President and Sister Russell M. Nelson, President of the Quorum of the Twelve
Tuesday devotional, November 7, 2017
Sister Wendy Nelson:
- The Holy Spirit is the teacher.
- In August 1989, 2 million people in eastern European countries under Soviet domination formed a human chain. It was called the Baltic Way. The chain stretched for over 375 miles. They were expressing their solidarity against Soviet rule. The world was moved by the Baltic Way.
- What if we had a chain of covenant keeping people, how many would join hands?
- Keep your covenants to gain greater access to the power of God.
- Keep the covenants with PRECISION.
President Nelson:
- Your music is your gift to us.
- Missionaries are living epistles of the Lord.
- Each disciple can be as Paul described, with the love of the Lord embedded in the fleshy tables of the heart.
- The church and the general authorities have three objectives:
- To gather scattered Israel
- To be sealed as families
- To prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Savior.
- The church has grown from 600,000 to 16 million in President Nelson’s lifetime.
- There were 15,000 missionaries in 1971, there are now 75,000.
- Modifications to the process will occur, but the three main goals will not change.
- Moses 1:39 — Heavenly Father yearns for our safe return to Him.
- We must maintain His quickened pace!
- What was the compelling reason that the missionary age was dropped? So that more youth would have the opportunity to serve and more youth would remain faithful.
- The Lord provided the way for that miracle to happen (handle the influx of missionaries).
- The Lord has provided the automobile, airplanes, and many other inventions.
- “The world will be a better place BECAUSE OF YOU!”
- But we need more youth living righteously.
- The laws of God must be embedded in our inward parts.
- We should have the doctrine of Christ engraven in our hearts.
- We should have the light of Christ in our eyes.
- Let people feel of your goodness. Listen and heed.
- Obedience will provide protection and guidance. Missions are exercises in obedience training.
- Exact obedience brings miracles, obedience brings blessings, disobedience brings consequences.
- Repentance leads to devout disciples.
- Pornography is endemic in our world. All of the stripling warriors were injured but none died. In our day, many of our warriors are injured (have viewed porn) but they need not die spiritually. Remember what the Savior said to the woman taken in adultery – go and sin no more, but I do not condemn you. He said, “As oft as they repent, I will forgive them”.
- Protection and strength are available.
- The Lord is not disappointed in anyone who is repenting.
- Our desires for you? That you will have testimonies written in your hearts.
- If you only have 1 convert on your mission, let it be YOU!
- We are not sales persons as missionaries – this is your own personal journey of discipleship, your own experience with the doctrine of Christ.
- The “success” of your mission will not be manifested in the field. The true measure of your success will be when multi-generational members of the church go the temple, the ones you influenced on your mission.
- Come home and be parents of FAITH.
- You can do hard things. With God nothing is impossible. We have immense trust in you!
Click here to return to the General Authority speakers index
Click here to return to the MTC index page