I have carefully observed the effect that diligently and humbly listening to the voice of the Lord has had in the lives of people...The same promise that the people of ancient Israel received is valid today: And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth: And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God”.
- Francisco J. Viñas, Listening to the Voice of the Lord
#HearHim: Listen to the Voice of Jesus Christ
Discipleship is all about doing and becoming. As we obey His commandments and serve our fellowmen, we become better disciples of Jesus Christ. Obedience and submission to His will bring the companionship of the Holy Ghost, along with those blessings of peace, joy, and security that always accompany this third member of the Godhead. And they can come in no other way. Ultimately, it is total submission to His will that helps us become as our Savior is.
- Daniel L. Johnson, Becoming a True Disciple
God’s commands and standards...can sometimes be difficult to understand...He gives us divine direction, through His commands and loving guidance, so that we may avoid the dangers...the barriers established by the Lord create for us a safe harbor from the evil and destructive influences that would otherwise drag us down to the depths of despair. The Lord’s commandments are given out of love and caring; they are intended for our joy in this life just as much as they are intended for our joy and exaltation in the next.
- Von G. Keetch, Blessed and Happy Are Those Who Keep the Commandments of God
Why does God give us commandments?
The Church of Jesus Christ is under divine mandate to care for the poor. It is one of the pillars of the work of salvation and exaltation... The Church responds to this charge in a wide variety of ways… small efforts collectively make a big impact, magnifying the many individual things we do as disciples of Jesus Christ…Our individual efforts don’t necessarily require money or faraway locations; they do require the guidance of the Holy Spirit and a willing heart to say to the Lord, “Here am I; send me.”
- Sharon Eubank, I Pray He’ll Use Us
Why is revelation so essential to our spiritual survival? Because the world can be confusing and noisy, full of deception and distractions. Communication with our Father in Heaven enables us to sort through what is true and what is false, what is relevant to the Lord’s plan for us and what is not...We are led by prophets who teach us the will of the Lord for the difficult times we live in. In addition, we have direct access to our own revelation so the Lord can comfort and guide us personally.
- Milton Camargo, Ask, Seek, and Knock
Mormon Church: The Message of the Restoration
God reveals eternal truth to us through a network of revelatory relationships…prophets receive truth from God and share that truth with us. We learn the truth from past prophets in the scriptures and from living prophets at general conference and through other official channels…The Lord works through His prophets to uphold His doctrine and to modify Church policies according to the needs of His children...today, Christ continues to lead His Church through living prophets and apostles.
- John C. Pingree, Jr., Eternal Truth
Jesus Christ is a God of love, a God of hope, a God of healing...That is what He wanted before coming to this earth when He volunteered to rescue us when we fall into transgression. That is what He wanted in Gethsemane when He faced humanly incomprehensible pain during the agony of paying the price of sin. That is what He wants now when He pleads on our behalf before the Father…Because He “descended below all things,” He makes it possible for all things that have been broken in our lives to be mended, and thus we can be reconciled with God.
- Walter F. González, The Savior’s Touch
The standard, established by revelation, is contained in the scriptures through the doctrines of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The principles of the gospel life we follow are based on doctrine, and the standards accord with the principles... We know that the homes we establish...will be —the “light,” the “standard,” the “ensign” for all nations, and the “refuge” against the gathering storms…ordinary men...ordinary women and ordinary children in ordinary families, living the gospel as best they can all over the world, can shine forth as a standard.
- Boyd K. Packer, A Defense and a Refuge
The World Needs Your Light | #LightTheWorld 2022
The Lord is fulfilling His promise. The Savior’s restored Church is being established throughout the world and is the instrument by which God will “gather together in one all things in Christ, both which are in heaven, and which are on earth; even in him.”…individuals “who prayerfully study the message of the Restoration and act in faith will be blessed [through the power of the Holy Ghost] to gain their own witness of its divinity and of its purpose to prepare the world for the promised Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
- David A. Bednar, The Times of Restitution of All Things
Experience God’s Miracles: The Promises for Covenant Israel Fulfilled — Russell M. Nelson
I can think of no more important counsel from a loving Heavenly Father than His admonition for each of you to “stand … in holy places, and be not moved.” ...No amount of peer pressure, no acceptance, no popularity is worth a compromise… Your choices matter. Your choices now not only affect you, but they also affect others. They are of eternal significance. Be not moved!…generations are depending on the choices you make...
- Elaine S. Dalton, Be Not Moved!
Nothing lifts my desire to speak of Christ more than visualizing His return. While we do not know when He will come, the events of His return will be breathtaking! He will come in the clouds of heaven in majesty and glory with all His holy angels. Not just a few angels but all His holy angels...Can you imagine being caught up to meet Him, whether on this side or the other side of the veil? That is His promise to the righteous. This amazing experience will mark our souls forever.
- Neil L. Andersen, We Talk of Christ
To His Saints in our day, the Savior has said, “Be of good cheer, and do not fear, for I the Lord am with you, and will stand by you”. The Lord will stand by His Church and people and keep them in safety until His coming. There will be peace in Zion and in her stakes...The Church stands as a bulwark of safety for its members. Though conditions in the world may become very vexing at times, faithful Latter-day Saints will find sanctuary in the stakes of Zion.
- Bruce D. Porter, Beautiful Mornings
[T]hose who gather in the congregation communicate to each other this “welcome to the church of joy” through the expressions they wear on their faces!…For those who feel left out or on the margins, the warmth of this welcome will be crucial. Ultimately, we can ask ourselves how the Saviour would want our sacrament hour to be. How would He want each one of His children to be welcomed, cared for, nourished, and loved? How would He want us to feel when we come to be renewed through remembering and worshipping Him?
- Patrick Kearon, Welcome to the Church of Joy
[A]ll are under the directive to become like Him, just as Jesus Christ became like the Father. As we progress, we become more complete, finished, and fully developed...
Becoming as Jesus Christ is will require changing our hearts and minds, indeed, our very character, and doing so is possible only through the saving grace of Jesus Christ…Christlike attributes are gifts from a loving Heavenly Father to bless us...Accordingly, our efforts to obtain these attributes will require heartfelt pleas for His divine assistance.
- Scott D. Whiting, Becoming like Him
Seek Jesus Christ: Our Greatest Treasure
As sons and daughters of God, we each have unique responsibilities and roles, and through the blessings of the priesthood, we are all given equal partnership, gifts, and blessings...Each of [us] is blessed by sacred ordinances, and each of [us] can enjoy the blessings of spiritual gifts…Because the priesthood has been restored, we also share equally in the blessings of spiritual gifts. The Lord gives us these gifts for our own benefit and to help each other...Spiritual gifts are numerous and varied and come to us as we seek them and use them appropriately.
- Julie B. Beck, An Outpouring of Blessings
Matthew 25 | Parables of Jesus: The Parable of the Talents | The Bible
[L]et us go forward fearlessly so that we will be given the powers to do whatever the Lord calls us to do... we all know that confirmation into the Church gave us the gift of the Holy Ghost. But the companionship of the Holy Ghost, the manifestations of it in our life and service, requires us to put our lives in order to qualify…Repentance, prayer, and pondering over the scriptures are essential parts of our qualifying for the gifts of the Spirit... Further magnification of our power to serve will come as we respond with faith to go forward in our callings with the Holy Ghost to help us.
- President Henry B. Eyring, Serve with the Spirit
A Mother's Determination - A Mother’s Day Message
The Bread Loaf Prayer | Come Learn with Me
Share your testimony with your family; encourage them to remember how they felt when they recognized the Spirit in their lives and to record those feelings in journals and personal histories so that their own words may, when needed, bring to their remembrance how good the Lord has been to them. You will recall that Nephi and his brothers returned to Jerusalem to obtain the brass plates that contained the recorded history of their people, in part so that they would not forget their past…remember to record your feelings of “love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, meekness, [and] temperance.”
- Ronald A. Rasband, Lest Thou Forget
The Church History Library: Behind the Scenes
[A]s disciples of the Savior Jesus Christ, we watch out for one another, encourage one another, and find ways to serve and strengthen each other. We are not just receivers and takers of what is offered at church; we are needed to be givers and suppliers…Ask your Heavenly Father to show you those around you who need your help and to inspire you on how to best serve them. Remember that the Savior most often ministered to one person at a time… Pray for help in recognizing those in your ward families who need love and encouragement... your efforts will bless lives and will also bless you in ways you cannot begin to imagine.
- Bonnie L. Oscarson, The Needs Before Us
Always Something to Give – The Coconut Farmer
In order to embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ, people must first embrace Him whose gospel it is. They must trust the Savior and what He has taught us. They must believe that He has the power to keep His promises to us by virtue of the Atonement. When people have faith in Jesus Christ, they accept and apply His Atonement and His teachings…Our faith also leads to action—it leads to the commitments and changes associated with true repentance.
- L. Tom Perry, The Gospel of Jesus Christ
The restored gospel of Jesus Christ proclaims the principle of full partnership between woman and man, both in mortal life and in the eternities. Although each possesses specific attributes and divinely appointed responsibilities, woman and man fill equally relevant and essential roles in God’s plan of happiness for His children...Eve was a heavenly blessing in Adam’s life. Through her divine nature and spiritual attributes, she inspired Adam to work in partnership with her to achieve God’s plan of happiness for all mankind.
- Ulisses Soares, In Partnership with the Lord
What Is a Temple Wedding Like?
Enduring Love - Showing Love & Giving Service To Build Strong Marriages
How can we teach more like the Savior and help others become more deeply converted?…First and foremost, take it upon yourself to learn all you can about the Master Teacher Himself. How did He show love for others? What did they feel when He taught? What did He teach? What were His expectations of those He taught? After you explore questions like these, evaluate and adjust your way of teaching to be more like His…the responsibility rests squarely upon each of us to follow the example of the Master and teach like Him. His way is the true way!
- Jan E. Newman, Teaching in the Savior’s Way
Living and Teaching in the Saviors Way
The Importance of Having the Spirit
Even in the most difficult and darkest of times, there is light and goodness all around us… However, the adversary would rather have us focus on “mists of darkness … which blindeth the eyes, …hardeneth…hearts…, and…leadeth…away.”…the Church will always have its critics. It has been that way from the beginning and will continue to the end. But we cannot allow such criticism to dull our sensitivity to the light that is available to us. Recognizing the light and seeking after it will qualify us for even more light. In a darkening world, the light of the Church will shine brighter and brighter until the perfect day.
- Mark A. Bragg, Brighter and Brighter until the Perfect Day
Patterns of Light: The Light of Christ
One of the sneaky ploys of the adversary is to have us believe that unquestioning obedience to the principles and commandments of God is blind obedience...He teaches that it is not intelligent to do something just because we are told to do so by a living prophet or by prophets who speak to us from the scriptures...Our Heavenly Father communicates in a very clear way to His children. In the teachings of the gospel, there is no uncertain sound of which the Apostle Paul speaks. There is no question regarding the meaning of what is being said or of feelings prompted by the Spirit.
- R. Conrad Schultz, Faith Obedience
Don’t Be Tricked - The Spoken Word
Deceive Me Not by Elder Stevenson
Is it possible that Jesus’s purpose, first and foremost, was to teach about the work of the Good Shepherd?...Is it possible that the Savior’s message was that God is fully aware of those who are lost—and that He will find them, that He will reach out to them, and that He will rescue them?...The sheep is worthy of divine rescue simply because it is loved by the Good Shepherd. To me, the parable of the lost sheep is one of the most hopeful passages in all of scripture. Our Savior, the Good Shepherd, knows and loves us. He knows and loves you… He will rescue you. He will lift you up and place you on His shoulders. He will carry you home.
- Dieter F. Uchtdorf, He Will Place You on His Shoulders and Carry You Home
Elder Gerrit W Gong 2019a Jesus the Good Shepherd Take His Name Gather Others Minister to Them
John 10 | The Good Shepherd and Other Sheep I Have | The Bible
Teaching With The Chosen: Jesus is the Good Shepherd, John 10:1-39
Luke 15 | Parables of Jesus: The Parable of the Lost Sheep | The Bible