By Elder Aaron T. Hall
Of the Seventy
Brothers and sisters, what names of Jesus Christ help you glory in Him? Perhaps Master, Counselor, or Friend?
When life feels infuriatingly unfair and finding the strength to glory in the Lord seems difficult, reflect on the meaning of His divine names and let Him restore peace to your soul.
By Elder Ulisses Soares
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Abiding in Christ is not an occasional or casual act; it is a constant, conscious, and sacred choice. It is allowing His holy teachings to abide in us, elevating our thoughts and governing our words in every setting—including the digital spaces where we so often interact—and purifying and consecrating our actions unto Him. It is letting our daily choices be guided by the covenants we have made with Him and allowing our lives to be directed by His loving and constant influence through the Holy Ghost. It is choosing to listen to His voice and the voice of His servants and following what they teach, above all the enticing voices of the world....
My beloved brothers and sisters, in a world of many voices, remaining connected to the True Vine is not merely desirable; it is essential to our spiritual survival. Those who abide in Jesus Christ come to recognize and trust His voice, especially as it is spoken through those He has called to represent Him.
By Brother David J. Wunderli
First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency
Years ago our son came home from Primary with a small picture of Jesus Christ. His Primary teacher had given it to him, and he cherished that picture. He slept with it, protected it, and carried it with him to school.
One Saturday morning we decided to take a family hike up a nearby canyon. Our six-year-old son carefully placed his picture of Jesus Christ into his backpack. That was it—he packed nothing else. When we stopped for lunch along the trail, he got busy finding small, unique rocks, and soon he had a large pile of them.
He asked me if he could take all these rocks home, and I said, “Sure, but you’ll have to carry them out yourself.”
He agreed and began filling his pack. Then he carefully placed his picture of Jesus Christ back on top and zipped it up. I lifted the heavy pack, put it on his back, and watched as he took one step forward and five steps backward until he fell to the ground. Undaunted, he opened his pack and removed three small rocks. One more try, one more fail.
Now, thinking there might be a lesson to be taught, I lightheartedly suggested that maybe he should remove his picture of Jesus. “That should lighten your load,” I said.
I will never forget the hurt look on his face. It seemed to say, “Dad, you really want me to take Jesus out of my pack and leave Him behind?” And then his look changed to “Dad, you’re not as smart as I thought you were.”...
Dear amazing young men and young women: As you continue your journey from baptism forward, through your teenage years and on to adulthood, committed to becoming lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, know that rocks found along the way will begin to collect in your backpack—some by choice and some by the very nature of your journey in this life. As the weight increases, please remember that taking Jesus Christ out of your life is not the answer. Removing Him will not lighten your load.
The enemy of happiness wants to separate you from Jesus Christ. He will tempt you to remove the Savior from your life, enticing you to think that the road would be easier without Him, that the weight of His commandments is too great, that the path back is too long, that repentance is too hard. Know this: Satan is a liar. Jesus Christ is not the weight; He is the relief....
Each morning as you begin your daily walk, please make sure that Jesus Christ is with you.
By Brother David J. Wunderli
First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency
May we together continue to walk with Jesus Christ, even in our most difficult moments.
Years ago our son came home from Primary with a small picture of Jesus Christ. His Primary teacher had given it to him, and he cherished that picture. He slept with it, protected it, and carried it with him to school.
One Saturday morning we decided to take a family hike up a nearby canyon. Our six-year-old son carefully placed his picture of Jesus Christ into his backpack. That was it—he packed nothing else. When we stopped for lunch along the trail, he got busy finding small, unique rocks, and soon he had a large pile of them.
He asked me if he could take all these rocks home, and I said, “Sure, but you’ll have to carry them out yourself.”
He agreed and began filling his pack. Then he carefully placed his picture of Jesus Christ back on top and zipped it up. I lifted the heavy pack, put it on his back, and watched as he took one step forward and five steps backward until he fell to the ground. Undaunted, he opened his pack and removed three small rocks. One more try, one more fail.
Now, thinking there might be a lesson to be taught, I lightheartedly suggested that maybe he should remove his picture of Jesus. “That should lighten your load,” I said.
I will never forget the hurt look on his face. It seemed to say, “Dad, you really want me to take Jesus out of my pack and leave Him behind?” And then his look changed to “Dad, you’re not as smart as I thought you were.”
The Lord promised Enoch, “Mountains shall flee before you, and the rivers shall turn from their course; and thou shalt abide in me, and I in you; therefore walk with me.”
Like Enoch, many of our youth today are choosing to abide with Jesus Christ. They are choosing to keep Him in their lives. They are walking with Him. They are gathering in record numbers to temples throughout the world. They wake before sunrise to participate in seminary. More are serving missions, resulting in more of God’s children being baptized than ever before. Today’s rising generation has been gifted with talents to gather and attributes of empathy and understanding. More are committed to becoming lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ.
In a recent visit to West Africa, Diane and I sat in the home of two young brothers who had recently joined the Church and were being raised by a single mother in humble circumstances. When asked what the gospel of Jesus Christ has done for their family, 16-year-old Joshua simply said, “Relief.”
Dear amazing young men and young women: As you continue your journey from baptism forward, through your teenage years and on to adulthood, committed to becoming lifelong disciples of Jesus Christ, know that rocks found along the way will begin to collect in your backpack—some by choice and some by the very nature of your journey in this life. As the weight increases, please remember that taking Jesus Christ out of your life is not the answer. Removing Him will not lighten your load.
The enemy of happiness wants to separate you from Jesus Christ. He will tempt you to remove the Savior from your life, enticing you to think that the road would be easier without Him, that the weight of His commandments is too great, that the path back is too long, that repentance is too hard. Know this: Satan is a liar. Jesus Christ is not the weight; He is the relief.
To His disciples, the Lord affirmed, “In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”
He has overcome the world. He has taken “upon him the pains and [sickness] of his people.” He has suffered “afflictions and temptations of every kind; … that he may know … how to succor [us].” His pleading, loving, powerful invitation is to abide with Him. It is to stay with Him.
Each morning as you begin your daily walk, please make sure that Jesus Christ is with you. Then, as you face opposing forces aimed at separating you from Him, your confidence and resolve will be anchored to His truth, to His wisdom, to Him who is all-knowing. Your capacity to understand and forgive will be deeper. Your ability to love others, and even love yourself, will be an extension of His love—His infinite love—and you will have hope, real hope, because it will be in and “through the atonement of Christ and the power of his resurrection, to be raised unto life eternal.”
Keeping Jesus Christ with you requires intentional, daily worship.
You keep Him with you as you reverently, with real intent, kneel and pray to the Father in the name of Jesus Christ.
You keep Him with you as you study the scriptures daily, especially the Book of Mormon, and reflect on the witness of Jesus Christ that it bears. As you do, He will guide you through your mists of darkness.
You keep Jesus Christ with you as you exercise faith in Him, trust Him, and turn to Him in sincere, daily repentance.
You keep Jesus Christ with you as you are willing to live your covenants every day and renew them every week.
My young brothers and sisters, it is that simple.
By Elder Neil L. Andersen
Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
For you who have been so unfairly injured by the serious sins of another, I long to share the Savior’s love and compassion, His comfort and peace.
The sadness you have felt, the heartbreak, the loss, the suffocating feeling of betrayal, the upending of your life as you imagined it to be—I give you my absolute assurance, the Savior knows you and loves you. Reach out to Him. He is your comfort and strength; He will send His angels to bear you up. When will your pain be gone, your grief subdued, the unwanted memories forgotten? I do not know. But this I do know: He has the power to bring beauty from the ashes of your suffering....
President Dallin H. Oaks has taught: “Because of His atoning experience in mortality, our Savior is able to comfort, heal, and strengthen all men and women everywhere, but I believe He does so only for those who seek Him and ask for His help.
By Brother Chad H Webb
First Counselor in the Sunday School General Presidency
As members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, blessed with the companionship of a member of the Godhead, we can have the help of the perfect Tutor. The Holy Ghost knows all things, testifies of truth, and will “bring all things to [our] remembrance.”...
The inspired Church manual Teaching in the Savior’s Way outlines additional principles the Lord has established that will help invite the influence of the Holy Ghost.
One of these principles is to invite diligent learning. In the past, we may have thought of teaching as a chance for a parent or teacher to invite the Spirit into their own preparation and then share what they have learned with children or class members, whose role it has been to listen. But even more effective is when we, as learners, also come prepared and when teachers create learning experiences that foster personal revelation directly to our hearts and minds. Then, as we’re given opportunities to share what we are learning through our study and from the Holy Ghost, we help each other to be instructed and edified. As we apply gospel principles, the Spirit again bears witness of their truthfulness....
As teachers, we can focus more on the learner’s progress, on meeting their needs, and on helping them to develop spiritual habits of lifelong discipleship. As learners, when we exercise our agency in the learning process, we signal to the Holy Ghost our willingness to be taught by Him....
Another principle relevant to inviting the Holy Ghost is to teach true doctrine. This means that our gospel study and instruction are rooted in the word of God and that we don’t sensationalize or speculate on what the Lord has not revealed. Instead, we focus on essential and eternal gospel principles, which allows the Spirit to testify of truth....
True doctrine is found in the scriptures and teachings of modern prophets....
Imagine Adam and Eve, Abinadi, or even the Master Teacher, Jesus Christ, visiting our homes or classes to teach us. They can when we feast upon the word of God. With consistent effort, we can learn to understand and love the scriptures and trust that they have the answers to the questions of the soul.
There was a time before we were married when my wife, Kristi, was struggling to feel Heavenly Father’s love and to understand His plan for her. As she prayed for guidance, an impression came that she should attend institute, so she enrolled in a New Testament class. The way her institute teacher taught from the scriptures, even the way he held them, showed how much he loved the word of God. As she attended, the Holy Ghost whispered to her that there was something in the scriptures that she needed. Her teacher’s love for the scriptures and the promptings of the Holy Ghost gave her a desire to begin a serious study of the word of God—which became a lifelong journey of deep conversion and consecrated service.
Finally, as Teaching in the Savior’s Way suggests, our teaching and learning should always focus on Jesus Christ. We can speak more often and more reverently of Him and seek more opportunities to express testimony, gratitude, and love for Him. Whatever the setting, as we remember Him, we can have “his Spirit to be with [us].”...
At times, we may not immediately see the attributes of the Savior outlined in a scriptural account. For example, when reading about Nephi building a boat, we might focus only on Nephi. But focusing on the Savior can help us see that this record was not preserved to teach us about the greatness of Nephi but to show us the greatness of God—that He gives us strength to keep His commandments and delivers us in times of need....
As we learn to see Heavenly Father and the Savior in the scriptures, we will come to know Them better and we will see Their love and influence more frequently and more powerfully in our own lives.
By Elder Jörg Klebingat
Of the Seventy
Does Jesus Christ ever seem to you too distant, too inaccessible, and too impersonal to ever move from being a picture on the wall or a statue or a name in the scriptures to becoming your personal, practical, and daily Savior?...
We know, as Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught, that “our individual identity is stamped in us forever. In ways we don’t fully understand, our spiritual growth there in the premortal world influences who we are here.”...
You and I are marked—indeed, earmarked—because of our premortal loyalty and obedience. Having already stood firmly with our Savior once, including during the War in Heaven, we are now called to enlist once more in this final battle, with the War in Heaven continuing, as it were, on this side of the veil along the same battle lines of good versus evil, light versus darkness, and truth versus falsehood.
I hope you sense that Jesus Christ was then and is now our Friend, our Guide, our Great Physician, our Counselor, and, above all, our Savior, Redeemer, and Advocate with the Father....
If you were indeed close to Him premortally (and I believe you were), if He really suffered and died for you (and He did), if His atoning sacrifice is meant for you individually and specifically (and it is), if the remission of sins and incremental growth line upon line in this life is why you are here in the first place (and it is), you can perhaps understand why the Father’s anger is kindled against those who “will not understand [His] mercies which [He] hast bestowed upon them because of [His] Son” (Alma 33:16).
Ongoing repentance is meant to be a joyful experience as we access the Savior’s Atonement and therefore the remission of sins. The adversary, on the other hand, would have us believe that repentance is a hopeless, self-deprecating exercise—nothing more than a constant reminder of our never-ending imperfections.
Please remember that the Savior’s Atonement and free-will offering protects us not only from our sins but also from our weaknesses. Have faith that the Savior is perfect at distinguishing between our weaknesses and our premeditated, intentional sins....
My dear friends, in the “process of time” (Moses 7:21) and “line upon line, precept upon precept” (2 Nephi 28:30), as we humbly seek a remission of sins by sincerely and quickly repenting every day and becoming holy, the practice of letting “God prevail” and “thinking celestial” must and will find reflection in our very nature, character, and being; in our heart, might, mind, and soul (see Luke 10:27); in our thoughts, words, and deeds.
Brothers and sisters, I testify of the Savior’s reality and of His practical Atonement. I testify that in His hospital, He is the Great Physician, Chief Surgeon, and Healer. I testify that He specializes in healing the weakest of the weak and in bringing relief to those who least expect it. I testify that all hospital and outpatient fees were paid for by Him in a garden and on a cross. I testify that you are welcome there for routine spiritual checkups as well as for lifesaving emergency operations. He is open for business 24/7, and there is always a room and a bed for you.
The only deductible is your love for Him, your real intent, your full-hearted discipleship and willingness to strive to be a covenant keeper—in short, your broken heart and contrite spirit (see 2 Nephi 2:7; 4:32).
