Wednesday, April 4, 2018

Words of a Prophet

The transcripts finally came out for General Conference.  I'm going to post a few quotes that stood out to me from President Nelson's talk entitled, "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives".

There was so much revelation given in this conference that I feel it apropos to quote from President Nelson's talk on revelation.  It certainly was an epic general conference.  It's obvious that the Lord is hastening His work in preparation for His Second Coming.

Here are the words of our living prophet:
"Without our Redeemer’s infinite Atonement, not one of us would have hope of ever returning to our Heavenly Father. Without His Resurrection, death would be the end. Our Savior’s Atonement made eternal life a possibility and immortality a reality for all."
"Brothers and sisters, how can we become the men and women—the Christlike servants—the Lord needs us to be? How can we find answers to questions that perplex us? If Joseph Smith’s transcendent experience in the Sacred Grove teaches us anything, it is that the heavens are open and that God speaks to His children.
"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? 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. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”
"Does God really want to speak to you? Yes! “As well might man stretch forth his puny arm to stop the Missouri river in its decreed course … as to hinder the Almighty from pouring down knowledge from heaven upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints.”
"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.”
"Oh, there is so much more that your Father in Heaven wants you to know. As Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught, “To those who have eyes to see and ears to hear, it is clear that the Father and the Son are giving away the secrets of the universe!”
"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.
"To be sure, there may be times when you feel as though the heavens are closed. 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.
"I am optimistic about the future. It will be filled with opportunities for each of us to progress, contribute, and take the gospel to every corner of the earth. But I am also not naive about the days ahead. We live in a world that is complex and increasingly contentious. The constant availability of social media and a 24-hour news cycle bombard us with relentless messages. If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation.
"Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost.
"My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. Let this Easter Sunday be a defining moment in your life. Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.
"With Moroni, I exhort you on this Easter Sabbath to “come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift,” beginning with the gift of the Holy Ghost, which gift can and will change your life.
"We are followers of Jesus Christ. The most important truth the Holy Ghost will ever witness to you is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. He lives! He is our Advocate with the Father, our Exemplar, and our Redeemer. On this Easter Sunday, we commemorate His atoning sacrifice, His literal Resurrection, and His divinity.
"This is His Church, restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I so testify, with my expression of love for each of you, in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen."  -- President Russell M. Nelson, "Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives",  April 2018 General Conference
Except for the first paragraph I basically put the last part of President Nelson's talk on here.  I thought it was important to learn from the Prophet on how to receive personal revelation.  There are also some awesome blessings promised and revelation about the future given.

I have always loved President Nelson since he was called into the Quorum of the 12 Apostles.  I was 13 years old at the time.  President Nelson has always been one of my favorite apostles because he is a Medical Doctor (heart surgeon).  Now he is our Prophet!  What better living person on earth to look to as an example to follow?

Just to reiterate a few lines of revelation-- Given to us by our living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson -- that resonated with me:
"Does God really want to speak to you? Yes!"
"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..."Oh, there is so much more that your Father in Heaven wants you to know."
"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."
"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."
"If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation."
"Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again."
"We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory."
"But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost." 
"My beloved brothers and sisters, I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation."
"The most important truth the Holy Ghost will ever witness to you is that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God."
Those are some pretty powerful warnings, promises, and revelations from the living prophet.  I hope we will all heed his words and follow the prophet for he knows the way.

As we listen to the Prophet, heed his warnings and follow his counsel, we will stay on the path of righteousness headed towards exaltation and eternal life.  He will never lead us astray. 
"What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same."  -- Doctrine and Covenants 1:38
 Follow the prophet he knows the way.  Follow the prophet don't go astray.

That's my two cents.

1 comment:

  1. This is awesome. So many WONDERFUL quotes- full of wisdom and truth!
    It was an AMAZING General Conference and definitely evident that we are getting closer to the Second Coming of the Savior. Super EXCITING!
    "If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." (D&C 38:30)

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