Elder and Sister Craig C. Christensen of the Seventy
Tuesday devotional, July 10, 2018
Elder and Sister Craig C. Christensen of the Presidency of the Seventy, July 10, 2018
Sister Christensen:
- I am now part of the over 60 crowd.
- There are 2 great truths that guide my life now.
- The first truth is that Jesus is the Christ. I know I can repent and start over and that I am receiving of His mercy every day. I repent every day. He has opened the door for me. Repentance equals joy.
- The second great truth is that Joseph Smith was and is the prophet of the restoration. Read D&C 135:3. Joseph has done more. The Priesthood restoration came through him. He sent the Book of Mormon to the four corners of the world. I will always bless the name of Joseph Smith. This gospel is the way home.
Elder Christensen:
- There are more prayers offered per square inch of property at the Provo Missionary Training Center than anywhere else on earth. :o)
- Sister missionaries are the Lord’s secret weapons! (sorry, elders)
- He had a sister in his mission that was having phenomenal success is a very difficult area. He asked her three times what she was doing that other missionaries didn’t do. Each time she just gave him a huge smile. Finally, he said, “Please tell me the secret of your great success.” She said, “President, can you resist my smile?”
- President Russell M. Nelson recently said that two great prophecies are yet to be fulfilled 1) gathering of Israel 2) the Second Coming. We can help with the first one.
- He gave insight into the missionary purpose:
- FAITH in Jesus — Take a few steps into the darkness, faith in Jesus is not only the first principle of the gospel but the last also. See Alma 7:14. Faith is a principle of power and action. It must be centered in Jesus. President Nelson has admonished us to only use the words ‘faith’ and ‘atonement’ in conjunction with the words ‘Jesus Christ’. The do not stand independent of Him.
- REPENT & BE BAPTIZED — What does it mean to be converted? It is not an end result but a process. How do we teach repentance? Invite people to ACT. Repent means to turn to God with contrition. How do we repent after baptism? Focus on the temple. Get on the covenant path. Sincere repentance leads to conversion and becoming a new creature in Christ.
- GIFT OF THE HOLY GHOST — difference between influence and gift? See Doctrine and Covenants 8:2-3. We will never fully appreciate or know the price that the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve pay to receive revelation.
- ENDURE TO THE END — 2 Nephi 31:19-21. He recently met up with a former missionary companion that he had not seen for 25 years. We were immediately drawn back to the sweet days we spent together. Nothing negative was considered or spoken of — only the joys of missionary work.
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