What is the
Prophet Saying?
President
Nelson was sustained on March 31st, 2018 and has made some
incredible invitations and promises in His teachings in the last year. In
preparation for conference I wanted to outline what they were as to be prepared
for more that might come.
Inspired
by BYU Devotional “Prophetic Invitations and Promised Blessings” by Randall K.
Bennet. March 19, 2019.
Code:
Orange = Invitation
Blue = Promise
Purple
= Blessings
1. Press
Conference on 1/16/18.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3rlwB_4DuAY
Invitation:
“To each member of the church I say, “keep on the covenant path.”
Your commitment to
follow the savior by keeping covenants with him, and then keeping those
covenants,
Promise:
will
open the door to every spiritual blessing and privilege available to
men, women and children everywhere.
As a new presidency we want to begin with the end in mind….
The end for which each of us strives is to be endowed with power in a house of
the Lord. Sealed as families, faithful to covenants made in a temple, that
qualify us for the greatest gift of God- that of Eternal Life.
Invitation:
Your worship in the temple and your service to your ancestors there
Promise:
will bless you
with increased personal revelation and peace and will fortify your commitment
to stay on the covenant path.
I express my deep love for you. Love that has grown over
decades of meeting you, worshipping with you, and serving you.
Our goal divine mandate is to go to every nation, kindred,
tongue and people helping them to prepare for the second coming of the Lord. This we will do
with faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, knowing that He is in charge, this
is His work and His church. We are His servants.
“I declare my devotion to God
our Eternal Father and to His Son, Jesus Christ. I know and love Them and
pledge to serve Them — and you — with every remaining breath of my life,”
“We live in the most vibrant era in the history
of the world,” President Nelson told reporters. “I wake up every morning eager
for the adventures of the day. And I hope you feel that same exuberance for the
gift of life.”
“I have a special place
in my heart about the women,” he said. “We have women on our councils, we have
women administering ordinances in the temple, we have women presidents of the
auxiliaries and their counselors. We depend on their voices.”
“With all my heart I pledge my loyalty and
support for President Nelson’s loving and inspired leadership. I rejoice in the
opportunity to give my full efforts to bear witness of Jesus Christ and to
proclaim the truth of His restored gospel.”
2. January
8, 2017. Prophets, Leadership and Divine Law.
https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/worldwide-devotionals/2017/01/prophets-leadership-and-divine-law?lang=eng
Invitation:
I have an invitation for you that will help—it’s an assignment, actually—if you choose to accept it.
Commence tonight to consecrate a portion of your time each week to
studying everything Jesus said and did as recorded in the Old Testament, for He
is the Jehovah of the Old Testament. Study His laws as recorded in the New
Testament, for He is its Christ. Study His doctrine as recorded in the Book of
Mormon, for there is no book of scripture in which His mission and His ministry
are more clearly revealed. And study His words as recorded in the Doctrine and
Covenants, for He continues to teach His people in this dispensation.
Study everything Jesus Christ is by prayerfully and vigorously
seeking to understand what each of His various titles and names means
personally for you. For example, He really is your Advocate with the Father. He
will take your side. He will stand up for you. He will speak on your behalf,
every time, as you choose to be more like Him.
Get to know Him by studying all He continues to teach through His
living prophets and apostles.
Study “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.” Study “The Living Christ” document. These were both received by revelation. Post them online and where you
can see them daily.
Promise:
If you proceed to learn all you can about Jesus Christ, I promise you that your love for Him, and for God’s laws, will grow beyond what you currently imagine. I promise you also that your ability to turn away from sin will increase. Your desire to keep the commandments will soar. You will find yourself better able to walk away from the entertainment and entanglements of those who mock the followers of Jesus Christ. To assist you, refer to the Topical Guide for references under the topic “Jesus Christ.”14
But you don’t have to wait until then. Choose to be one of His true disciples now. Be one who truly loves Him, who truly wants to serve and lead as He did.16
However, I promise you that as you follow Jesus Christ, you will find sustained peace and true joy. As you keep your covenants with increasing precision, and as you defend the Church and kingdom of God on the earth today, the Lord will bless you with strength and wisdom to accomplish the impossible.7
Invitation: Spend more time—much more time—in
places where the Spirit is present. That means more time with friends who are
seeking to have the Spirit with them. Spend more time on your knees in prayer,
more time in the scriptures, more time in family history work, more time in the
temple.
Promise: I promise
you that as you consistently give the Lord a generous portion of your time, He
will multiply the remainder.8
Invitation:
I plead with you to learn God’s irrevocable laws. Learn them by study and by
faith. That means, among other things, “[living] by every word that proceedeth
forth from the mouth of God.”
Pray
to discern between God’s laws and the philosophies of men, including those
cunning counterfeits of the adversary.
Promise:
Conversely, I promise that as you keep God’s
commandments, as you live by His laws, you will become increasingly free.
This freedom will unveil to you your divine nature and allow you to prosper personally.
You will be free from the bondage of sin. You will be free to be you—an
effective, righteous leader. You will be prepared to lead by precept and by
example wherever you are needed. Happily, the blessings of keeping God’s
commandments are also predictable, dependable, and repeatable.
Blessing:
Now, as one of His Apostles, I invoke those keys to leave a blessing upon each of you. I bless you to learn God’s laws and live by them. I bless you to be a good example, in word and deed, of a true disciple of Jesus Christ. I bless you to be free from sin, to radiate goodness and light in a way that will attract others to want to know and feel the source of your light. I bless you with success in your educational and occupational endeavors. I bless you to seek for and care for your virtuous companion. And I bless you each. to be a righteous leader in your family, community, country, and in the Church.
I so bless you, and declare that God lives! Jesus is the Christ! This is His Church! I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
3. Revelation for the Church, Revelation for
your Life:
The
Prophet Joseph Smith set a pattern for us to follow in resolving our questions.
Drawn to the promise of James that if we lack wisdom we may ask of God, the boy
Joseph took his question directly to Heavenly Father. He sought personal
revelation, and his seeking opened this last dispensation.
In
like manner, what will your seeking open for you? What wisdom do you lack? What
do you feel an urgent need to know or understand?
Invitation:
Follow the example of the Prophet Joseph. Find
a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out
your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.
Pray in the name of
Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very
longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your
mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are
prompted to take.
Promise:
As you repeat this process day after day,
month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of
revelation.”
You don’t have to
wonder about what is true. You do not have to wonder whom you can safely trust.
Through personal revelation, you can receive your own witness that the Book of
Mormon is the word of God, that Joseph Smith is a prophet, and that this is the
Lord’s Church. Regardless of what others may say or do, no one can ever take
away a witness borne to your heart and mind about what is true.
…
I urge
you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal
revelation, for the Lord has promised that “if thou shalt [seek], thou
shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou
mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things—that which bringeth joy, that
which bringeth life eternal.”
But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for
every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s
timetable, you will be given the knowledge
and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even
miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you.
4. June
3rd 2018. Worldwide devotional for the Youth. “Hope of Israel”
https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/face-to-face/nelson?lang=eng
Invitation: Now I plead with each of
you to do as the teenaged Joseph did. Take your questions directly to your
Heavenly Father in prayer. Ask Him, in the name of Jesus Christ, to guide you.
You can learn for yourself—right now at
your age—how to receive personal revelation.
And
nothing will make a bigger difference in your life than that!
Promise:
I promise you—not the person sitting next to you, but you—that, wherever you are in the world, wherever you are on
the covenant path—even if, at this moment, you are
not centered on the
path—I promise you that if you will sincerely and
persistently do the spiritual work needed to develop the crucial, spiritual
skill of learning how to hear the whisperings of the Holy Ghost,
you will have all the
direction you will ever need in your life. You will be given answers to your
questions in the Lord’s own way and in His own time. And don’t forget the
counsel of your parents and Church leaders. They are also seeking revelation in
your behalf.
When you know your life is being
directed by God, regardless of the challenges and disappointments that may and
will come, you will feel joy and peace.
5. Ministering – April 2018:
We have made the decision to retire home teaching and
visiting teaching as we have known them. Instead, we will implement a newer,
holier approach to caring for and ministering to others. We will refer to these
efforts simply as “ministering.”
To all brethren holding the priesthood,
Invitation: I invite you to inspire
members to keep their covenants, fast and pray, study the scriptures, worship
in the temple, and serve with faith as men and women of God.
We can help all to see with the eye of faith that obedience and righteousness will draw them closer to Jesus Christ, allow them to enjoy
the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and experience joy in life!
6. Let us all press on - April 2018
Blessing:
In that spirit, I bless you to identify those things you can set aside so you
can spend more time in the temple. I bless you with greater harmony and love in
your homes and a deeper desire to care for your eternal family relationships. I
bless you with increased faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a greater ability
to follow Him as His true disciples.
I
bless you to raise your voice in testimony, as I do now, that we are engaged in
the work of Almighty God! Jesus is the Christ. This is His Church, which He
directs through His anointed servants. I so testify, with my expression of love
for each of you, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
7. The
Correct Name of the Church - October 2018-
Our revised style guide is helpful. It
states: “In the first reference, the full name of the Church is preferred: ‘The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.’ When a shortened [second]
reference is needed, the terms ‘the Church’ or the ‘Church of Jesus Christ’ are
encouraged. The ‘restored Church of Jesus Christ’ is also accurate and
encouraged.”15
If someone should ask, “Are you a Mormon?”
you could reply, “If you are asking if I am a member of The Church of Jesus
Christ of Latter-day Saints, yes, I am!”
If someone asks, “Are you a Latter-day
Saint?”16 you might respond, “Yes, I am. I believe in Jesus Christ and am a
member of His restored Church.”
My dear brothers and sisters, I promise you
that
Invitation: if we will
do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord’s Church,
Promise: He whose
Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the
Latter-day Saints,17 the likes of which we have never seen. We will have the
knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel
of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people and to prepare the
world for the Second Coming of the Lord.
8. Sisters Participation in the Gathering of Israel- October
2018
Invitation:
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.
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.
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.
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.
Promises: I love you and thank you and now bless you with the
ability to leave the world behind as you assist in this crucial and urgent
work.
9. The
Book of Mormon, what would your life be like without it?
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2017/10/the-book-of-mormon-what-would-your-life-be-like-without-it?lang=eng
Invitation:
My
dear brothers and sisters, I promise that 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.10
1.
“Becoming Exemplarly Latter-Day
Saints”
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/becoming-exemplary-latter-day-saints?lang=eng
Our need to be in the temple on a
regular basis has never been greater. I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how
you spend your time. Invest time in your future and in that of your family.
If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an
appointment regularly with the Lord—to be in His holy house—then keep that
appointment with exactness and joy.
Promise: I promise you that the Lord will bring the
miracles. He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and
worship in His temples.
I leave my love and
blessing upon you, that you may feast upon the word of the Lord and apply His
teachings in your personal lives. I assure you that revelation continues in the
Church and will continue until “the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and
the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”5
I bless you with
increased faith in Him and in His holy work, with faith and patience to endure
your personal challenges in life. I bless you to become exemplary Latter-day
Saints. I so bless you and bear my testimony that God lives! Jesus is the
Christ! This is His Church. We are His people, in the name of Jesus Christ,
amen.
10. Stand as true millennials- October 2016
https://www.lds.org/media-library/video/2016-01-1020-becoming-true-millennials?lang=eng
- You are an elect son or
daughter of God.
- You are created in His
image.
- You were taught in the
spirit world to prepare you for anything and everything you would encounter
during this latter part of these latter days (see D&C
138:56). That teaching endures within you!3
· Our Heavenly
Father has reserved many of His most noble spirits—perhaps, I might say,
His finest team—for this final phase. Those noble spirits—those finest players,
those heroes—are you! . . .
· . . .
You were sent to earth at this precise time, the most crucial time in the
history of the world, to help gather Israel. There is nothing happening on this earth
right now that is more important than that. There is nothing of greater consequence.
Absolutely nothing.
· This gathering
should mean everything to
you. This is the
mission for which you were sent to earth. . . .
· . . .
You are among the best the Lord has ever sent to this world. You have the capacity to be smarter
and wiser and have more impact on the world than any previous generation!4
Invitation: Ask
your Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ how He feels about you and your
mission here on earth. If you ask with real intent, over time the Spirit will
whisper the life-changing truth to you. Record those impressions, review them
often, and follow through with exactness.Promise:
I promise you that when you begin to catch even a glimpse of how your Heavenly Father sees you and what He is counting on you to do for Him, your life will never be the same!
All in all, God has given us some amazing invitations, promises and blessings through his Prophet, Russell M. Nelson. I sustain him and testify that he is a living prophet in this day. Excited to hear more revelation to come this weekend.
- Lindy
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