Bishop and Sister W. Christopher Waddell of the Presiding Bishopric
Tuesday devotional, January 24, 2017
1/ Sister Waddell
- A testimony is a simple direct declaration
- Your heart tells you things your mind doesn’t know. How can you know? It leads to righteousness, to righteous desires.
- Alma – these things are made known unto us through the spirit of revelation, we have fasted and prayed to know.
- Bruce R. McConkie – “I will not know any better then than I know right now.”
- Situations where souls are called by name from heaven: 1) Thou art Nephi 2) Joseph, this is my Beloved Son 3) Lazarus, come forth 4) Fellow servants
- Our testimonies are shields of faith which allow us to teach and testify.
2/ Elder Waddell
- We must seek revelation for the Spirit is the primary teacher. The Spirit carries the message UNTO the heart, but action on the part of the recipient allows inspiration to move INTO the heart.
- You will only receive inspiration if you desire to ACT upon that inspiration. For example, Joseph fully intended to JOIN a church when it was revealed to him which one to join.
- We have a prophet today! Bishop Waddell to us that he meets with the First Presidency twice a week. At age 89, President Monson doesn’t have the stamina he used to have, but when he needs to step into the role of “prophet”, he is sustained and led.
- Elder Bednar said, “If you start right and stay right, you will finish right.” He was speaking to missionaries.
- How do you start right? 1) Ask WHAT type of mission am I going to serve and WHAT type of missionary will I be? Go and serve! Matthew 25:35-45 – When saw we thee…? This group went and served. They SAW, they saw NEEDS! It is not about ME — it is about THEM. Be outward looking, selfless. Don’t be inward looking, selfish. Being obedient is selfless.
- Alma 26:12 — Of myself I am nothing, in him I can do all things.
- An outward looking missionary loves and serves his companion in UNITY. Be patient, don’t look for negatives or faults, for you will surely find them if you do.
- Outward lookers work for converts, not numbers, with the end goal being the temple.
- Converted versus convinced, outward versus inward, see versus overlook
- How do you start right? 2) Ask WHY? Jesus said, Here am I , send me. It is finished. Section 19 – Nevertheless, I partook. Persevere despite the difficulties. He is RISEN!
- You made a covenant when you received your call. You signed a form stating that you would DO THIS WORK! You can and will do it if you are outward looking
- Always ponder on the power of the Atonement.
- Satan was the first inward-looking missionary – Jesus was the first outward-looking missionary.
3/ Interesting statistics:
- Only 25% of all adult church members worldwide have the names of their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents on Family Search.
- Only 2% of recent converts have the names of their parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents on Family Search.
- Because of the above statistics, there are over 100 million four-generational ancestors that are not on Family Search, and this means there are a half-billion temple ordinances waiting to be done.
- Those born in the 1950’s — 81% believe in God, 74% believe that Jesus is the Son of God, 72% believe that Jesus was resurrected.
- Those born in the 1980’s (Millenials) — 64% believe in God, 58% believe Jesus is the Son of God, 55% believe that Jesus was resurrected.
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