April 2021 General Conference Calls to Action

I loved General Conference and thought it was a wonderful opportunity to hear and listen to what the Lord would have us know; however I also know that no blessing comes without effort and if I don’t change what I do, and how I act, and change the decisions I make as a result of conference, I won’t be changed in who I am, as such I have gone through the talks given at the April 2021 General Conference and compiled a list of all the calls to actions that I found therein.

I figured I would share it so that anyone else who is interested might be interested in the specific actions we were called upon to perform by the Prophets and Apostles and General Officers of the Church. Ultimately the Spirit will instruct me on what I personally need to work on, but I am grateful to have this go to list to remind me about specific things I have been asked to do, or cease.

This list has been organized chronologically in order of when the talk was given.

Saturday Morning Session

Welcome Message – President Nelson

As we listen to the messages that have been carefully prepared by our leaders under the direction of the Holy Ghost, I invite you to pray to identify the debris you should remove from your life so you can become more worthy.

God Among Us – Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

He [Christ] urges us to seek joy, enlightenment, peace, truth, happiness, and the promise of immortality and eternal life.“
To you my dear brothers and sisters, my dear friends, and to all who are searching for answers, truth and happiness, I do offer the same counsel: keep searching with faith and patience.
As we set aside pride and approach His [God’s] throne with a broken heart and a contrite spirit, He will draw near to us.
Open your hearts to our Savior and Redeemer, no matter your circumstance, trials, sufferings, or mistakes;

Essential Conversations – President Joy D. Jones Recently Released Primary General President

We never harm them [children] physically, verbally, or emotionally in any way, even when tensions and pressures run high.
The Savior urged, ’Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children.

Teaching in the Savior’s Way – Jan E. Newmen 2nd Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency

How can we teach more like the Savior and help others become more deeply converted? Allow me to offer a few suggestions.
- Emulate the Savior
- Unleash the Power of Families
- Remember that Conversion is Personal
I invite you to read and study its [Teaching in the Savior’s Way] every word. Its principles will assist you in your efforts to be more Christlike in your teaching.
He said that home centered, Church-supported gospel learning “has the potential to unleash the power of families, as each family follows through conscientiously and carefully to transform their home into a sanctuary of faith. I promise that as you diligently work to remodel your home into a center of gospel learning, over time your Sabbath days will truly be a delight. Your children will be excited to learn and to live the Savior’s teachings. … Changes in your family will be dramatic and sustaining.”
President Nelson taught, “If you have sincere questions about the gospel or the Church, as you choose to let God prevail, you will be led to find and understand the absolute, eternal truths that will guide your life and help you stay firmly on the covenant path.”
I invite leaders and teaching in every organization of the Church to counsel together with parents and youth in order to dramatically improve teaching at every level- in stakes, in wards, and in homes. This will be achieved by teaching the doctrine and invite Spirit-filled discussion about the truths the Holy Ghost has taught us in the quite moments of our personal study.

Hearts Knit Together – Elder Gary E. Stevenson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

An ancient prophet commanded “that there should be no contention one with another, but that [we] should look forward … , having [our] hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.
I know of no better advice than that previously given by Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf: ’When it comes to hating, gossiping, ignoring, ridiculing, holding grudges, or wanting to cause harm, please apply the following: Stop it!’
As you strive to extend yourself in love, respect, and kindness, you will undoubtedly be hurt or negatively affected by the bad choices of others. What do we do then? We follow the Lord’s admonition to “love your enemies … and pray for them which despitefully use you.”
“Did you hear that? Stop it! As you extend yourself with kindness, care, and compassion, even digitally, I promise that you will lift up arms that hang down and will heal hearts.”
“The Lord expects us to teach that inclusion is a positive means toward unity and that exclusion leads to division.”

Room in the Inn – Elder Gerrit W. Gong of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

He [Christ] entreats us to make His Inn a place of grace and space, where each can gather, with room for all. As disciples of Jesus Christ, all are equal, with no second-class groups.
He invites each of us to be a good Samaritan, less judgmental and more forgiving of ourselves and of each other, even as we strive more fully to keep His commandments.

I Love to See the Temple – President Henry B. Eyring Second Counselor in the First Presidency

I pray that you will try to build desire in the hearts of Heavenly Father’s children to go there [the Temple], where they can feel close to Him, and that you will also invite your ancestors to qualify to be with Him and with you forever.

Saturday Afternoon Session

Not as the World Giveth – Elder Jeffrey R. Holland Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

So, this Easter let’s try to practice peace in a personal way, applying the grace and healing balm of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ to ourselves and our families and all those we can reach around us.
It is a time to pledge total loyalty in word and deed to the Lamb of God, who ’[bore] our griefs, and carried our sorrows’ in His determination to finish the work of salvation in our behalf.

Poor Little Ones – Elder Jorge T. Becerra of the Seventy

I would echo the invitation of our beloved President Russell M. Nelson as he first spoke to the membership of the Church. He said: “Now, to each member of the Church I say, keep on the covenant path. Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping those covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere.” He then pleaded: ’Now, if you have stepped off the path, may I invite you with all the hope in my heart to please come back. Whatever your concerns, whatever your challenges, there is a place for you in this, the Lord’s Church. You and generations yet unborn will be blessed by your actions now to return to the covenant path

Infuriating Unfairness Elder Dale G. Renlund of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

In unfair situations, one of our tasks is to trust that “all that is unfair about life can be made right through the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”
Do not let unfairness harden you or corrode your faith in God. Instead, ask God for help. Increase your appreciation for and reliance on the Savior. Rather than becoming bitter, let Him help you become better. Allow Him to help you persevere, to let your afflictions be “swallowed up in the joy of Christ.” Join Him in His mission “to heal the brokenhearted,” strive to mitigate unfairness, and become a stonecatcher.

The Personal Journey of a Child of God – Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Let us live God’s commandments, teach them to our children, and share them with others who are willing to listen. Let us share our deep feelings about the sanctity of life with those who make decisions in society. They may not fully appreciate what we believe, but we pray that they will more fully understand why, for us, these decisions go well beyond just what a person wants for his or her own life.
God’s commandment for His children to multiply and replenish the earth remains in force.
May we always remember that each spirit child of God is coming to earth on his or her own personal journey. May we welcome them, safeguard them, and always love them.
As you receive these precious children in the Savior’s name and help them in their eternal journey, I promise you that the Lord will bless you and shower His love and approval upon you.

Ye Shall Be Free Elder Thierry K. Mutombo Of the Seventy

The Savior promised that He will be the light unto all who hear His words

Hope In Christ President M. Russell Ballard Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

We remember His loving invitation to “come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.” The Savior’s invitation to come unto Him is an invitation to all not only to come unto Him but also to belong to His Church.
May I suggest that there are some important principles we need to understand.
- First, scriptures and latter-day prophets confirm that everyone who is faithful in keeping gospel covenants will have the opportunity for exaltation.
- Second, the precise time and manner in which the blessings of exaltation are bestowed have not all been revealed, but they are nonetheless assured.
- Third, waiting upon the Lord implies continued obedience and spiritual progress toward Him.
- Fourth, God offers eternal life to all of His children.
- Fifth, our confidence in these assurances is rooted in our faith in Jesus Christ, by whose grace all things pertaining to mortality are set right.
Never forget that you are a child of God, our Eternal Father, now and forever. He loves you, and the Church wants and needs you. Yes, we need you! We need your voices, talents, skills, goodness, and righteousness.
To you stake presidents, bishops, and quorum and sister leaders, I ask you to consider every member of your stake, ward, quorum, or organization as a member who can contribute and serve in callings and participate in many ways.
Let us call upon our members who are single to serve, lift, and teach. Disregard old notions and ideas that have sometimes unintentionally contributed to their feelings of loneliness and that they do not belong or cannot serve.

Priesthood Session

Bishops – Shepherds over the Lord’s Flock – Elder Quentin L. Cook Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

The bishop should assign the day-to-day responsibility for sharing the gospel, strengthening new and returning members, ministering, and temple and family history work to the elders quorum and Relief Society presidencies.
President Russell M. Nelson has emphasized the seminal role of the bishop and his counselors. He has taught that their “first and foremost responsibility is to care for the young men and young women of [their] ward.”
We recommend that bishops not have assigned ministering families so they can focus their time and energy ministering to the youth and their families in these kinds of situations.
In order to spend more time with youth, wherever they are, including at school events or activities, bishoprics have been counseled to delegate appropriate meetings and counseling time with adults. While bishops can counsel on acute and urgent matters, we recommend that delegation of ongoing counseling with chronic, less urgent matters that do not involve judgments as to worthiness be assigned to members of the elders quorum or Relief Society—usually presidencies or ministering brothers and sisters.
The Spirit will guide the leaders to select the right members to undertake this counseling. Those who receive this delegated counseling assignment are entitled to revelation. They, of course, must always maintain strict confidentiality.
[Youth,] Please counsel with both your parents and your bishop about important choices that are ahead of you. Allow the bishop to be your friend and counselor.
Please talk to your bishop about any matter in which a common judge can assist you in getting your life in order with the Lord in preparation for the “great work” He has for you in this final dispensation. As President Nelson has invited you, please qualify yourself to be part of the Lord’s youth battalion!

You Can Gather Israel! – Ahmad S. Corbitt First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency

Almost three years ago, President Russell M. Nelson invited all youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints “to enlist in the Lord’s youth battalion to help gather Israel” on both sides of the veil.
Knowing you overcame Satan by the word of your testimony before will help you love, share, and invite now and always—to invite others to come and see, come and help, and come and belong, as that same war for the souls of God’s children rages on.
And the Lord gave them power to invite and gather Israel. He will do the same for you as you look forward in faith, see Israel gathered—globally and in your own “circles”—and invite all!
Please use your imaginations to increase faith in Christ, not ruin it.
As you youth lead—lead—in living the gospel, caring for others, inviting all to receive the gospel, uniting families for eternity, and organizing fun activities, the great faith in Christ you had in the premortal life will resurface and empower you to do His work in this life!
Also, personal goals, “especially short-term goals,” help you reignite your powerful faith. When you set a good goal, you are looking forward, as you did before, and seeing what your Heavenly Father wants you or another to become.

This Is Our Time – Elder S. Gifford Nielsen of the Seventy

Remember, there is always one reliable source of strength and courage. The arms of Jesus extend to us, just as they extended to Peter. As we reach for Him, He will lovingly rescue us. We are His. He said, “Fear not: for I have redeemed thee, I have called thee by thy name; thou art mine”. He will prevail in your life if you let Him. The choice is yours.
On this beautiful Easter weekend, may I extend an invitation that we all pray to recognize and embrace our individual roles as we prepare for the glorious day when the Savior comes again.

Bless in His Name – President Henry B. Eyring Second Counselor in the First Presidency

I prayed that the people would feel the Lord’s love through my loving service. I have learned this is the key to serving and blessing others in His name.
I invite you to ask prayerfully how the Lord sees you.

What Has Our Savior Done for Us? – President Dallin H. Oaks First Counselor in the First Presidency

I testify of all of this and pray that we all will remember what our Savior has done for each of us and that we all will love and serve Him,

What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget – President Russell M. Nelson President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Think back on the past two years. How have you grown? What have you learned?
What have you learned in the past two years that you always want to remember? Your answers will be unique to you, but may I suggest four lessons I hope we have all learned and will never forget.
- Lesson 1: The Home Is the Center of Faith and Worship
- Lesson 2: We Need Each Other
- Lesson 3: Your Priesthood Quorum Is Meant for More Than Just a Meeting
- Lesson 4: We Hear Jesus Christ Better When We Are Still
You may feel that there is still more you need to do to make your home truly a sanctuary of faith. If so, please do it! If you are married, counsel with your wife as your equal partner in this crucial work.
Attitudes and actions that invite the Spirit will increase the holiness of your home. Equally certain is the fact that holiness will vanish if there is anything in your behavior or environment that offends the Holy Spirit, for then “the heavens withdraw themselves.”
I urge you to continue to make your home a truly holy place “and be not moved” from that essential goal.
If you know of anyone who is alone, reach out—even if you feel alone too! You do not need to have a reason or a message or business to transact. Just say hello and show your love. Technology can help you. Pandemic or not, each precious child of God needs to know that he or she is not alone!
My brethren of the Aaronic Priesthood and elders quorums, expand your vision of why we have quorums. How does the Lord wish you would use your quorum to accomplish His work—now? Seek revelation from the Lord. Humble yourself! Ask! Listen! If you have been called to lead, counsel as a presidency and with quorum members. Whatever your priesthood office or calling, let God prevail in your commitment as a member of your quorum and in your service. Experience with joy the righteousness you will bring to pass as you are “anxiously engaged in a good cause.”
Discipline yourself to have time alone and with your loved ones. Open your heart to God in prayer. Take time to immerse yourself in the scriptures and worship in the temple.
My dear brethren, there are many things the Lord wants us to learn from our experiences during this pandemic. I have listed only four. I invite you to make your own list, consider it carefully, and share it with those you love.

Sunday Morning Session

Jesus Christ: The Caregiver of Our Soul – Elder Ulisses Soares Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

While through His sacrifice the Savior unconditionally removed the effects of physical death, He did not eliminate our personal responsibility to repent for the sins we commit. Rather, He extended to us a loving invitation to be reconciled to our Eternal Father.
My dear friends, I testify to you that as we genuinely repent of our sins, we allow the atoning sacrifice of Christ to become wholly effective in our life. We will become free from the bondage of sin, find joy in our earthly journey, and become eligible to receive eternal salvation,
I testify to you that through Him and His infinite Atonement, the Savior provided us the way to overcome death, both physically and spiritually. In addition to these great blessings, He also offers us comfort and assurance in difficult times. I assure you that as we put our trust in Jesus Christ and in His supernal atoning sacrifice, enduring in our faith to the end, we will enjoy the promises of our beloved Heavenly Father, who does everything within His power to help us return to His presence one day.

The Grave Has No Victory – President Reyna I. Aburto Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency

I testify that through the redeeming Atonement and glorious Resurrection of Jesus Christ, broken hearts can be healed, anguish can become peace, and distress can become hope. He can embrace us in His arms of mercy, comforting, empowering, and healing each of us. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Our Sorrow Shall Be Turned into Joy – By Elder S. Mark Palmer Of the Seventy

If we go forward in faith, we will be forever changed, as were the Apostles of old. We, like them, will be able to endure any hardship with faith in Jesus Christ.
I invite all who feel sorrow, all who wrestle with doubt, all who wonder what happens after we die, to place your faith in Christ.
I promise that if you desire to believe, then act in faith and follow the whisperings of the Spirit, you will find joy in this life and in the world to come.

Pressing Toward the Mark – Elder Edward Dube Of the Seventy

The Savior’s promise is real: “For whosoever will save his life shall lose it: and whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.”
My humble invitation to all of us is to never give up!

Remember Your Way Back Home – Elder Jose A. Teixeira Of the Presidency of the Seventy

I thought of four reminders that, when used and applied consistently in our lives, can rekindle feelings of our heavenly home.
- First, We Can Remember That We Are Children of God
- Second, We Can Remember the Foundation That Protects Us
- Third, We Can Remember to Be Prayerful
- Fourth, We Can Remember to Serve Others
Remind yourself of this heritage. Make time regularly to boost your spiritual immune system by remembering the blessings you have received from the Lord. Trust the guides you have been given from Him, rather than turning solely to the world to measure your personal worth and find your way.
Strength comes to us when we remain righteous, true, and faithful to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, even when others overwhelmingly disregard the commandments and principles of salvation.
I know from personal experience that as we choose to hear His voice and follow Him, we will receive His help. We will obtain a wider perspective of our circumstances and a deeper understanding of the purpose of life. We will feel the spiritual stirrings that will guide us to our heavenly home.
we have the simplicity of the invitation to begin seeking answers from heaven. “Pray always, and I will pour out my Spirit upon you.” Then the Lord promises, “And great shall be your blessing—yea, even more than if you should obtain treasures of earth.”

They Cannot Prevail; We Cannot Fail – Elder Chi Hong (Sam) Wong of the Seventy

Therefore, the only way to survive spiritually is to be determined to let God prevail in our lives, to learn to hear His voice, and to use our energy to help gather Israel.”
That is the promise from God! If we build our foundation on Jesus Christ, we cannot fall! As we endure faithfully to the end, God will help us establish our lives upon His rock, “and the gates of hell shall not prevail against [us]”
Please follow our living prophet President Nelson’s wise counsel. As recorded in Doctrine and Covenants 21:5–6: “For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith. “For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.” For that reason, they cannot prevail, and we cannot fall!

Our Personal Savior – Elder Michael John U. Teh of the Seventy

First, we need to recognize that knowing the Savior is the most important pursuit of our lives. It should take priority over anything else.
The prophet Moroni invited us: “And now, I would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written.”
President Russell M. Nelson promised that “if [we] proceed to learn all [we] can about Jesus Christ, … [our] ability to turn away from sin will increase. [Our] desire to keep the commandments will soar.”

Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains – President Russell M. Nelson President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

Alma asks us simply to experiment upon the word and “exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if [we] can no more than desire to believe.”
My dear brothers and sisters, my call to you this Easter morning is to start today to increase your faith. Through your faith, Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life, even though your personal challenges may loom as large as Mount Everest.
May I offer five suggestions to help you develop that faith and trust.
- First, study. Become an engaged learner. Immerse yourself in the scriptures to understand better Christ’s mission and ministry. Know the doctrine of Christ so that you understand its power for your life. Internalize the truth that the Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to you.
- Learn about miracles.
- The more you learn about the Savior, the easier it will be to trust in His mercy, His infinite love, and His strengthening, healing, and redeeming power. The Savior is never closer to you than when you are facing or climbing a mountain with faith.
- Second, choose to believe in Jesus Christ. If you have doubts about God the Father and His Beloved Son or the validity of the Restoration or the veracity of Joseph Smith’s divine calling as a prophet, choose to believe and stay faithful. Take your questions to the Lord and to other faithful sources. Study with the desire to believe rather than with the hope that you can find a flaw in the fabric of a prophet’s life or a discrepancy in the scriptures. Stop increasing your doubts by rehearsing them with other doubters. Allow the Lord to lead you on your journey of spiritual discovery.
- Third, act in faith. What would you do if you had more faith? Think about it. Write about it. Then receive more faith by doing something that requires more faith.
- Fourth, partake of sacred ordinances worthily. Ordinances unlock the power of God for your life.
- And fifth, ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for help.
Do not minimize the faith you already have.

Defending Our Divinely Inspired Constitution – President Dallin H. Oaks First Counselor in the First Presidency

Our belief in divine inspiration gives Latter-day Saints a unique responsibility to uphold and defend the United States Constitution and principles of constitutionalism wherever we live.
What else are faithful Latter-day Saints to do? We must pray for the Lord to guide and bless all nations and their leaders.
There are other duties that are part of upholding the inspired Constitution. We should learn and advocate the inspired principles of the Constitution. We should seek out and support wise and good persons who will support those principles in their public actions. We should be knowledgeable citizens who are active in making our influence felt in civic affairs.
Each citizen must therefore decide which issues are most important to him or her at any particular time. Then members should seek inspiration on how to exercise their influence according to their individual priorities.

“Behold! I Am a God of Miracles” – Elder Ronald A Rasband Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

To us in times of trial He has said, “Behold the wounds which pierced my side, and also the prints of the nails in my hands and feet; be faithful, keep my commandments, and ye shall inherit the kingdom of heaven.” That, brothers and sisters, is the miracle promised to us all.
I pray that you may stand steadfast and faithful in all that is to come.
will. Look for these heaven-sent blessings in your life as you “seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written, that the grace of God the Father, and also the Lord Jesus Christ, and the Holy Ghost, which beareth record of them, may be and abide in you forever.”

Light Cleaveth unto Light – Elder Timothy J. Dyches Of the Seventy

During His mortal ministry, Jesus declared, “I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life.”
Thereafter, when your desires and actions are centered on the covenant path, the Holy Ghost, as a light within you, will reveal and testify of truth, warn of danger, comfort and cleanse, and provide peace to your soul.
May I suggest that perhaps this is the time to ask yourself: Do I have that light in my life? If not, when was the last time I did?
A drop of sunshine is added every time you seek God in prayer; study the scriptures to “hear Him”; act on guidance and revelation from our living prophets; and obey and keep the commandments to “walk in all the ordinances of the Lord.”
You will invite spiritual sunlight into your soul and peace into your life each time you repent. As you partake of the sacrament every week to take the Savior’s name upon you, to always remember Him and keep His commandments, His light will shine within you.
There is sunshine in your soul every time you share the gospel and bear your testimony. Every time you serve one another as the Savior did, His warmth is felt in your heart. Heavenly Father’s light always resides within His holy temple and upon all who present themselves in the house of the Lord. His light in you is enhanced with your acts of kindness, patience, forgiveness, and charity and shows itself in your happy countenance.
On the other hand, we walk in shadows when we are too quick to anger or too slow to forgive. “As you keep your face towards the sunshine, the shadows cannot help but fall behind you.”
As you live to merit the companionship of the Holy Ghost, you truly “increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation.”

Why the Covenant Path – Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

“Your commitment to follow the Savior by making covenants with Him and then keeping these covenants will open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to men, women, and children everywhere.
The ordinances of the temple and the covenants you make there are key to strengthening your life, your marriage and family, and your ability to resist the attacks of the adversary. Your worship in the temple and your service there for your ancestors will bless you with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment to stay on the covenant path.”
Following the principles and commandments of the gospel of Jesus Christ day by day is the happiest and most satisfying course in life.
More than simply having good intentions, we solemnly commit to live by every word that proceeds forth from the mouth of God.
“Now this is the commandment,” says the Lord, “Repent, all ye ends of the earth, and come unto me and be baptized in my name, that ye may be sanctified by the reception of the Holy Ghost, that ye may stand spotless before me at the last day.”
The Lord commands members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to “arise and shine forth, that thy light may be a standard for the nations; … that the gathering together upon the land of Zion, and upon her stakes, may be for a defense, and for a refuge from the storm, and from wrath when it shall be poured out without mixture upon the whole earth.”
Let us heed the prophet’s call to stay on the covenant path.

The Gospel Light of Truth and Love – Elder Alan R. Walker Of the Seventy

How fundamental it is to know that He is our God, that we are His people, and that whatever circumstances surround us, if we are faithful and obey the covenants we have entered into, we can be “encircled about eternally in the arms of his love.”
Brothers and sisters, may we be willing and decide today to engage ourselves and our families in hearing heaven’s voice, even the voice of our Savior. May we make and keep covenants with God, which will secure us firmly in the path that leads back to His presence, and may we rejoice in the blessings of the glorious light and truth of His gospel.

The Principles of My Gospel – Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

“the elders, priests and teachers of this church shall teach the principles of my gospel, which are in the Bible and the Book of Mormon, in the which is the fulness of the gospel.” He also declared that the Latter-day Saints should “be instructed more perfectly in theory, in principle, in doctrine, in the law of the gospel, in all things that pertain unto the kingdom of God, that are expedient for you to understand.”
Learning, understanding, and living gospel principles strengthen our faith in the Savior, deepen our devotion to Him, and invite a multitude of blessings and spiritual gifts into our lives.
“Are you willing to let God prevail in your life? Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life?”
We have been blessed abundantly in this general conference to learn about eternal principles from the Lord’s authorized servants. Now, our individual responsibility is to govern ourselves according to the truths of which they have testified.
With all the energy of my soul, I invite all of us to learn, live, and love principles of righteousness. Only gospel truths can enable us to “cheerfully do all things that lie in our power” to press forward on the covenant path and to “see the salvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.”

COVID-19 and Temples – President Russell M. Nelson President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints

I pray that your desire to worship and serve in the temple burns more brightly now than ever.
Do all you can to bring COVID numbers down in your area so that your temple opportunities can increase. Meanwhile, keep your temple covenants and blessings foremost in your minds and hearts. Stay true to the covenants you have made.
With courage, let us all press on in the glorious work of the Lord! For this I pray in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

A Zion People

Introduction

Recently I was listening to President Oaks’ talk from the Women’s Session of the October 2020 General Conference[1] and one remark he made that got me thinking was “in the United States millions are suffering through a season of enmity and contention … but this time is the most severe many of the oldest of us can ever remember”[2]. This particular quote stood out to me because, as Plato stated in the Republic, “There is nothing which for my part I like better…than conversing with aged men; for I regard them as travelers who have gone a journey which I too may have to go,and of whom I ought to enquire”[3]. Given how long President Oaks has lived, when he says that something is more severe than he can ever remember it being that seems like it is quite the statement. This was not the only statement made at conference concerning the increasing level of contention is being witnessed in society today. Alongside the warnings about the increasing levels of division was a call for greater unity, especially amongst the Saints, and a call for us to set an example for the rest of the world.

The Father of Contention

Naturally I too have been troubled by what I see going on in the world; it seems like there are people on every side of every issue that firmly believe that they are in the right, and that their opponents are pure and unadulterated evil. These accusations bring with them a Balkanization and tribalism where issues of right and wrong are disregarded in lieu of attempting to score points. It very much reminds of the ancient Pharisees and Sadducees who, although were divided on every subject, were united in their determination to put an end to the earthly ministry of Jesus Christ; not because of disagreements over doctrine or interpretation of the law, but because He threatened their group’s power. The question of the truthfulness of Christ’s words was never considered by them, only the fact that he was not one of them, and so they determined He must be removed. In this manner we see “that wicked one cometh and taketh away light and truth…. from the children of men… because of the tradition of their fathers”[4]., and Unfortunately, it seems far too many in society are more concerned with proselytizing their position over discovering truth.

The root cause of this epidemic was identified by Christ Himself when He stated, “For verily, verily I say unto you, he that hath the spirit of contention is not of me, but is of the devil, who is the father of contention, and he stirreth up the hearts of men to contend with anger, one with another”[5]. If Christ is not the father of contention that means that when we begin to bring contention into our discussions, and relationships, either in person or digitally, we are not serving Christ, we are not advancing the cause of His Kingdom, and we are driving out the Spirit of the Lord to make room for the spirit of contention. So, does this mean that we should abandon our moral positions, roll over on our convictions, and become a door-mat in our ideals and principles?; Does this mean we should simply put up with abuse or avoid advising our loved ones when we think they are making poor decisions?, Does it indicate that we should avoid speaking up in Church councils just so we don’t rock the boat? Absolutely not! Those who have been given the holy light of the Gospel are expected to act as leaders within their homes, their communities, and the world, and as anyone who has had to bear the burden of leadership can attest it is impossible to be an effective or capable leader without having people disagree with you on one subject or another. Given that we have been warned to avoid contention while also having a divine charge to provide leadership to a world desperately in need of it at every level, I think we can be forgiven to some extent for being confused on how exactly to abide by both of these divine mandates.

Love One Another As I have Loved You

The answer is something I’ve been struggling to understand myself for quite a while, but I finally think I understand. It came to me when I remembered an old scripture mastery verse I had memorized (I memorized it because it was one of the short ones), in the Book of Moses when discussing the City of Enoch it says, “And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them”[6]. In that verse we see the secret to one of the only two utopian societies of which we have record. The description of the second utopian society reads much the same:, Mormon describing the Lehites following the ascension of Christ says, “And there were no envyings, nor strifes, nor tumults, nor whoredoms, nor lyings, nor murders, nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God. There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God”[7]. What does Mormon say was the root cause of this utopian paradise? “And it came to pass that there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people”[8]. In both cases we see emphasis on the conditions of the hearts of the people involved. In both cases the people’s hearts were set up on Jesus Christ, His Gospel, and His teachings; or in other words, in both instances the people’s greatest desire was to love and serve God, do His will, and keep His commandments.

Now I wouldn’t take this to mean that every person in these perfect societies were entirely perfect themselves, nor were they mindless identical clones of one another. I am sure there were disagreements, mistakes, and accidents, but what would be absent from these imperfections that plague the mortal milieu is the pride and fear that often accompany these events. To provide illustration of this let us imagine a meeting of the Quorum of the Twelve and the First Presidency as they discuss and deliberate on weighty matters concerning the Kingdom of God on Earth. I struggle to believe that given their varied backgrounds and experiences that each member shares the exact same thoughts and perspectives on every matter they discuss and deliberate on, or that they withhold their opinions for fear of judgment. I do, however, believe that each of them come seeking to learn and do the will of the Lord, that each of them anxiously wants to do what is best for the Church and that each of them put aside their own egos and, pride in an effort to find the revelation that the Lord has scattered among them. This is a demonstration of the Spirit of Unity, there are no factions or politicking going on in the Quorum of the Twelve because there is only one faction: Christ’s faction. Each person is seeking only to know what the Lord’s will is and to carry it out.

What does that mean then for us, what does the Spirit of Love and Unity look like in our daily lives? It means we must set aside pride and the desire to be “right”; it means when we have disagreements with someone else we must have our first priority be discovering and doing the will of the Lord; it means we need to be humble and recognize when we are wrong. Beyond that, it also means that as we engage in our daily discussions and try to be an influence for good in the world we always remember that the first and most important thing required of us is to love others as Christ did. When we have the spirit of love and unity with us we have no person as our enemy; instead, all are our brothers and sisters, and beloved children of our Father in Heaven. It means that we seek to become one as the Father and the Son are one, giving the welfare and concerns of others the same priority and attention that we give to our own struggles and difficulties. It means that we mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need of comfort. It won’t be easy, it won’t occur overnight, but over time the spirit of love and unity will work upon us, changing our natures, and we will come to understand the literalness of the Christ’s words when He said, “Verily I say unto you, Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me”[9].

Conclusion

I’ll end this thought with a quote from C.S. Lewis’s The Screwtape Letters, wherein a senior demon is instructing a lesser demon on how to drag a man down to hell. “Once you have made the World an end, and faith a means you have almost won your man, and it makes very little difference what kind of end he is pursuing. Provided that meetings, pamphlets, policies, movements, causes, and crusades, matter more to him than prayers and sacraments and charity, he is ours and the more “religious” (on those terms) the more securely ours”[10]. Let us ensure that following Christ in word and deed is always our highest priority.

Notes

Be of Good Cheer
Dallin H. Oaks, Be of Good Cheer (2020)
Plato, The Republic (https://www.fulltextarchive.com/pdfs/Plato-s-Republic.pdf) pg 27
D&C 93:39
3 Nephi 11:29
Moses 7:18
4 Nephi 1:16-17
4 Nephi 1:15-17
Matthew 25:40
C.S Lewis, The Screwtape Letters (1942) pg 43

What My 4 Year Old Taught Me About Repentance

Introduction

Our home has been “blessed”, with several small children. One of our sons Spencer is 4 years old, and almost every Sunday we have the same scene play out in Sacrament meeting that plays out in sacrament meetings the world over. We get to Church, we sit down in our bench, we ask Spencer to be good, he says he will. 5 minutes pass Spencer starts making loud noises with his cars on the bench, we ask him to be quite, he ignores us, we inform him that if he can’t be quite the cars will need to be put away, he says “no please no” we tell him that if he wants to keep the cars he needs to play with them quietly, he says okay. 5 minutes pass, Spencer is again making loud noises with his cars, we repeat the cycle, until Spencer’s cars get taken away. Wash, rinse, repeat next week. Though the details vary every parent has one, or a hundred, toddler stories like this; however, recently, as my wife and I were going through the being reverent conversation with Spencer, again, I was blessed with a revelation that helped me better understand repentance, and better understand how God still loves us and why repentance works even after we’ve made the same mistake for the third, or three-hundredth time.

Learning To Use Our Bodies

I really do believe that little Spencer means to be quiet with his cars at church, I do think that when we ask him to be reverent during prayer, or when we ask him to please clean up his room, he really does have a desire to, he wants to please his parents, especially if there is a promise of treats involved. Yet despite him wanting to clean his room and make us happy and get a treat, I know that if I just leave Spencer alone in his room for fifteen minutes with instructions to clean it, when I come back in in 15 minutes his room is going to be in just as bad, if not worse, state than before. Another situation is family prayer, I know that even though he wants to get three stories at bed time instead of one story sometimes he is still going to wiggle and squirm and make strange sounds with his mouth even though I’ve asked him to be reverent and even though he knows he should not.

As I’ve wondered about this and worked on this with him, and unfortunately got upset at him more than once about it, I’ve realized that this isn’t a matter of him necessarily being bad or acting out just because he want to push my buttons, although that is sometimes the case little people love pushing boundaries, it is because he is still learning how to control his body and the emotions and impulses that come with it.

Allow me to explain further, when children are first born they can barely do anything and sometimes not even that; however as children grow and develop they learn to understand their bodies and what it can do and how to control it. It starts with simple things such as, “When I make this though it makes some weird meaty thing appear in my field of vision, I wonder if it happens every-time?” and so they do it over and over again waving their arms in front of their face, eventually realizing “Hey this is how I move my arm, cool! I wonder where it goes when I’m not looking at it?” they then repeat this process for everything their bodies do and everything they feel. It starts with learning how to cry, and then controlling the sounds they make, eventually they learn to do things like sit up and walk. As people that are now well practiced in the art of moving our legs and making sounds come out of our mouths we often don’t appreciate that each of these developments are a skill that required consistent and repeated practice, and effort ; simply because we’ve been doing them for so long and been practicing them so much they are basically second nature to us doesn’t mean it was always this way, it took most of us a year or two, or more to figure it out. As part of this process children also begin to learn to deal with their emotions. They learn that just because you feel the impulse to take someone else’s toy because you want it doesn’t mean that it is a good thing to do, we quickly teach children that just because they are feel mad emotions doesn’t mean they can push other kids over or throw things. While in this process our children learn to start to control their emotions and the impulses that come with them, they learn that just because they feel a pressure on their bladder doesn’t mean the should immediately seek to relieve this pressure, and in so doing they learn what is often termed “self-control”, yet because this skill that is developed largely internally, we often treat it as a different skill than learning to walk or jump or other skills that are easier to observe externally. Despite this difference in observability these are still the same skills of learning to control our body as much as any gross motor skill is. Kids struggle walking at first because they struggle to figure out how to move their legs and balance appropriately, and so they fall down a lot as they learn to use the feedback provided by their senses to navigate, when a child sees someone do something they don’t like their brains release chemicals and hormones that causes changes in breathing, and blood pressure, and associated emotional changes that urge them to go and hurt that other person, children don’t have much experience with that, they don’t understand all the things that just happened inside their little bodies, and they don’t understand that parts of their brain are being overwhelmed by other parts, they just know they feel like pushing that other kid over. The only difference between learning how to not hit people when you are angry and learning to walk is that one is something you have to choose to actively go out and do, the other is something you have to actively go and prevent.

Now there is an important disclaimer with this just because we are learning and figuring things that does not mean we are absolved of our responsibility for what we do, just like a teenage driver learning how to use a car correctly is not going to be let off the hook for crashing into someone else’s car just because they were learning, in the same vein little Spencer is going to suffer the consequences of his action when he pushes little Maxwell over and tries to take his toy, this understanding doesn’t absolve us of our own responsibility or waive the consequences of our actions. What the understanding of this new principle does mean is that we can be more compassionate and understanding when people make mistakes even repeatedly, rather than judging them unworthy or guilty of purposefully choosing what is wrong.

Repentance

Now I hear you saying, “this is all great and kids are great but what the heck does that have to do with repentance?” Relatively early in life we develop most of the control over our external bodily functions to the extant we need to in order to successfully navigate the majority of things we encounter in life, we learn to run, jump, control our bladder, all of the essentials. Once we’ve established this level of mastery over our body we assume we’ve figured out in a large part how our body works and we can check that off ths list. At this point we usually stop consciously thinking about how our bodies work and cease figuring out how to control them. Unfortunately just because we believe we have complete control of our bodies it does not make it so. Just because we can move our arms and legs, doesn’t mean we’ve figured it all out, a clear example of this truth can be seen when we reach adolescence and our body becomes flooded with new and powerful chemicals and hormones which result in a multitude of new emotions and impulses to control and manage; and the process of learning to use our physical forms, or be used by them, doesn’t stop there but is something that continues throughout life.

The point is that even after we are no longer children we are still going to be grappling with the chemicals, the hormones, the habits and the impulses of our physical body each and every day, learning how to handle them and what they mean and how to use them. During this process of learning we will make mistakes we will we will sometimes give in to temptation and lose our temper or binge watch to many episodes of Netflix, that doesn’t mean we are a failure or weak, that means that we have stumbled in our progress of developing mastery over our physical forms, in a sense that is almost as literal as when a child stumbles while learning how to walk. When a child stumbles while learning how to walk it isn’t because they didn’t want to walk or because they were just to lazy to finish taking a step, it is because they are in the process of learning how their body works, they are in the process of learning how to move their leg and set it down and what the various sensations and impulses they are receiving are, in the exact same way, when our children disobey us and we snap at them, or someone makes an insensitive comment and we let ourselves get hurt and stew over it, we haven’t purposefully rebelled against God and abandoned the light of Christ, we have not chosen to willfully and fully embrace sin, instead we have experienced our body being flooded with chemicals and hormones that cause us to feel strong emotions and impulses and we then metaphorically stumble in emulating Christlike behavior because we are still trying to figure out what these sensations and impulses are and what to do with them. The compassion, mercy, patience and understanding unlocked by understanding this truth is great, both in our dealings with others and with ourselves.

For example many of us understand that if we make a mistake we can repent; however we may start to question what about when we make the same mistake again, and we try and repent, but then we make the mistake again, and again. We may struggle with the idea of us receiving forgiveness, because part of repentance is confessing and forsaking our sins, but since we keep returning to our sins we may begin to feel as though God is going to withhold forgiveness at this point until some arbitrary criteria of feeling bad about ourselves or abstaining from the sin for a certain period of time is met. Another example of this that I have seen occur in the lives of young people is that they make a mistake, they feel bad, they repent and promise God they’ll do better and try harder and they do really great for a couple of days, and then they make the same mistake, and they feel even worse, so they try and repent even harder and promise God they’ll do even better, they’ll try and spend more time studying their scriptures and praying, and they’ll do great for a couple of days at resisting temptation or sin, and then they’ll make another mistake and feel even worse than the last few times. This cycle continues to repeat until the individual feels trapped at the bottom of a well, they start to feel hopeless and question whether they should even try repenting again since they’ve made the mistake so many times after trying so hard maybe they just can’t overcome this temptation or this weakness, they’ll believe that the Atonement can help save and redeem other people, and it can help other people overcome their sins and weaknesses but they no longer believe that it will help the, not because of a shortcoming of Jesus Christ and His power but because of their own personal shortcomings.

At this point many people, especially young people, begin to feel as though Jesus Christ can save other people, but that his Atonement doesn’t apply to them, not because of lack of power of the Atonement but because of their own failings and shortcomings, they assume that they are just not faithful enough, or strong enough, or don’t have righteous enough desires to be saved. At this point a person who has sinned and made the same mistake repeatedly will often have one of Satan’s most insidious lies whispered in their ear, that God is upset with them or isn’t hearing their prayers because they’ve screwed up too many times and they are going to screw up again so God isn’t listening, they aren’t receiving forgiveness and that God is angry at them because they’ve abused his forgiveness and love to much. This is one of the greatest lies of all time and eternity, there is nothing you can ever do, no mistake that came be made, no crime that can be committed that will put you beyond the saving, redeeming, and healing power of Jesus Christ, He weeps when we weep and rejoices in our smallest triumph, He longs for every person to receive salvation and exaltation at His hand and is pleased with every step we make towards Him and every effort we expend in seeking to be like Him. We as mortals often struggle with this idea, especially as we become cognizant of the fact that Jesus Christ suffered for our sins and mistakes we begin to wonder how He can still love us so much even though we were directly reason for His suffering. The solution lies in what we have been discussing, it is because Jesus Christ and God the Father in their position as exalted, omniscient, omnipotent deities understand the challenges we experience while trying to learn to have possession of a mortal body, they know better than anyone, the difficulties that are associated with piloting our mortal frames and knowing our hearts God knows when we are trying to please Him but having our attempts stymied by our struggles in navigating this flesh we have been given, and He is understanding. This also in my mind helps shed a lot of light on why repentance is so hard after this life, it is because not having physical bodies to learn with and practice with our spiritual instruction will be mostly of the theoretical variety rather than the the hands on type, and because of this it will be far harder to obtain full mastery of the craft of self-control. In contrast to this those individuals that have loved and longed for the light, and have been repeatedly frustrated by the difficulties and foibles of an imperfect form will find a glorious freedom in being redeemed from the difficulties associated with a body that fought against a total commitment and consecration of self to Christ and His Kingdom.

Conclusion

I love little Spencer, I love him more than he can understand right now, and I want him to have the best most wonderful life that he possibly can, I want him to be happy, successful, wise, rich, have a loving family, and I want every other good thing to come to him in life, and because I love him so much and I want so much for him to be happy, to follow Christ and to have a life full of light and joy, because of that I know that I must teach him while he is young not to hit, I need to spend time with him helping him understand how to control his little temper, to do hard work even when in his words “I just am not meant for cleaning.”, if I want Spencer to learn the joy of playing good music I have to teach him now how to use his little fingers to press the piano keys in the right way even though he finds it tedious and frustrating at the time, and though he doesn’t like this and protests some times and doesn’t understand why, I still do it for him, because I love him and I know one day he will understand why and he will look back and see that it was for his good. Our Heavenly Father wants to give us so much more than just a good happy joy filled life, He wants to give us an endless eternity of light and joy, a never ending happiness beyond the comprehension of any mortal mind, but to give us that, to make us the people that would understand and enjoy that. Right now in this life He is instructing us in how to use our bodies, how to not snap at people just because our brain tells us to, how to get up out of bed on time even when our body is protesting by pointing out how comfortable the bed is, or a thousand other examples. We can’t see right now, we don’t understand why on all of these things, we may even feel that sometimes what is asked is onerous or unreasonable, but that is why He is our Father and we are His little children. I know there will come a day when we will get to return to His presence and we will understand then better than we have ever known before the incredible love He has for us, and how forgiving He really is, and how badly He wants us to return to Him.