What Does It Mean to Pray with Real Intent?

 What Does It Mean to Pray with Real Intent?

President Dallin H. Oaks, First Counselor in the First Presidency, explained that praying with real intent means that the person prays something like this: “I do not ask out of curiosity but with total sincerity to act on the answer to my prayer. If Thou wilt give me this answer, I will act to change my life. I will respond” (in Neil L. Andersen, “Spiritually Defining Memories,” Liahona, May 2020, 22, note 19).

Today's Secret Combinations

 "If we are not careful, today's secret combinations can obtain power and influence just as quickly and just as completely as they did in Book of Mormon times. Do you remember the pattern? The secret combinations began among the 'more wicked part' of society, but eventually 'seduced the more part of the righteous' until the whole society was polluted [Helaman 6:38]. 

Elder M. Russell Ballard, October 1997 General Conference

When a child reads the Book of Mormon for the first time

 When a child reads the Book of Mormon for the first time and is enamored with Abinadi's courage or the march of 2,000 stripling warriors, we can gently add that Jesus is the omnipresent central figure in this marvelous chronicle, standing like a colossus over virtually every page of it and providing the link to all of the other faith-promoting figures in it."

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland

October 2019 General Conference

We Don't Always Need to Learn a New Fact When Reading The Book of Mormon

 

It Is Wisdom in the Lord That We Should Have the Book of Mormon

By President Mark L. Pace

Sunday School General President

We call it “study,” and that’s good because it implies effort. But we don’t always need to learn some new fact. Sometimes reading the Book of Mormon is just about feeling connected to God today—nourishing the soul, being strengthened spiritually before heading out to face the world, or finding healing after a rough day out in the world.

We study the scriptures so the Holy Ghost, the great teacher, can deepen our conversion to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and help us become more like Them.

With these thoughts in mind, we could consider, “What has the Holy Ghost taught us this week during our study of the Book of Mormon?” and “How does this bring us closer to the Savior?”

These are good questions for our scripture study at home. They are also excellent questions to start a Sunday class at church. We improve our teaching at church on Sunday by improving our learning at home during the week.

Abish

 Sister Elaine S. Dalton

October 2011 General Conference

"In the Book of Mormon, Abish was converted by her father's sharing with her his remarkable vision. For many years thereafter, she kept her testimony in her heart and lived righteously in a very wicked society. Then the time came when she could no longer be still, and she ran from house to house to share her testimony and the miracles she had witnessed in the king's court. The power of Abish's conversion an testimony was instrumental in changing an entire society. The people who heard her testify became a people who "were converted unto the Lord, [and] never did fall away," and their sons became the stripling warriors!"

Truths of the Book of Mormon have the Power to...

 In our own day, President Russell M. Nelson has said, “The truths of the Book of Mormon have the power to heal, comfort, restore, succor, strengthen, console, and cheer our souls.”

Liahona, Nov. 2017, 62.

The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like without It?

October 2017 general conference

Open the Heavens

 President Nelson taught about the importance of consistency in these efforts: “Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work.”

Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Liahona, May 2018, 95.

Easter Traditions

 

The Greatest Easter Story Ever Told

By Elder Gary E. Stevenson

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Lesa and I have discussed ways that our family can do better during the Easter season. Perhaps the question we have asked ourselves is one we could all contemplate: How do we model the teaching and celebration of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the Easter story, with the same balance, fulness, and rich religious tradition of the birth of Jesus Christ, the Christmas story?...

As Lesa and I continued to ponder and seek ways to expand our family Easter celebration to be more Christ-centered, we discussed what scripture reading tradition we might introduce to our family—the Luke 2 equivalent for Easter, if you will.

And then we had this heavenly epiphany: In addition to the important verses about Easter in the New Testament, we as Latter-day Saints are endowed with a most remarkable Easter gift! A gift of unique witness, another testament of the Easter miracle that contains perhaps the most magnificent Easter scriptures in all of Christianity. I am referring of course to the Book of Mormon and, more specifically, to the account of Jesus Christ appearing to inhabitants in the New World in His resurrected glory.

The Prophet Joseph Smith described the Book of Mormon as “the most correct of any book,”⁵ and beginning with 3 Nephi 11, it tells the magnificent story of the resurrected Christ’s visit to the Nephites, the Savior’s Easter ministry. These Easter scriptures bear record of the Resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ....

This Easter, our family is going to focus on the first 17 verses of 3 Nephi 11, with which you are familiar....

Imagine: the Nephites at the temple actually touched the hands of the risen Lord! We hope to make these chapters in 3 Nephi as much a part of our Easter tradition as Luke 2 is of our Christmas tradition. In reality, the Book of Mormon shares the greatest Easter story ever told. Let it not be the greatest Easter story never told.

I invite you to look at the Book of Mormon in a new light and consider the profound witness it bears of the reality of the risen Christ as well as the richness and depth of the doctrine of Christ....

We cannot stand as witnesses of Jesus Christ until we can bear witness of Him. The Book of Mormon is another witness of Jesus Christ because throughout its sacred pages, one prophet after another testifies not only that Christ would come but that He did come.

Because of Him

​I am holding in my hand a copy of the first edition of the Book of Mormon. Doing so always moves me. For much of my adult life, I have been fascinated, enthralled, and riveted with what young Joseph Smith did to get this sacred book of scripture translated and published. The miracles that had to occur are staggering to contemplate.

​But that is not why this book moves me. It is because this book, more than any other ever published on this earth, bears witness of the life, the ministry, the teachings, the Atonement, and the Resurrection of Jesus Christ. My dear brothers and sisters, studying regularly from this book about Jesus Christ will change your life. It will open your eyes to new possibilities. It will increase your hope and fill you with charity. Most of all, it will build and strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ and bless you with a sure knowledge that He and our Father know you, love you, and want you to find your way back home, with a capital H....

No book does more to show that:

• Because of Jesus Christ, everything changed.

• Because of Him, everything is better.

• Because of Him, life is manageable—especially the painful moments.

• Because of Him, everything is possible.

Regular Immersion in the Book of Mormon

 Recently, President Russell M. Nelson taught: “Few things build faith more than does regular immersion in the Book of Mormon. No other book testifies of Jesus Christ with such power and clarity.”²

When he said this, I realized I received power because the Book of Mormon testifies of Jesus Christ, and He is the source of strength! Regular immersion in the Book of Mormon builds our faith, which gives us power.

After My Divorce, I Needed Strength Beyond My Own

Name withheld

Liahona Jan 2023

Focus on More on the Habits you Want to Develop and Less on the Ones You Want to Lose

The Power of the Book of Mormon in Conversion

By Elder Benjamin M. Z. Tai

Of the Seventy

For 20 years, Brother Huang Juncong struggled with alcohol, cigarettes, and compulsive gambling. When introduced to Jesus Christ and His restored gospel, Brother Huang desired to change for the sake of his young family. His greatest challenge was smoking. A heavy chain-smoker, he had tried to quit many times unsuccessfully. One day these words from the Book of Mormon lodged in his mind: “with a sincere heart, with real intent.”²⁸ Though previous attempts had failed, he felt perhaps he could change with help from Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.

The full-time missionaries united their faith with his and provided an action plan of practical interventions, along with heavy doses of prayer and studying the word of God. With sincerity and real intent, Brother Huang acted with faithful determination and found that as he focused more on the new habits he wished to develop, such as studying the Book of Mormon, he focused less on the habits he wanted to lose.

Recalling his experience from 15 years ago, he remarked, “I don’t remember when exactly I quit smoking, but as I tried hard every day to do the things I knew I needed to do to invite the Spirit of the Lord into my life and kept doing them, I was no longer attracted to cigarettes and have not been since.” Through applying the teachings of the Book of Mormon, Brother Huang’s life has been transformed, and he has become a better husband and father.

President Russell M. Nelson has promised: “As you prayerfully study the Book of Mormon every day, you will make better decisions—every day. I promise that as you ponder what you study, the windows of heaven will open, and you will receive answers to your own questions and direction for your own life. I promise that as you daily immerse yourself in the Book of Mormon, you can be immunized against the evils of the day, even the gripping plague of pornography and other mind-numbing addictions.”²⁹

Dear friends, the Book of Mormon is the word of God, and we will draw nearer to Him if we study it.³⁰ As we experiment upon its words, we will obtain a witness of its truthfulness.³¹ As we consistently live according to its teachings, we will have “no more desire to do evil.”³² Our heart, countenance, and nature will be transformed to become more like the Savior.

Plain and Precious Truths

A Living Witness of the Living Christ

By Bishop Gérald Caussé

Presiding Bishop

Plain and precious truths about the Savior’s Atonement resound throughout the Book of Mormon. As I list several of these truths, I invite you to reflect on how they have changed or could change your life.

1. The Atonement of Jesus Christ is a free gift offered to all who have lived, who currently live, and who will live on the earth.⁵
2. In addition to bearing the burden of our sins, the Christ took upon Himself our sorrows, infirmities, sufferings, and sicknesses and all the afflictions inherent in the mortal condition of man. There is no anguish, no pain or sadness that He did not suffer for us.⁶
3. The atoning sacrifice of the Savior allows us to overcome the negative consequences of Adam’s Fall, including physical death. Because of Christ, all of God’s children born on this earth, regardless of their righteousness, will experience the reuniting of their spirits and bodies through the power of the Resurrection⁷ and return to Him to “be judged … according to [their] works.”⁸
4. In contrast, receiving the full blessings of the Savior’s Atonement is conditioned upon our diligence⁹ in living the “doctrine of Christ.”¹⁰ In his dream, Lehi saw the “strait and narrow path”¹¹ that leads to the tree of life. Its fruit, which represents the love of God as expressed through the exquisite blessings of Christ’s Atonement, “is most precious and most desirable … [and] is the greatest of all the gifts of God.”¹² In order to access this fruit, we must exercise faith in Jesus Christ, repent, “hearken unto the word of God,”¹³ receive essential ordinances, and keep sacred covenants until the end of our lives.¹⁴
5. Through His Atonement, Jesus Christ not only washes away our sins, but He also provides enabling power through which His disciples may “[put] off the natural man,”¹⁵ progress “line upon line,”¹⁶ and increase in holiness¹⁷ so that one day they might become perfect beings in the image of Christ,¹⁸ qualified to live again with God¹⁹ and inherit all the blessings of the kingdom of heaven.

Alma’s question could also be rephrased to ask, when was the last time you felt the sweet influence of the Savior’s Atonement in your life? This happens when you feel an “exquisite and sweet” joy²⁵ come over you that bears witness to your soul that your sins are forgiven; or when painful trials suddenly become lighter to bear; or when your heart is softened and you are able to express forgiveness to someone who has hurt you. Or it may be each time you notice your capacity to love and serve others has increased or that the process of sanctification is making you a different person, patterned after the Savior’s example.²⁶

I bear witness that all these experiences are real and are evidence that lives can be changed through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement. The Book of Mormon clarifies and expands our knowledge of this supernal gift. As you study this book, you will hear the voice of the living Christ inviting you to come unto Him. I promise that if you accept this invitation and pattern your life after His example, His redemptive influence will come into your life. Through the power of the Holy Ghost, the Savior will transform you day after day “until the perfect day”²⁷ when you will, as He declared, “see my face and know that I am.”

Open the Heavens

President Nelson taught, “Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon, and regular time committed to temple and family history work.”

Russell M. Nelson, “Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives,” Ensign, May 2018, 95.

Read it Again

"President Hinckley has encouraged us to read the Book of Mormon to lift us above the things of the world, to enjoy the things of the Lord. The said, 'without reservation I promise you that if each of you will observe this simple program, regardless of how many times you previously may have read the Book of Mormon, there will come into your lives and your homes an added measure of the Spirit of the Lord, a strengthened resolution to walk in obedience to His commandments, and a stronger testimony of the living reality of the son of God.' These blessings are far more valuable than material possessions."

L. Tom Perry

President Nelson's Challenge to the Sisters

Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel

By President Russell M. Nelson

No one can do what a righteous woman can do. No one can duplicate the influence of a mother....

Tonight I urge you, with all the hope of my heart, to pray to understand your spiritual gifts—to cultivate, use, and expand them, even more than you ever have. You will change the world as you do so....

So tonight I’m extending a prophetic plea to you, the women of the Church, to shape the future by helping to gather scattered Israel.

Where can you start?

May I offer four invitations:

First, I invite you to participate in a 10-day fast from social media and from any other media that bring negative and impure thoughts to your mind. Pray to know which influences to remove during your fast. The effect of your 10-day fast may surprise you. What do you notice after taking a break from perspectives of the world that have been wounding your spirit? Is there a change in where you now want to spend your time and energy? Have any of your priorities shifted—even just a little? I urge you to record and follow through with each impression.

Second, I invite you to read the Book of Mormon between now and the end of the year. As impossible as that may seem with all you are trying to manage in your life, if you will accept this invitation with full purpose of heart, the Lord will help you find a way to achieve it. And, as you prayerfully study, I promise that the heavens will open for you. The Lord will bless you with increased inspiration and revelation.

As you read, I would encourage you to mark each verse that speaks of or refers to the Savior. Then, be intentional about talking of Christ, rejoicing in Christ, and preaching of Christ with your families and friends.2 You and they will be drawn closer to the Savior through this process. And changes, even miracles, will begin to happen....

Please teach those whom you love what you are learning from the scriptures. Teach them how to turn to the Savior for His healing and cleansing power when they sin. And teach them how to draw upon His strengthening power every day of their lives.

Third, establish a pattern of regular temple attendance. This may require a little more sacrifice in your life. More regular time in the temple will allow the Lord to teach you how to draw upon His priesthood power with which you have been endowed in His temple. For those of you who don’t live near a temple, I invite you to study prayerfully about temples in the scriptures and in the words of living prophets. Seek to know more, to understand more, to feel more about temples than you ever have before....

My fourth invitation, for you who are of age, is to participate fully in Relief Society. I urge you to study the current Relief Society purpose statement. It is inspiring. It may guide you in developing your own purpose statement for your own life. I also entreat you to savor the truths in the Relief Society declaration published almost 20 years ago.3 A framed copy of this declaration hangs on the wall in the office of the First Presidency. I am thrilled every time I read it. It describes who you are and who the Lord needs you to be at this precise time as you do your part to help gather scattered Israel.

Help with Personal Problems

Help with Personal Problems

“[The Book of Mormon] can help with personal problems in a very real way. Do you want to get rid of a bad habit? Do you want to improve relationships in your family? Do you want to increase your spiritual capacity? Read the Book of Mormon!”

Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “A Testimony of the Book of Mormon,” Liahona, Jan. 2000, 85; Ensign, Nov. 1999, 71.

Book of Mormon Answers

Book of Mormon Answers

• What should I do next in my life? (See 1 Nephi 4:6; Alma 37:36.)
• How can I improve my marriage? (See 1 Nephi 5:1–9.)
• Why should I keep a journal? (See Jacob 1:2–4; Alma 37:2–4;Helaman 3:13–15.)
• How can I be a better friend? (See Alma 15:18.)
• How can I fulfill my calling? (See Alma 17:2–12.)
• What should I pray about? (See Alma 34:17–27.)
• How can the Atonement help me repent and change? (See Alma 36.)
• How should I react when someone is unkind? (See Alma 60–62.)
• How can I protect my family from the evil in the world? (SeeHelaman 5:12; Moroni 8:2–3.)
• Why should I attend church? (See Moroni 6:5–9.)

Study suggestion: Make a list of your own questions and look for answers as you prayerfully study the scriptures.

Greatest Source to Real-life Problems

Elder M. Russell Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles testified:

“The Book of Mormon, above all other books that I know of, is the greatest source we have for answers to real-life problems. …

“How many times peace has come into the lives of those who are struggling with real problems when they read the Book of Mormon! The examples of spiritual guidance that emanate from the book are without number.”

M. Russell Ballard, in “We Add Our Witness,” Tambuli, Dec. 1989, 13; Ensign, Mar. 1989, 8–9.