Elder & Sister Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Tuesday devotional, April 23, 2019
Tuesday devotional, Elder and Sister Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 23, 2019:
Sister Renlund:
- You are about to embark on the greatest adventure of your life so far.
- The Savior wants us to change, and to come and follow Him. We need to take upon us His name.
- If we follow Him, we can inherit all that He has.
- Chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel teaches us that the obtaining of Christ-like attributes is a gift from God. We can only develop these attributes with help from God.
- Study and seek these attributes daily, one-by-one, but remember that these attributes do not stand alone. They are an integrated whole. These attributes come to us as we serve others and serve God.
- Righteous action is motivated by love of God.
- Each week we witness unto the Father that we will take upon ourselves the name of Christ. We are His disciples.
- She told the story about President Nelson having an endowed ‘chair’ named after him at the University of Utah School of Medicine. The first recipient of the chair said that his combative and aggressive nature in the operating changed after he realized that he was representing President Nelson, and that President Nelson had the reputation of kindness and dignity in the operating room when he was a surgeon years ago.
- Sister Renlund said that she feels the same way about President Nelson. When she is with him or around him, she wants to be like him.
- We are linked to the Savior; we should act as He would act in all situations.
- We need to take upon ourselves His name, endure to the end, and be SAVED!
- Focus on the Savior and His attributes. He is our ‘agent of change’!
Elder Renlund
- I, of myself, am not special, but He whose apostle I am is VERY special.
- My wife is a bold, courageous missionary. People like me much better if they have met my wife first.
- All of you have been called of God and called by prophecy. You are assigned to your specific missions by apostolic keys.
- God has enlisted your help. Your part in this great work is SIGNIFICANT! He needs your help in gathering Israel.
- A review of Israel and the promises made to Israel:
- Abraham was baptized, received the Melchizedek Priesthood, was given a celestial marriage, was blessed with covenants to his posterity, and was promised that Christ would come through his lineage, and was promised certain areas of land.
- These covenants and promises were called ‘the Abrahamic Covenant’.
- Isaac was the father of Jacob (Israel) and Israel had 12 sons.
- The family ended up in Egypt, twelve tribes ensued, and Moses eventually led them out of Egypt and returned them to Palestine.
- The tribes were eventually scattered due to rebellion and unrighteousness.
- The tribes were scattered throughout the world.
- All countries are blessed by the presence of the Lord’s chosen people.
- Joseph Smith and Oliver Cowdery were given the keys of the gathering of Israel.
- How is Israel to be gathered? By their accepting Jesus Christ.
- It is not enough to be a descendant. Even descendants must be baptized and make covenants. This applies to ALL, according to Jeremiah 16. The days will arrive when people no longer talk of the ‘old’ miracles, but of the ‘new’ miracles. You missionaries are part of the ‘new’ miracle.
- You are bringing Israel again to Christ, you are the hunters and fishers. Look everywhere!
- By being baptized you can become the SEED of Abraham.
- Where Is Israel gathered? To stakes and districts, wards and branches.
- The gathering includes temple covenants and receiving the Holy Ghost
- Baptism and membership in the church are TWO SEPARATE things. Membership in the Church is a vehicle for progression. As missionaries, your purpose is to baptize converts and to STRENGTHEN and BUILD the church.
- D&C 107 speaks of ‘special witnesses’. Verse 33 of that section mentions that the Twelve are a traveling Presiding Council with the divine mandate to build up the Church. Verse 34 states that the Seventy are also to build up the church. The Twelve and the Seventy are not acting alone. YOU are part of this apostolic work to build up the Church.
- The church helps members to stay on the covenant path. Alma chapter 4 speaks of establishing the church more fully. They were baptized and built up the church. Helaman 3:24-26 also says they established the church and were baptized.
- I give you an assignment to look in Mosiah 25 and 3 Nephi 28 to find this same pattern of baptism and establishing the church. This is a two-step plan.
- You can inherit and be guaranteed EVERYTHING or NOTHING
- Preach My Gospel page 10 speaks of establishing the church. Page 223 talks of not just coming “into” the church but building it up.
- Encourage converts to live by their covenants, to stay on the path, to make additional covenants.
- He was called to serve as a new bishop when he was doing his advanced medical training. There were only 40 active members out of a membership of 533. He was overwhelmed and expressed his doubts about being able to do this work. Two faithful missionaries didn’t criticize him, but went to work harvesting Israel. Gradually the ward grew and members returned to activity. Part-member families had baptisms. The two lessons from this story are: 1) don’t criticize the leaders that you work with, just go to work and help them 2) miracles will follow when hard work and faith are exercised.
- Maintain an eternal perspective in your work. The gathering is happening now.
- No matter how great you think President Russell M. Nelson is, he is even better! He doesn’t ‘act his age’. Go forward like he does.
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