Testimonies Come When...

 "Testimonies often come when there is willingness to serve where we are called. they come when a decision is made to strive to be obedient. Testimonies come during efforts to help, lift, and strengthen others. They come from prayer and from studying the scriptures and applying them in our lives. Whatever our circumstances, there seem to be moments in each of our lives when we can be given the knowledge that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. There is no greater search in life that we can embark upon than the quest to gain a testimony of the truth." (Robert D. Hales, Ensign, Nov. 1994, pg 22). 

Listen to the Prophet

If we listen to the prophets of this day, poverty would be replaced with loving care for the poor and needy. Many serious and deadly health problems would be avoided through compliance with the Word of Wisdom and the laws of sexual purity. Payment of tithing would bless us, and we would have sufficient for our needs. If we follow the counsel given by the prophets, we can have a life in mortality where we do not bring upon ourselves unnecessary pain and self-destruction. This does not mean we will not have challenges. We will. This does not mean we will not be tested. We will, for this is part of our purpose on earth. But if we will listen to the counsel of our prophet, we will become stronger and be able to withstand the tests of mortality. We will have hope and joy. All the words of counsel from the prophets of all generations have been given so that we may be strengthened and then be able to lift and strengthen others.

Hear the Prophet’s Voice and Obey

Elder Robert D. Hales

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Eternal Bond

"An eternal bond doesn't just happen as a result of sealing covenants we make in the temple. How we conduct ourselves in this life will determine what we will be in all the eternities to come. To receive the blessings of the sealing that our Heavenly Father has given us, we have to keep the commandments and conduct ourselves in such a way that our families will want to live with us in the eternities. The family relationships will have here on this earth are important, but they are much more important for their effect on our families for generations in mortality and throughout all eternity."

Robert D. Hales

Goals in 4 Areas

Elder Robert D. Hales (1932–2017) of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles counseled us to focus on these four areas:

• Spiritual development
• Physical development
• Educational, personal, and career development
• Citizenship and social development

See Robert D. Hales, “Fulfilling Our Duty to God,” Ensign, Nov. 2001, 39.

Beloved

Beloved

“Every one of us is more beloved to the Lord than we can possibly understand or imagine. Let us therefore be kinder to one another and kinder toward ourselves.”

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Waiting upon the Lord: Thy Will Be Done,” Liahona and Ensign, Nov. 2011, 73.

Push Back the Darkness

 “Unless you are fully engaged in living the gospel—living it with all of your ‘heart, might, mind and strength’—you cannot generate enough spiritual light to push back the darkness” (“Out of Darkness into His Marvelous Light,” Ensign, May 2002, 71; Liahona, July 2002, 78). 

Becoming a Disciple of Jesus Christ

Becoming a Disciple of Our Lord Jesus Christ

By Elder Robert D. Hales

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Disciples live so that the characteristics of Christ are woven into the fiber of their beings, as into a spiritual tapestry.

From temperance to patience and from patience to godliness, our natures change. We gain the brotherly kindness that is a hallmark of all true disciples. Like the Good Samaritan, we cross the road to minister to whoever is in need, even if they are not within the circle of our friends.19 We bless them that curse us. We do good to those who despitefully use us.20 Is any attribute more godly or Christlike?

There will be no disparity between the kindness we show our enemies and the kindness we bestow on our friends. We will be as honest when no one is looking as when others are watching. We will be as devoted to God in the public square as we are in our private closet.

Guidance for Major Decisions

Guidance for Major Decisions

“The Holy Ghost provides personal revelation to help us make major life decisions about such things as education, missions, careers, marriage, children, where we will live with our families, and so on. …

“Each of us may feel the influence of the Holy Ghost differently. His promptings will be felt in different degrees of intensity according to our individual needs and circumstances.”

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Holy Ghost,” Ensign, May 2016, 105.

Teaching Moments

“I was reading the newspaper when one of my young grandsons snuggled up to me,” said Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. “As I read, I was delighted to hear his sweet voice chattering on in the background. Imagine my surprise when, a few moments later, he pushed himself between me and the paper. Taking my face in his hands and pressing his nose up to mine, he asked, ‘Grandpa! Are you in there?’

“… Being there means understanding the hearts of our youth and connecting with them. And connecting with them means not just conversing with them but doing things with them too. …

“We must plan and take advantage of teaching moments. …

“… The more I live, the more I recognize that the teaching moments in my youth, especially those provided by my parents, have shaped my life and made me who I am.”

Robert D. Hales, “Our Duty to God: The Mission of Parents and Leaders to the Rising Generation,” Ensign, May 2010, 96, 95.

Take Teaching Opportunities

Take Teaching Opportunities

“Besides showing youth the way by example, we lead them by understanding their hearts and walking alongside them on the gospel path. To truly understand their hearts, we must do more than just be in the same room or attend the same family and Church activities. We must plan and take advantage of teaching moments that make a deep and lasting impression upon their minds and hearts. …

“I would hope that we would have the opportunity of bearing our testimonies that we know that God lives and that Jesus is the Christ. I would hope that we would bear our testimonies so that our children will know where our hearts are and that we love them. The greatest love and the greatest teachings should be in our homes.”

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Our Duty to God: The Mission of Parents and Leaders to the Rising Generation,” Liahona and Ensign,May 2010, 95, 98.

Prepare Before the Sacrament

“For the sacrament to be a spiritually cleansing experience each week, we need to prepare ourselves before coming to sacrament meeting. We do this by deliberately leaving behind our daily work and recreation and letting go of worldly thoughts and concerns. As we do, we make room in our minds and hearts for the Holy Ghost. …

“As we sing the sacrament hymn, participate in the sacrament prayers, and partake of the emblems of His flesh and blood, we prayerfully seek forgiveness for our sins and shortcomings. We think about the promises we made and kept during the previous week and make specific personal commitments to follow the Savior during the coming week.”

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Coming to Ourselves: The Sacrament, the Temple, and Sacrifice in Service,” Ensign,May 2012, 34.

We Can't Afford It

 “When faced with the choice to buy, consume, or engage in worldly things and activities, we all need to learn to say to one another, ‘We can’t afford it, even though we want it!’ or ‘We can afford it, but we don’t need it—and we really don’t even want it.’"

Robert D. Hales, “Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually,” Ensign, May 2009, 9. 

John Weightman

“John Weightman was a successful man whose charities brought him attention and renown. One evening, after perusing a pile of newspaper clippings praising him for his generosity, he picked up hi Bible. Soon he fell asleep after reading the Savior’s words: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal” (Matthew 6:19).

As he slept, John found himself in “the heavenly city,” traveling with others as they received their mansions. When the Keeper of the Gate stopped in front of a tiny hut built of cast-off materials, he said to John, “This is your mansion.”

John protested, listing his many public contributions.

“Were not all these carefully recorded on earth where they would add to your credit?” asked the Keeper of the Gate. “You have had your reward for them. Would you be paid twice?”

During this Christmas season, I hope each of us has the opportunity to give anonymously.”

Elder Robert D. Hales, “The Promise of Christmas,” Ensign, Dec 2013, 19. 

He Understands

“There is nothing that we are enduring that Jesus does not understand, and He waits for us to go to our Heavenly Father in prayer. I testify that if we will be obedient and if we are diligent, our prayers will be answered, our problems will diminish, our fears will dissipate, light will come upon us, the darkness of despair will be dispersed, and we will be close to the Lord and feel of His love and of the comfort of the Holy Ghost.”

Elder Robert D. Hales, “Behold, We Count Them Happy Which Endure,” Ensign, May 1998, 77. 

Provident Living

 “All of us are responsible to provide for ourselves and our families in both temporal and spiritual ways. To provide providently, we must practice the principles of provident living: joyfully living within our means, being content with what we have, avoiding excessive debt, and diligently saving and preparing for rainy-day emergencies.”

Elder Robert D. Hales, “Becoming Provident Providers Temporally and Spiritually,” Ensign, May 2008, 8. 

Facing Fear

“Fear of the unknown of fear that we don’t have the scriptural skills or language required can cause reluctance to serve. But the Lord has said, ‘If ye are prepared ye shall not fear’ (D&C 38:30). Your life is your preparation. . . . Just go and be yourselves.”

Elder Robert D. Hales of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, Ensign, May 2001, 25. 

Comprehend the Atonement

Elder Robert D. Hales said: “What we must remember about the Savior is that He and He alone had the power to lay down His life and take it up again. He had the ability to die from His mortal mother, Mary, and the ability to overcome death from His immortal Father. Our Savior, Jesus Christ, went willingly and deliberately to His death, having told His followers that this would happen. Why? one might ask. The answer: to give immortality to all mankind and the promise of eternal life to those who believed in Him (see John 3:15), to give His own life for a ransom for others (see Matthew 20:28), to overcome Satan’s power, and to make it possible for sins to be forgiven. Without Jesus’ Atonement, there would be an impassable barrier between God and mortal men and women. When we comprehend the Atonement, we remember Him with awe and gratitude”


 (in Conference Report, Oct. 1997, 34; or Ensign, Nov. 1997, 26).

The Purpose of Celestial Marriage

“The aim of the gospel and the purpose of celestial marriage are not only to keep us together but also to make us eligible for our Heavenly Father’s highest reward: exaltation in the celestial kingdom, increase in that kingdom, and eternal life with our families….

“Let us always be mindful that as members of a family, we are tied to a mountain team that is attempting to return to the presence of our Heavenly Father….

“A marriage partnership is not a crutch. You do not marry somebody you think is a little higher than the angels and then lean on that person. Rather, you develop yourself and your own gifts and talents. As you develop, you grow together, supporting and strengthening one another….

“I ask you not to lean on your spouse as a crutch but to stand strong, strengthen each other, and ask for help as you pray together each night. I bear testimony that those moments in my life when I have been unhappy, depressed, or sad are when I have deviated, even to a minor degree, from the teachings of the Lord. That you might have true happiness and find the joy of a celestial marriage with a little heaven on earth is my prayer.”

Elder Robert D. Hales, “A Little Heaven on Earth,” Ensign Sept 2011, 47-49.

Study Section 132

“Every member of the Church should read and study section 132 of the Doctrine and Covenants. Do you realize that there is no one between the Lord and the sealer when he performs the sealing ordinance? It is a beautiful and a touching ceremony.”

Elder Robert D. Hales, “A Little Heaven on Earth,” Ensign Sept 2011, 46.

Selecting a Companion

“Single members of the Church often ask, “How do I find the right person to marry?” Let me suggest an approach. Measure the spiritual level of your potential future companions. First, if they are members of the Church, are they active and fully committed, or are they passive or antagonistic? Second, if they are not members, are they receptive to the gospel and its teachings, or are they noncommittal or antagonistic?

“If you marry an active member in the temple for time and all eternity in the new and everlasting covenant, will you have problems? Yes. Will you be able to solve them? Yes. Will your chance be better to solve them and strengthen your testimony than if you had not married in the temple? Yes. But if you marry somebody who is antagonistic to the Church or passive toward the gospel, you are placing yourself in a position where you will find someday that you may have to choose between that individual and the Church. That is a very heavy responsibility.

“When you are choosing your companion, make sure that both of you have a desire for a celestial marriage relationship, a desire to have a companion for eternity, a desire to have a family for eternity, and a desire to live in the presence of our Heavenly Father.”

Elder Robert D. Hales, “A Little Heaven on Earth,” Ensign Sept 2011, 46.