Church guide

Elder Neil L. Andersen Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles We embrace President Nelson as we would have embraced Peter or Moses if we had lived in their day. God told Moses, “I will be with thy mouth, and teach thee what thou shalt say.” We listen to the Lord’s prophet with the faith that his words are “from [the Lord’s] own mouth.” Is this blind faith? No, it is not. We each have a spiritual witness of the truthfulness of the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. By our own will and choice, we raised our hand this morning, declaring our desire to sustain the Lord’s prophet with our “confidence, faith, and prayer[s]” and to follow his counsel. We have the privilege as Latter-day Saints to receive a personal witness that President Nelson’s call is from God. While my wife, Kathy, has known President Nelson personally for nearly three decades and has no question about his divine mantle, upon his setting apart, she began reading all his general conference talks of the past 34 years, praying for an even deeper assurance of his prophetic role. I promise you that this greater witness will come to you as you humbly and worthily seek it. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/the-prophet-of-god?lang=eng

President Henry B. Eyring First Counselor in the First Presidency My purpose tonight is to build your faith that God directs you in your service to Him. And even more importantly, my hope is to build your faith that the Lord is inspiring the imperfect persons He has called as your leaders…. Your leader in the Lord’s Church may seem to you weak and human or may appear to you strong and inspired. The fact is that every leader is a mixture of those traits and more. What helps servants of the Lord who are called to lead us is when we can see them as the Lord did when He called them. The Lord sees His servants perfectly. He sees their potential and their future. And He knows how their very nature can be changed. He also knows how they can be changed by their experiences with the people they will lead. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/the-lord-leads-his-church?lang=eng

President Deiter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency …just because spiritual trials are real does not mean that they are incurable. We can heal spiritually. Even the deepest spiritual wounds—yes, even those that may appear to be incurable—can be healed. My dear friends, the healing power of Jesus Christ is not absent in our day. The Savior’s healing touch can transform lives in our day just as it did in His. If we will but have faith, He can take our hands, fill our souls with heavenly light and healing, and speak to us the blessed words, “Rise, take up thy bed, and walk.” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/bearers-of-heavenly-light?lang=eng

Stephen W. Owen Young Men General President You who are preparing for full-time missions and you who are returning, take note! It is not enough just to gain a testimony; you have to maintain it and strengthen it. As every missionary knows, if you stop pedaling a bicycle, it will fall, and if you stop feeding your testimony, it will weaken. This same principle applies to repentance—it is a lifelong pursuit, not a once-in-a-lifetime experience. To all who seek forgiveness—the youth, young single adults, parents, grandparents, and yes, even great-grandparents—I invite you to come home. Now is the time to begin. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/repentance-is-always-positive?lang=eng

President Dieter F. Uchtdorf Second Counselor in the First Presidency When you walk the path of discipleship—when you move toward Heavenly Father—there is something within you that will confirm that you have heard the call of the Savior and set your heart toward the light. It will tell you that you are on the right path and that you are returning home. Since the beginning of time, God’s prophets have urged the people of their day to “hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, … keep his commandments and his statutes … , [and] turn unto [Him] with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.” The scriptures teach us a thousand reasons why we should do this. Today, let me offer two reasons why we should turn to the Lord. First, your life will be better. Second, God will use you to make the lives of others better. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/a-yearning-for-home?lang=eng

President Henry B. Eyring First Counselor in the First Presidency As soon as we accept the Lord’s invitation “Walk with me,” the nature of our priesthood service changes. It becomes all at once higher and nobler but also more achievable, because we know that we are not alone. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/walk-with-me?lang=eng

Elder Neil L. Andersen Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles For decades, I have remembered the words: “These are they who have overcome the world.” . . . Those who overcome the world develop an all-encompassing love for our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. . . . “We love him, because he first loved us.” . . . Overcoming the world is not one defining moment in a lifetime, but a lifetime of moments that define an eternity. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/overcoming-the-world?lang=eng

Elder Valeri V. Cordón Of the Seventy I would like to emphasize not any particular earthly language but rather an eternal language that must be preserved in our families and never lost. I speak of the language of the gospel of Jesus Christ. By “language of the gospel,” I mean all the teachings of our prophets, our obedience to those teachings, and our following righteous traditions. https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/04/the-language-of-the-gospel?lang=eng

Elder Peter F. Meurs Of the Seventy The Savior taught: “This shall ye always do to those who repent and are baptized in my name; and ye shall do it in remembrance of my blood, which I have shed for you, that ye may witness unto the Father that ye do always remember me. And if ye do always remember me ye shall have my Spirit to be with you” (3 Nephi 18:11). I invite all of us to consider five ways to increase the impact and power of our regular participation in the sacred ordinance of the sacrament, an ordinance that can help us become holy. . . . Elder David A. Bednar taught: “The ordinance of the sacrament is a holy and repeated invitation to repent sincerely and to be renewed spiritually. The act of partaking of the sacrament, in and of itself, does not remit sins. But as we prepare conscientiously and participate in this holy ordinance with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, then the promise is that we may always have the Spirit of the Lord to be with us. And by the sanctifying power of the Holy Ghost as our constant companion, we can always retain a remission of our sins.” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/10/the-sacrament-can-help-us-become-holy?lang=eng

President Dieter F Uchtdorf . . . in our efforts to help our loved ones experience the voice of the Spirit and the vast, eternal, and profound beauty of the gospel of Jesus Christ, telling them to “listen harder” may not be the most helpful way. Perhaps better advice—for anyone who wants to increase faith—is to listen differently. The Apostle Paul encourages us to seek the voice that speaks to our spirit, not just to our ears. He taught, “The person without the Spirit does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God but considers them foolishness, and cannot understand them because they are discerned only through the Spirit.” Or perhaps we should consider the words of Saint-Exupéry’s Little Prince, who said: “One sees clearly only with the heart. Anything essential is invisible to the eyes.” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/10/fourth-floor-last-door?lang=eng S

Sister Mary R. Durham reminds us Elder David A. Bednar said: “The simplicity of [confirmation] may cause us to overlook its significance. These four words—‘Receive the Holy Ghost’—are not a passive pronouncement; rather, they constitute a priesthood injunction—an authoritative admonition to act and not simply to be acted upon.” https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2016/04/a-childs-guiding-gift?lang=eng

https://youtu.be/Pz00iuorG2Q

Having the companionship of the Spirit will make us better people. “It will whisper peace and joy to [our] souls, … it will take malice, hatred, envying, strife, and all evil from [our] hearts; and [our] whole desire will be to do good, bring forth righteousness, and build up the kingdom of God” (see Teachings: Joseph Smith, 98). With the influence of the Holy Ghost, we will not be offended, nor will we offend others; we will feel happier, and our minds will be cleaner. Our love for others will increase. We will be more willing to forgive and spread happiness to those around us. "I would like to suggest that each of you participate in a spiritual exercise sometime soon, perhaps even tonight while saying your prayers. Humbly ask the Lord the following question: “What is keeping me from progressing?” In other words: “What lack I yet?” Then wait quietly for a response. If you are sincere, the answer will soon become clear. It will be revelation intended just for you." Elder Francisco J. Vinas https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2015/10/the-pleasing-word-of-god?lang=eng

Official commentary and First Presidency letter regarding leadership handbook changes. http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/commentary-understanding-the-handbook

" '. . . Many of the things you can count, do not count. Many of the things you cannot count really do count.' " . . . Do [our goals] look impressive from a distance but fail to address the real needs of our fellowman?" President Dieter F. Uchtdorf http://youtu.be/Ko2zw0cBCCs

In this conversation on temples, Elder William R. Walker offers understanding of the importance and significance of temples in our lives. http://youtu.be/vGN9Mg-KnMY

Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles answers four questions about prayer: Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles answers four questions about prayer: How can I make daily prayer more meaningful? How do you have the Spirit with you when you pray? How often should we pray? What if we don’t get an answer to our prayers when we want it or need it? http://view.email.ldschurch.org/?j=fefa1677736006&m=fe8a1372756d06747d&ls=fe621670766006757613&l=ff2816747c6c&s=fe9b16717467027f70&jb=ff5f107871&ju=fec7127775670778&r=0

"Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." October 2008, President Thomas S. Monson said, "Send that note to the friend you’ve been neglecting; give your child a hug; give your parents a hug; say 'I love you' more; always express your thanks. Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved. Friends move away, children grow up, loved ones pass on. It’s so easy to take others for granted, until that day when they’re gone from our lives and we are left with feelings of 'what if' and 'if only.' " Be able to say, “I’m glad I did.”

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2eMJ6ZDCAp4

2013 Mormon Tabernacle Choir Christmas Concert exerpts. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wkDeFtHD5nA