We stand on the summit of the ages, awed by a great and solemn sense of history. This is the last and final dispensation toward which all in the past has pointed. I bear testimony and witness of the reality and truth of these things. I pray that every one of us may sense the awesome wonder of it all as we look forward shortly to the passing of a century and the death of a millennium.
It was also such a pure communication that it had no need for words. The Spirit does not need to be limited to words; He can communicate Spirit to spirit with a language that is unmistakable because it has no words. It is a communication of pure knowledge and intelligence from the Spirit, and I have come to know that it truly is the best way to acquire knowledge. It is stronger and longer lasting than touching or seeing; we can come to doubt the physical senses, but we cannot doubt when the Holy Spirit speaks to us. It is the surest witness. Because of this, the unforgivable sin is to deny the Holy Ghost or the testimony of the Holy Ghost.
If you are a baptized and confirmed member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints but still struggle with “I am not sure if I know,” please remember this promise in the sacrament prayer: “That they may always have his Spirit to be with them.” Because of this promise, each of us can pursue the path to testimony and a sure knowledge.
Take Charge of Your Testimony
Now here is a grand truth: In whatever way a testimony is given—whether it is distilled like the sunrise or comes in a glorious vision—it still requires a choice to receive this precious gift.
When Amy and I look closely at our life experiences, we celebrate the gift of Jesus Christ’s perfect love and sacrifice. We also see how hell’s fury has been loosed. How can we overcome stares of judgment, anxiety, depression, cancer, diabetes, online bullying, stolen identity, lost pregnancies, the loss of a child, a brother, and a father? Because Jesus took of the bitter cup of trembling, the cup of fury—for me, for my family, for all of us!
Families bring us our greatest joys and sometimes our most wrenching heartaches. Families provide a learning environment, a schoolroom from which we never graduate but can always learn. In our families we learn to appreciate the spiritual peace that comes from applying the principles of charity, of patience, sharing, integrity, kindness, generosity, self-control, and service. These are more than family values, sisters; these are the Lord’s way of life.
We read in the proclamation, “Fathers are to preside … in love and righteousness,” and “mothers are primarily responsible for the nurture of their children.”Preside does not mean dominate, and nurture does not mean a secondary role. God has given men and women different but equal and essential roles that complement each other.
The proclamation is a call for us to live in mortality ever mindful of the divinity within us and the eternal future that lies before us. President Nelson taught: “You are literally spirit children of God. … Make no mistake about it: Your potential is divine. With your diligent seeking, God will give you glimpses of who you may become.”
Make no mistake about it: Your potential is divine. With your diligent seeking, God will give you glimpses of who you may become.
We know that our efforts alone cannot make us celestial. But they can make us loyal and committed to Jesus the Christ, and He can make us celestial.
God knows who we truly are, who we are designed to become, and so His expectations for us are high.
But He doesn’t expect us to take some grand, heroic, or superhuman leap to get there. In the world He created, growth happens gradually and patiently—but also consistently and unrelentingly.
Remember,...It is our part to ... turn toward the Savior, and walk in His way, one step at a time.
Oh, how I wish I could embrace you and help you understand this great truth: You are a blessed being of light, the spirit child of an infinite God! And you bear within you a potential beyond your own capacity to imagine.
Simply put, discipleship takes self-discipline.
It is not a casual endeavor, and it doesn’t happen by accident.
Faith in Jesus Christ is a gift, but receiving it is a conscious choice that requires a commitment of all our “might, mind and strength.” It is a practice of every day. Every hour. It takes constant learning and determined commitment. Our faith, which is our loyalty to the Savior, becomes stronger as it is tested against the opposition we face here in mortality. It endures because we keep nourishing it, we keep actively applying it, and we never give up.
Whether it is in a closet or a bedroom, the principle is to find a place where you can be alone to pray, to allow your soul to be still, and to feel the promptings of the “still small voice.” We can prepare by pondering on the things that we are grateful for and the questions or concerns that we would like to bring to our Father. We should strive not to have a rote manner of prayer but to talk with our Father, out loud if possible.
I realize that in the chaos of our lives, when we are wrestling with toddlers or running between meetings, we may not have the luxury of quiet closets and thoughtful preparation—but those silent, quick, and urgent prayers can be much more meaningful when we have made an effort to “be with God” earlier in the day....
I promise you that your Heavenly Father knows you, loves you, and wants to hear from you. He wants to communicate with you. He wants you to remember who you are.
When you know and understand how completely you are loved as a child of God, it changes everything. It changes the way you feel about yourself when you make mistakes. It changes how you feel when difficult things happen. It changes your view of God’s commandments. It changes your view of others and of your capacity to make a difference
Primary songs can become a child’s first spiritual language because their simple, memorable melodies give voice to gospel truths. These songs hold the power to stay with children for a lifetime, becoming part of their discipleship and a natural and normal way for them to testify of the Savior.
Peacemaking is a Christlike attribute. Peacemakers are sometimes labeled naive or weak—from all sides. Yet, to be a peacemaker is not to be weak but to be strong in a way that the world may not understand. Peacemaking requires courage and compromise but does not require sacrifice of principle. Peacemaking is to lead with an open heart, not a closed mind. It is to approach one another with extended hands, not clenched fists. Peacemaking is not a new thing, hot off the press. It was taught by Jesus Christ Himself, both to those in the Bible and the Book of Mormon. Peacemaking has since been taught by modern-day prophets from the earliest days of the Restoration even to this day.
