Jointly published by the Deseret News and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its content supports the doctrines, principles and practices of the Church. In the hours following His Crucifixion, they were consumed with despair and grief, unable to understand what had just happened. They can refine us. After explaining that he has often wondered what Jesus would teach if He was among us today, Elder Uchtdorf listed a few timeless truths taught by the Savior including, "He teaches us to love one another and to be 'full of charity towards all men.'" One might ask, If the gospel is so wonderful, why would anyone leave?. "Lord, I Believe" - Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. Of this I bear my solemn witness as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and leave you my heartfelt blessing in deep gratitude and love for you, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. Without landmarks, it is human nature to drift off course. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorfof the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke during the Saturday morning session of October 2022 general conference. We made a commitment then, he said, to seek first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness [Matthew 6:33], feeling confident that everything else would be added unto us, as the Lord promised (Russell Marion Nelson, From Heart to Heart: An Autobiography [1979], 114). I look back with kindness on the young man I was during my growing-up years. In a way, this is what the Pharisees of Jesuss day tried to do. It would be 28 years before it came down. Worldwide - English. That your potential is limitless. It was an anxious time for me, but it must have been terrifying for my beloved parents. Yes, we cherish all the principles of the gospel. The search for truth has led millions of people to The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. This time of introspection is an opportunity for recalibration. When you have questions, Jesus Christ and His restored gospel are the best answer. When they receive sacred priesthood ordinances and make covenants with God, they can feel His power in their lives.2 When they enter the holy temple, they sense they are in His presence. Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles speaks during the Saturday morning session of the 192nd Semiannual General Conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on Oct. 1, 2022. But would that really be helpful in a global church? There may have been things said or done that were not in harmony with our values, principles, or doctrine. So He allows you to choose: Light or darkness? 3Nephi 13:3233; see also Matthew 6:3233. If you define hypocrite as someone who fails to live up perfectly to what he or she believes, then we are all hypocrites. At the heart of Gods plan of happiness is the power to choose. It blooms just as beautifully in the icy landscape of winter as it does in the pleasant warmth of summer. What the Pharisees got wrong was that they thought their rules would save them. Before I reached my 12th birthday, our family had been forced twice to flee our home and start over amid the chaos, fear, and uncertainties caused by war and political division. My dear brothers and sisters and my dear friends, there will be times when you wish you could do more. gave his talk in English. Elder Renlund teaches how to receive personal revelation through the Holy Ghost and how to avoid deception. Specific rules or applications of those principles work well in some places but not in others. Jesus might point out that your covenants with Himmade when you were baptized and renewed each time you partake of the sacramentgive you a special connection with Him. Truth gets twisted to make evil seem good and good seem evil.10. But somehow, here on earth, it seems more complicated than it ought to be. What is it that keeps these flying machines soaring elegantly through the sky, crossing oceans and continents? Nothing could keep them from fulfilling their mission. Jointly published by the Deseret News and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, its content supports the doctrines, principles and practices of the Church. See Marcus Tullius Cicero, Oratio Pro Cno Plancio, XXXIII, section 80; quoted in JosephB. Wirthlin, Live in Thanksgiving Daily, Ensign, Sept. 2001, 8. I believe He would start by expressing His deep love for you. Brothers and sisters, have we not reason to be filled with gratitude, regardless of the circumstances in which we find ourselves? Despite past heartache, each of us can begin again, he wrote. When we are grateful to God in our circumstances, we can experience gentle peace in the midst of tribulation. Jesus taught that our offering may be large or it may be small, but either way, it must be our heartfelt all. Sacrifices are sacred and honored by the Lord.9, Consecration is different from sacrifice in at least one important way. We sometimes think that being grateful is what we do after our problems are solved, but how terribly shortsighted that is. Elder Bednar uses the parable of the royal marriage feast to teach that, through the righteous use of our moral agency, we can choose to be chosen of the Lord. Matthew 14:27; John 16:33; Doctrine and Covenants 61:36; 68:6; 78:18. See F.F. Bosworth, Christ the Healer (1924), 23. In light of what we know about our eternal destiny, is it any wonder that whenever we face the bitter endings of life, they seem unacceptable to us? Endings are not our destiny. About Us. It focuses on values, principles, and doctrine instead of every specific behavior. But it is wrong to focus only on rules instead of focusing on the Savior. They accepted with courage and determination the torture, humiliation, and even death that would come to them because of their testimony.12 They were not deterred from praising and serving their Lord. Even on a windy day, enough lift isnt created unless the airplane is moving forward, with enough thrust to counteract the forces holding it back. Jeffrey R. Holland. Elder Holland teaches what it means to take up the cross as disciples of Jesus Christ. All rights reserved. We can choose to limit our gratitude, based on the blessings we feel we lack. His message was and is a message of hope and belonginga testimony that God our Heavenly Father has not abandoned His children. It will be a significant help for making choices in your life. Elder Cook teaches about the importance of gaining our own testimonies of Jesus Christ, repenting of our sins, and staying true to God and His work. One of the purposes of the Church is to nurture and cultivate the seed of faitheven in the sometimes sandy soil of doubt and uncertainty. How much of life do we miss by waiting to see the rainbow before thanking God that there is rain? For examples of pioneers who maintained a cheerful attitude despite intense difficulty, see AndrewD. Olsen, The Price We Paid: The Extraordinary Story of the Willie and Martin Handcart Pioneers (2006), 10, 36667. In his message directed to those of the rising generation, he reminded youth that Jesus Christ is their strength. Elder Silva describes his conversion experience and encourages young men and young women to serve missions. Open your hearts to our Savior and Redeemer, no matter your circumstances, trials, sufferings, or mistakes; you can know that He lives, that He loves you, and that because of Him, you will never be alone. Joseph Smith Translation, Matthew 6:38 provides additional insight: Seek not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness (in Matthew 6:33, footnotea). We are already stretched so thin. That movement creates differences in air pressure that give the plane lift. Copyright 2023 Deseret News Publishing Company. With this simple observation, the Savior taught us how offerings are measured in His kingdomand its quite different from the way we usually measure things. He will lead you the right way. For this I pray, and leave you my testimony and blessing, in the name of our Master, Jesus Christ, amen. Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? The Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ speaks of such an appearance to the people on the American continent. A third reason why people join the Church is because walking the path of discipleship leads to precious blessings. The following is a summary of what he said. Important temporal and spiritual choices should not only be based on personal preference or what is convenient or popular.23 The Lord is not saying, Do whatever you want., He is saying, Live in a holier, higher, more mature way., He is saying, Keep my commandments.. My beloved friends, your Heavenly Father loves you with a perfect love. The following is a summary of what he said. He is your strength.20, For the Strength of Youth is bold in declaring the doctrine of Jesus Christ. In spite of our human imperfections, I am confident that you will find among the members of this Church many of the finest souls this world has to offer. Through His prophets, the Lord has been guiding His people in that direction, to increase their spiritual capacity and follow Him in higher and holier ways. Recognizing the demands of his professional life, they said to him, If you feel that you are too busy and shouldnt accept the call, then thats your privilege. He answered that his decision about whether or not to serve when called was made long ago, when he and his wife made temple covenants with the Lord. Often their grief is caused by what seems to them as an ending. He gives power to the weary; and to those who feel powerless, He increases strength. It is a starting question for us as we contemplate becoming disciples of Jesus Christ. If we earnestly keep practicing, always striving to keep Gods commandments, and committing our efforts to repenting, enduring, and applying what we learn, line upon line, we will gather light into our souls.10 And though we may not fully comprehend our full potential now, we know that, when [the Savior] shall appear, we will see His countenance in us and shall see him as he is.11, Yes, the world is in turmoil. Ronald A. Rasband . The former was a sacrifice, which has a purifying effect on the giver. One look into His eyes and we would never be the same. Many years ago, President BoydK. Packer spoke these powerful words: True doctrine, understood, changes attitudes and behavior. Or will we, like Peter, hold fast to the words of eternal life? He realized that each religion had much that seemed desirable and worthy. With that understanding, I no longer needed lists of dos and donts. Because of Jesus Christ, our failures do not have to define us. There is one thing we can do to make life sweeter, more joyful, even glorious. Contents. Is everyone given the . To be very clear, the best guide you can possibly have for making choices is Jesus Christ. This new guide is subtitled A Guide for Making Choices and focuses on values, principles and doctrine rather than specific behavior. The problem is that it diverts our focus from the true Source of our strength, our Savior, Jesus Christ. God is among usand is personally involved in our lives and actively guiding His children. The Saviors infinite Atonement completely changes the way we may view our transgressions and imperfections. The fear must have been oppressive, consuming their hours and dampening their hope. Like the widow at Jerusalem, we must offer Him our whole souls. Dieter F. Uchtdorf Of the First Presidency January 13, 2013 If you follow the Spirit, your personal search for the truth inevitably leads you to the Lord and Savior, even Jesus Christ, for He is "the way, the truth, and the life." This may not be the most convenient way, but it will be His waythe Savior's redeeming way. It is so humbling to know that this magnificent and supernal future is possiblenot because of who we are but because of who God is. We dedicate it to Him and His holy purposes.10 We receive the talents that the Lord has given us and strive to increase them, manifold, to become even more helpful in building the Lords kingdom.11. 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