clearly.

 

I try to pray every morning: “Heavenly Father, if there is something I can do for Thee, please allow me to do it.” Then as I go through my day, I pay attention to things around me. It might be someone who needs financial help or someone who just needs a good word of encouragement or simply a thank-you. Knowing that the Lord will prompt me keeps me more attuned to listening to that Spirit inside of me so that I actually do the things I am prompted to do.

 

Hear Him through the Influence of My Wife

I also receive promptings by listening to the spiritual counsel of my wife. I had a mission president who referred to his wife as his “eternal passport.” This rings true for me as well because my wife, Kathy, is very much influenced by the power of the Holy Ghost, and it would be foolish for me not to listen carefully to her. I have found that having the Spirit of the Lord with me very much depends on how I interact with my precious, dear companion. If I want to feel the Spirit of the Lord strongly in my life, then I need to be responsive to her, quick to listen to her, and slow to be impatient with her. Now that we have been married 46 years, I have learned it in great abundance. I knew it after we had been married for a year, but after 46 years, it is in my DNA. My relationship with Kathy has influenced my ability to have the Spirit with me and to hear Him more than any other thing in my life.

 

I Hear Him through Repentance and Eternal Progression

None of us are perfect, and we all make mistakes in this life. We all have weaknesses, and becoming like the Savior is a high mountain to climb. My experience is that while the Lord is very honest with me, He is also very willing to forgive me. So when a correction comes, I cannot expect forgiveness in the next breath. I know if I am sorrowful and repentant for what I have done, the Lord quickly showers His love upon me and lets me know I am heading in the right direction. One of the things I learn about the Godhead, as I come to know Them well, is that Their love is well beyond our love and Their ability to forgive is well beyond our ability to forgive. Their desire to bring happiness to us far surpasses our willingness to bring happiness to others.

 

President Russell M. Nelson said, “Nothing is more liberating, more ennobling, or more crucial to our individual progression than is a regular, daily focus on repentance.”1 In my prayers, I try to review the happenings of my day, asking myself: Did my actions reveal honesty and unselfishness? What thoughts and emotions do I need to better control? How could I have been more kind, more loving, more forgiving and merciful, more helpful to those in need? I also try to ask the positive questions: Where did I see the Lord’s hand in my life? Where did I make progress? Where did I follow the example of the Savior? I then pause and quietly listen. The Holy Ghost confirms our Heavenly Father’s love for me and assures me that my small steps of progress are helping me to come unto Him.

 

Honest, sincere, personal prayer opens the window to revelation from our Heavenly Father. Trying to listen to the quiet impressions of the Spirit and promising my Heavenly Father that I will be more attentive to those things seem to bring a greater ability for me to hear Him.

 

Note

 

1. Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” general conference, Apr. 2019.

 

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