I am STILL in awe of the youth devotional that Russell M. Nelson gave to the youth, our children. It’s full of messages about who God told him our children are. I have been sharing my favorite quotes from “Hope of Israel” with my children as often as I can. I figure if I tell my kids who the Lord has told them that they are often enough, they will hopefully remember such truths at really hard times in their lives. One thing we know for sure is that if this is the generation saved to prepare the earth for Christ, then Satan is going to pump up his army and attack full force with no mercy. It’s during these attacks that our children must know who they are. That means we have to tell them–over and over again. I had my favorite quotes that I have used regularly, so I decided to go re-read the devotional and pull out some new quotes to tell my kids. I can tell it makes a difference for them to understand who they are. As parents, we play an extremely important role for our children who need our stability, righteous examples, faith, strength, wisdom, and most importantly our belief in them.
Here are my new quotes…. (I will add my top favorites at the bottom for those who haven’t heard them, or have forgotten about them.)
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!
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.
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.
What were you born to do? -Wendy Watson Nelson
The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that if you could gaze into heaven for five minutes, you would know more on a topic than if you studied it all of your life. So just imagine if you could gaze for 10 minutes at your premortal life! – Wendy Watson Nelson
We have our agency to choose how we spend our time and energy, our talents and resources. In fact, what we choose to do is actually part of our testing.
The choice is yours and mine. Will we choose to do whatever it takes to fulfill the wonderful missions for which we were sent to earth? -Wendy Watson nelson
My dear brothers and sisters, these are indeed the latter days! There has never been a time like this in the history of this world. Never! Premortally, you and I committed to do a great work while we are here on earth. And with the Lord’s help, we will do it! In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.-Wendy Watson Nelson
Every one of our Heavenly Father’s children, on both sides of the veil, deserves to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They decide for themselves if they want to know more.
Now, participating in the gathering of Israel will require some sacrifice on your part. It may even require some changes in your life. It will definitely take some of your time and energy and your God-given talents. Are you interested?
Think of it! Of all the people who have ever lived on planet earth, we are the ones who get to participate in this final, great gathering event. How exciting is that!
I testify that the gathering is now, and it is real
It is my testimony that when we follow through with whatever the prophet of God asks us to do, the way will be opened and lives will be changed.
The gathering of Israel ultimately means offering the gospel of Jesus Christ to God’s children on both sides of the veil who have neither made crucial covenants with God nor received their essential ordinances.
This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth.
Now I am inviting every young woman and every young man between the ages of 12 and 18 in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to enlist in the youth battalion of the Lord to help gather Israel.
Five invitations for you to enlist in the Lord’s youth battalion to help gather Israel:
Hold a seven-day fast from social media.
Make a weekly sacrifice of time to the Lord for three weeks.
Keep on the covenant path. If you are off, repent and get back on the path.
Pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Stand out. Be different. Be a light. Give to a friend one copy of the booklet For the Strength of Youth.
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!
From the depths of my soul, I testify that this is the work of Almighty God. He lives. Jesus is the Christ. This is His Church, restored to accomplish its divine destiny, including the promised gathering of Israel.
You are the hope of Israel, “children of the promised day”!
These surely are the latter days, and the Lord is hastening His work to gather Israel. That gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty. And if you choose to, if you want to, you can be a big part of it. You can be a big part of something big, something grand, something majestic!
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!
Let’s tell our children who they are. Let’s believe in them. Let’s help them to shake off the dust and stand tall, even if they have to get back up over and over again.
Here is the full talk:https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/broadcasts/worldwide-devotional-for-young-adults/2018/06/hope-of-israel?lang=eng
-Sherri Jorgensen
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