The Best Advice
We are constantly inundated with opinions and advice on every turn. Social media, news, blogs, build boards, and many more, freely providing their perspective. When seeking answers to life’s challenges, it is somewhat daunting to know where to turn. We so often grab our phones and search the web, looking for someone qualified to give the answer: perhaps a professional on the matter, or someone who has been through similar circumstances. Yet, we all too often forget the one person perfectly qualified in all matters, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ.
But how? How can we possibly receive an answer from the Lord, directly for our own lives? Is it possible?? Yes! Most definitely, yes!!! All the Lord needs in order to penetrate our hearts, to be heard by us, is a willing heart. If we are sincerely ready and wanting to do the Lords will, He will be able to guide every step of our lives. We can turn to Him when seeking for answers, in many ways. We can pray, with sincerity of heart. We can read the word of God: the scriptures.
I’d like to focus particularly on the power that comes from following God’s living prophet. We are so blessed to have a prophet on the earth, acting as a mouthpiece for the Lord. Through him, the Lord can direct His church, and bring to ALL of God’s children the perfect sound advice, regardless of our current struggles or circumstances.
We most recently heard from the prophet, President Russel M. Nelson, at the October 2018 General Conference for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. He spoke four times during the event. Within those four conference addresses, I counted eleven different words of advice that he gave. I would venture to say it was more than just advice; he was extending challenges for us to follow. They are as follows:
Minister in a higher and holier way. This was a reminder he mentioned in his opening remarks. He is asking us to serve others the way the Savior would. We need to love and serve those around us.
Pray to know my spiritual gifts and propensities. Cultivate, use, and expand them more than I ever have. The scriptures teach us, in 1 Corinthians, that we are all given gifts of the Spirit. The Lord wants us to pray and study the scriptures to know what gifts and talents He has given us, and then use them for good.
Help gather Israel He spoke often about the need to “gather Israel”, which means to bring the gospel of Jesus Christ to all the world and all people. There is no better time to spread the good news of Christ then now, to prepare the world and God’s children for Christ’s second coming. The prophet’s next four challenges were in regards to how to prepare ourselves to be able to gather Israel.
- 10 day fast from social media and any other media that brings negative or impure thoughts to mind. Pray to know what to remove… Record and follow through with impressions of how it affected my life. This is an opportunity for us to let go of all the distractions that fill our mind, and make it difficult, if not impossible, for the Lord to reach us. We need to re-focus our lives on what matters most. This challenge also helps us become cleaner both body and spirit by letting go of anything that might offend God. Notice, he didn’t just ask that we do this for 10 days. He said to “follow through” with the impressions we felt, regarding how our lives were effected during the fast.
- Read the Book of Mormon by end of year. Mark each verse that speaks of or refers to the Savior. Be intentional about talking of Christ, rejoicing in Christ, and preaching of Christ with family and friends. Teach those you love what you are learning from the scriptures. Teach them how to turn to the Savior for His healing and cleansing power when they sin. Teach them how to draw upon His strengthening power everyday of their lives. He not only asked us to read the book, but to focus our study on Jesus Christ; to mark when it speaks of Him and to teach others of Him.
- Establish patterns of regular temple attendance. Seek to know, feel, and understand more about temples than you ever have before. Even if you do not have a current temple recommend and cannot enter inside, he encouraged you to study all you can about the temple. Without a recommend you can also still do family history work, which goes hand in hand with the temple.
- Participate fully in Relief Society. Study current Relief Society purpose statement. Savor the truths in the Relief Society declaration. It describes who the Lord needs us to be now. This is specific for the women of the church, yet I would encourage men also to participate fully in their priesthood callings, classes, and the office in which they hold.
Study these General Conference messages, commencing this week. He is urging us to study all of the messages that were given during conference in October. They can all be found on lds.org.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference?cid=HP16GC&lang=eng
Remodel your home into a center of gospel learning. We are asked to teach our children about the gospel of Jesus Christ more in our homes, particularly on Sundays. Our children will need all the strength they can get to combat the loud, depressive and wicked world around them.
Use the correct name of the church and its members. We are instructed to refer to our church, and its members, as the Lord has directed. We are proud to be a part of Christ’s church on earth and He has asked that we use the proper name (rather than nicknames that have been given us); The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.
Take a prayerful look at how you spend your time. Invest time in your future and in your family. This will require personal thought and reflection for your own life. I believe this is also referring in large part to the temple.
I can promise you that as you follow the prophet and give the Lord your best efforts to do as He has directed, you will be blessed in more ways than you could ever imagine. You will find joy and peace, even amidst difficulties in life. You will develop a greater understanding for your purpose on earth. You will draw closer to God and feel His love for you.
Just as you can turn to the prophet to hear the word of God for us, he has also declared God’s promises for us as we follow those admonitions.
- You will change the world as you do so.
- As you prayerfully study, I promise that the heavens will open for you. The Lord will bless you with increased inspiration and revelation.
- You and [your friends and family] will be drawn closer to the Savior through this process. And changes, even miracles, will begin to happen.
- 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.
- [The Relief Society purpose statement] may guide you in developing your own purpose statement for your own life.
- If we will be patient and if we will do our part well, the Lord will lead us through this important task. After all, we know that the Lord helps those who seek to do His will.
- I promise you that if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord’s Church, He whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints, 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.
- I promise that as you diligently work to remodel your home into a center of gospel learning, over time your Sabbath days will truly be a delight. Your children will be excited to learn and to live the Savior’s teachings, and the influence of the adversary in your life and in your home will decrease. Changes in your family will be dramatic and sustaining.
- I promise you that our rigorous attention to use the correct name of the Savior’s Church and its members will lead to increased faith and access to greater spiritual power for members of His Church.
- The Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples.
- Building and maintaining temples may not change your life, but spending your time in the temple surely will.
- I invite you to worship in the temple and pray to feel deeply the Savior’s infinite love for you, that each of you may gain your own testimony that He directs this sacred and ageless work.
I have experienced all of these blessings when I am doing what the Lord has required of me, and I am excited to feel this power and blessings even more in my life as I increase my commitment to the Lord.
I invite you to read (or listen to) the prophets words for yourself.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/opening-remarks?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/the-correct-name-of-the-church?lang=eng
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/10/becoming-exemplary-latter-day-saints?lang=eng
Cindy
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