Post
# 197 – The Future of the Church -- Preparing the World for
the Savior’s Second Coming -- By President Russell M. Nelson
Dear Family and
Friends
Well, I hope that you are all enjoying some quality time with your families
during this stay at home order. We need to look for the blessings in this you
know, because they are there. Sometimes we may overlook those blessings if we
are not careful to look for them😊 As you
know the Lord is always sending blessings our way😊
Some people even buy a lot of things thinking that they
can sell them for more money because they have what the people need: ☹
If you have not seen this, I believe this is the latest from the
Church on the COVID 19
Church spokesman Daniel
Woodruff sent the following statement to media on Monday morning, March 30,
2020:
As the
COVID-19 pandemic progresses throughout the world, we recognize that additional
missionaries will unfortunately contract the virus.
A second case has been
confirmed for a sister missionary in Australia who has been in self-isolation
at home. We are concerned about any missionary who contracts the virus and will work to help them receive appropriate care.
Gratefully, young missionaries are not generally considered to be at high risk of complications from the illness.
The
possible time between exposure to the virus and showing symptoms makes it
difficult to determine the exact source of exposure. This same difficulty is
faced by people and public health professionals everywhere.
However, in each
case, we will follow established guidelines from public health agencies to
notify anyone with whom the missionary might have come in contact and continue
to encourage missionaries and those they live with to undergo strict
self-isolation.
As we
move forward, the Church will not provide public details about each individual
case of COVID-19, but instead will rely on public health agencies and individuals
to make the required notifications.
We continue to pray for all people affected by this pandemic, and we plead with the Lord to provide relief and peace at this uncertain time.
We continue to pray for all people affected by this pandemic, and we plead with the Lord to provide relief and peace at this uncertain time.
updates: 25 March 2020 - Salt Lake City
Letter
First
Presidency Temporarily Closes All Temples
The First Presidency of The
Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints issued the following letter March
25, 2020, to Latter-day Saints everywhere. See the latest updates on how COVID-19 is impacting
Saints worldwide.
Dear Brothers and Sisters,
After careful and prayerful
consideration, and with a desire to be responsible global citizens, we have
decided to suspend all temple activity Churchwide at the end of the day on
March 25, 2020. This is a temporary adjustment, and we look forward to the day
when the temples will reopen.
Please be assured of our
sincere love and appreciation for your devotion and faith.
Sincerely,
The First Presidency
The following details have also
been provided:
Temple staff will contact all
patrons with an existing appointment to confirm cancellation.
When temples resume activity,
patrons should contact the temple to reschedule their living ordinances.
Members with additional
questions are invited to visit with their bishop or stake president.
I am not sure if you have read through this message that President Russell
M. Nelson sent out, but I felt like it was important enough to share it with each
one of you.
That way you can share it with your family members and friends from
a social distancing point.
You can always tie a note to their doorknob leaving them the address to my blog. It is so important for each one of us to do all we can to stop the spread of COVID 19!
That way you can share it with your family members and friends from
a social distancing point. You can always tie a note to their doorknob leaving them the address to my blog. It is so important for each one of us to do all we can to stop the spread of COVID 19!
President Russell M. Nelson’s message is titled:” The Future of the Church -- Preparing the
World for the Savior’s Second Coming.”
The Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints is preparing the world for the day when “the earth shall be
full of the knowledge of the Lord” (Isaiah 11:9).
You and I get to participate in the ongoing Restoration of the
gospel of Jesus Christ. It is wondrous! It
is not man-made! It comes from the Lord, who said, “I will hasten my work in
its time” (Doctrine and Covenants 88:73). This
work is empowered by a divine announcement made 200 years ago. It consisted of
only seven words: “This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!” (see Joseph Smith—History 1:17).
9 They shall not hurt nor destroy in all my holy mountain: for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord, as the waters
cover the sea.
17 It no sooner appeared than I found myself delivered from
the enemy which held me bound. When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose
brightness and glory defy all
description, standing above
me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing
to the other—This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!
President Russell M. Nelson has
been encouraging each one of us to “Hear Him”, So, what have you been doing to “Hear
Him”? How do you “Hear Him”?
I have heard Him while studying the scriptures;
while I was sleeping; while I was listening to a talk in sacrament meeting; or
a lesson in Sunday School.
While I was serving in the temple; these are just to
name a few ways I have heard Him😊
“This is My Beloved
Son. Hear Him!” (see Joseph Smith—History 1:17).
Uttered by Almighty
God, that announcement brought a young Joseph Smith to the Lord Jesus Christ. Those seven words launched the Restoration of His gospel.
Why?
Because our living God is a loving God! He wants His children to gain
immortality and eternal life! The great latter-day work of which we are a
part was established, on schedule, to bless a waiting and weeping world.
I cannot speak of
the Restoration in tempered tones. This fact of history is absolutely stunning!
It is incredible! It is breathtaking! How amazing is it that messengers from
heaven came to give authority and power to this work?
Today, the Lord’s work in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day
Saints is moving forward at an accelerated pace. The Church will have an unprecedented, unparalleled future. “Eye
hath not seen, nor ear heard, … the things which God hath prepared for
them that love him” (1 Corinthians 2:9; see also Doctrine and Covenants 76:10).
9 But as it is written, Eye hath not
seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the
things which God hath prepared for
them that love him.
10 For by my Spirit will I enlighten them, and by my power will I make known unto them the secrets of my will—yea, even those things which eye has not
seen, nor ear heard, nor yet entered into the heart of man.
Remember that the
fulness of Christ’s ministry lies in the future.
The prophecies of His Second Coming have yet to be fulfilled.
We are just building up to the climax of this last dispensation—when the Savior’s Second Coming becomes a reality.
The prophecies of His Second Coming have yet to be fulfilled.
We are just building up to the climax of this last dispensation—when the Savior’s Second Coming becomes a reality.
Did you hear that last statement? President Nelson said for us to “remember that
the fullness of Christ’s ministry lies in the future.”
And that” the prophecies of His Second Coming have yet to be fulfilled” and then the last sentence here:
“We are just building up to the climax of this last dispensation—when the Savior’s Second Coming becomes a reality.”
And that” the prophecies of His Second Coming have yet to be fulfilled” and then the last sentence here:
“We are just building up to the climax of this last dispensation—when the Savior’s Second Coming becomes a reality.”
These are important things for us each to
remember. We each need to do our part to prepare for our Savior’s Second
Coming. What are you doing to prepare? Have you thought about it?
Gathering Israel on Both Sides of the Veil
A necessary prelude to that Second Coming is the long-awaited
gathering of scattered Israel (see 1 Nephi 15:18; see also the title page of the Book of
Mormon).
This doctrine of the gathering is one of the important teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Lord has declared: “I give unto you a sign … that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion” (3 Nephi 21:1).
This doctrine of the gathering is one of the important teachings of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The Lord has declared: “I give unto you a sign … that I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel, and shall establish again among them my Zion” (3 Nephi 21:1).
18 Wherefore, our father hath not spoken of our seed
alone, but also of all the house of Israel, pointing to the covenant which
should be fulfilled in the latter days; which covenant the Lord made to our
father Abraham, saying: In thy seed shall all
the kindreds of the earth be blessed.
1 And verily I say unto you, I give unto you a sign, that ye
may know the time when these things shall be about to take place—that
I shall gather in, from their long dispersion, my people, O house of Israel,
and shall establish again among them my Zion;
We not only teach this doctrine, but we participate in it. We do so as we help to gather
the elect of the Lord on both sides of the veil. As part of the planned
destiny of the earth and its inhabitants, our kindred dead are to be redeemed
(see Doctrine and Covenants 128:15).
Mercifully, the invitation
to “come unto Christ” (Jacob 1:7; Moroni 10:32; Doctrine and Covenants 20:59) can also be extended to those
who died without a knowledge of the gospel (see Doctrine and Covenants 137:6–8).
Mercifully, the invitation
to “come unto Christ” (Jacob 1:7; Moroni 10:32; Doctrine and Covenants 20:59) can also be extended to those
who died without a knowledge of the gospel (see Doctrine and Covenants 137:6–8).
15 And now, my dearly beloved brethren and sisters, let me
assure you that these are principles in relation to the dead and the living
that cannot be lightly passed over, as pertaining to our salvation. For
their salvation is necessary and essential to our salvation, as
Paul says concerning the fathers—that they without us cannot be made
perfect—neither can we without our dead be made perfect.
7 Wherefore we labored diligently among our people, that
we might persuade them to come unto
Christ, and partake of the goodness of God, that they might enter into
his rest, lest by any means he should swear in his wrath they
should not enter in, as in the provocation in the days of temptation while the children
of Israel were in the wilderness.
32 Yea, come unto
Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny
yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with
all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you,
that by his grace ye may be perfect in
Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in
nowise deny the power of God.
59 They are, however, to warn, expound, exhort, and teach,
and invite all to come unto Christ.
6 And marveled how it was that he had obtained an inheritance in that kingdom, seeing that he had
departed this life before the Lord had set his hand to gather Israel the second time, and had not been baptized for
the remission of sins.
7 Thus came the voice of the Lord unto me, saying: All who have
died without a
knowledge of this gospel, who would have received it if they had been permitted
to tarry, shall be heirs of the
celestial kingdom of God;
8 Also all that shall die henceforth without a
knowledge of it, who would have
received it with all their hearts, shall be heirs of that kingdom;
Part of their
preparation, however, requires the earthly efforts of others.
We gather pedigree charts, create family group sheets, and do temple work vicariously to gather individuals unto the Lord and into their families (see 1 Corinthians 15:29; 1 Peter 4:6).
We gather pedigree charts, create family group sheets, and do temple work vicariously to gather individuals unto the Lord and into their families (see 1 Corinthians 15:29; 1 Peter 4:6).
29 Else what shall they do which are baptized for the dead,
if the dead rise not at all? why are they then baptized for the dead?
6 For for this cause was the gospel preached also to them that are dead, that they might
be judged according to men in the flesh, but live according
to God in the spirit.
Families are to be sealed together for all eternity (see Doctrine and Covenants 2:2–3; 49:17; 138:48; Joseph Smith—History 1:39).
2 And he shall plant
in the hearts of the children the promises made
to the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their
fathers.
3 If it were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.
17 And that it might be filled with the measure of man,
according to his creation before the world was made.
48 Foreshadowing the great work to be done in the temples of the Lord in the dispensation of the fulness of times, for the
redemption of the dead, and the sealing of the
children to their parents, lest the whole earth be smitten with a curse and
utterly wasted at his coming.
39 He also quoted the next verse differently: And he shall plant in the hearts of the children the promises made to
the fathers, and the hearts of the children shall turn to their fathers. If it
were not so, the whole earth would be utterly wasted at his coming.
A welding link is to be forged between the fathers and the
children. In our time, a whole,
complete, and perfect union of all dispensations, keys, and powers are to be
welded together (see Doctrine and Covenants 128:18).
18 I might have rendered a plainer translation to this, but it is sufficiently plain
to suit my purpose as it stands. It is sufficient to know, in this case, that the
earth will be smitten with a curse unless
there is a welding link of some
kind or other between the fathers and the children, upon some
subject or other—and behold what is that subject? It is the baptism for the
dead.
For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us
be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those
who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of
the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to
usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of
dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be
revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time.
And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times.
dead.
For we without them cannot be made perfect; neither can they without us
be made perfect. Neither can they nor we be made perfect without those
who have died in the gospel also; for it is necessary in the ushering in of
the dispensation of the fulness of times, which dispensation is now beginning to
usher in, that a whole and complete and perfect union, and welding together of
dispensations, and keys, and powers, and glories should take place, and be
revealed from the days of Adam even to the present time. And not only this, but those things which never have been revealed from the foundation of the world, but have been kept hid from the wise and prudent, shall be revealed unto babes and sucklings in this, the dispensation of the fulness of times.
For these sacred purposes, holy temples now dot the earth. I emphasize again that construction of these temples may not
change your life, but your service in the temple surely will.
The time is coming when those who do not obey the Lord will be
separated from those who do (see Doctrine and Covenants 86:1–7).
1 Verily, thus saith the Lord unto you my servants,
concerning the parable of
the wheat and of
the tares:
3 And after they have fallen asleep the great persecutor
of the church, the apostate, the whore, even Babylon, that maketh all nations to drink of her cup, in whose
hearts the enemy, even Satan, sitteth to reign—behold he soweth
the tares;
wherefore, the tares choke the wheat and drive the church into the
wilderness.
4 But behold, in the last days, even now while the Lord is beginning to bring forth
the word, and the blade is springing up and is yet tender—
5 Behold, verily I say unto you, the angels are
crying unto the Lord day and night, who are ready and waiting to be sent forth
to reap down the
fields;
6 But the Lord saith unto them, pluck not up the tares
while the blade is yet tender (for verily your faith is weak), lest you destroy
the wheat also.
7 Therefore, let the wheat and the tares grow
together until the harvest is fully ripe; then ye shall first gather out the wheat from among the tares,
and after the gathering of the wheat, behold and lo, the tares are bound in
bundles, and the field remaineth to be burned.
Our safest insurance is to continue to be worthy of admission to
His holy house. The greatest gift you could give to the Lord is to keep yourself
unspotted from the world, worthy to attend His holy house.
His gift to you will be the peace and security of knowing that you are worthy to meet Him, whenever that time comes.
His gift to you will be the peace and security of knowing that you are worthy to meet Him, whenever that time comes.
In addition to temple work, the coming forth of the Book of Mormon
is a sign to the entire world that the Lord has commenced to gather Israel and
fulfill the covenants He made to Abraham,
Isaac, and Jacob (see Genesis 12:2–3; 3 Nephi 21; 29). The Book of Mormon declares the doctrine of the
gathering (see, for example, 1 Nephi 10:14).
2 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee, and make thy name great; and thou shalt be a blessing:
3 And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.
14 And after the house of Israel should be scattered they should be gathered together again; or, in fine, after the Gentiles had
received the fulness of the Gospel, the
natural branches of the olive tree, or the remnants of the
house of Israel, should
be grafted in, or come to the
knowledge of the true Messiah, their Lord and their Redeemer.
The Book of Mormon …
It causes people to learn about Jesus Christ, to believe His
gospel, and to join His Church. In fact, if there were no Book of Mormon, the promised
gathering of Israel would not occur.
Missionary work is also crucial to that gathering. Servants of the Lord go forth proclaiming the Restoration.
In many nations our members and missionaries have searched for those of scattered Israel; they have hunted for them “out of the holes of the rocks” (Jeremiah 16:16); and they have fished for them, as in ancient days.
In many nations our members and missionaries have searched for those of scattered Israel; they have hunted for them “out of the holes of the rocks” (Jeremiah 16:16); and they have fished for them, as in ancient days.
16 ¶ Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith
the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I
send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and
from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.
Missionary work
connects people to the covenant the Lord made with Abraham anciently:
“Thou shalt be a
blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in their hands they shall bear this
ministry and Priesthood unto all nations;
“And I will bless
them through thy name; for as many as receive this Gospel shall be called after
thy name, and shall be accounted thy seed, and shall rise up and bless thee, as
their father” (Abraham 2:9–10).
9 And I will make of thee a great nation, and I will bless thee above measure, and make thy name great among
all nations, and thou shalt be a blessing unto thy seed after thee, that in
their hands they shall bear this ministry and Priesthood unto
all nations;
Missionary work is
only the beginning of the blessing. The fulfillment, the consummation, of those
blessings comes as those who have entered the waters of baptism perfect their
lives to the point that they may enter the holy temple. Receiving an endowment
there seals members of the Church to the Abrahamic covenant.
The choice to come unto Christ is not a matter of physical
location; it is a matter of individual commitment. All members of the Church have
access to the doctrine, ordinances, priesthood keys, and blessings of the
gospel, regardless of their location. People can be “brought to the knowledge
of the Lord” (3 Nephi 20:13) without
leaving their homelands.
13 And then shall the remnants, which shall be scattered abroad upon the face of the earth, be gathered in from the east and from the west, and from the
south and from the north; and they shall be
brought to the knowledge of
the Lord their God, who hath redeemed them.
True, in the early
days of the Church, conversion often meant emigration as well. But now the gathering takes place in each nation.
The Lord has decreed the establishment of Zion (see Doctrine and Covenants 6:6; 11:6) in each realm where He has given His Saints their
birth and nationality.
6 Now, as you have asked, behold, I say unto you, keep
my commandments, and seek to bring
forth and establish the cause of Zion;
6 Now, as you have asked, behold, I say unto you, keep
my commandments, and seek to bring forth and establish the cause of Zion.
I am so very grateful that we do not need
to travel to be in the place of gathering. We can be in Zion wherever we are. Not as is the beginning of the Church when the Saints needed to travel to the United States to be a part of the Saints in Zion. We are each part of the gathering.
We are either one of the Saints who will
help to do the gathering, or we are one of those whom need gathering😊
Whichever one you yourself might be, please remember to pray for the Holy Ghost to be with you as you are making those critical decisions in your lives. The Holy Ghost will never lead you astray for He only teaches truth😊
Whichever one you yourself might be, please remember to pray for the Holy Ghost to be with you as you are making those critical decisions in your lives. The Holy Ghost will never lead you astray for He only teaches truth😊
The place of
gathering for Brazilian Saints is in Brazil; the place of gathering for Nigerian
Saints is in Nigeria; the place of gathering for Korean Saints is in Korea. Zion is “the pure in heart” (Doctrine and Covenants 97:21). It is wherever righteous Saints
are.
21 Therefore, verily, thus saith the Lord, let Zion rejoice, for this is Zion—the pure in heart; therefore, let Zion rejoice, while
all the wicked shall mourn.
Spiritual security will always depend upon how one lives,
not where one lives. I promise that if we will do our best to exercise faith in Jesus
Christ and access the power of His Atonement through repentance, 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.
The Second Coming
The Lord will return to the land that He made holy by His mission
there in mortality. In triumph,
He will come again to Jerusalem. In royal robes of red to symbolize His blood, which oozed from every pore, He shall return to the Holy City (see Doctrine and Covenants 133:46–48).
He will come again to Jerusalem. In royal robes of red to symbolize His blood, which oozed from every pore, He shall return to the Holy City (see Doctrine and Covenants 133:46–48).
46 And it shall be said: Who is this that cometh down from God in heaven with dyed garments; yea, from the regions which are not known, clothed
in his glorious apparel, traveling in the greatness of his strength?
48 And the Lord shall be red in his
apparel, and his garments like him that treadeth in the wine-vat.
His “name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace” (Isaiah 9:6).
5 And the glory of
the Lord shall be revealed, and all
flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.
23 And prepare for the revelation which is to come, when the veil of the
covering of my temple, in my tabernacle, which hideth the earth, shall be taken
off, and all flesh shall see me together.
6 For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name
shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father,
The Prince of Peace.
He will govern from two world capitals: one in old Jerusalem (see Zechariah 14) and the other in the New Jerusalem “built
upon the American continent” (Articles of Faith 1:10).
10 We believe in the literal gathering of Israel and in the restoration of the Ten Tribes; that Zion (the New
Jerusalem) will be built upon the American continent; that Christ
will reign personally upon the earth; and, that the earth will
be renewed and receive its paradisiacal glory.
In Old Jerusalem and New Jerusalem
From these centers
He will direct the affairs of His Church and kingdom. Another temple will
yet be built in Jerusalem. From that temple
He shall reign forever as Lord of Lords. Water will issue from under the
temple. Waters of the Dead Sea will be healed. (See Ezekiel 47:1–8.)
2 Then brought he me out of the way of the gate
northward, and led me about the way without unto the utter gate by the way that looketh eastward; and, behold, there
ran out waters on the right side.
3 And when the man that had the line in his hand went forth eastward, he measured a
thousand cubits, and he brought me through the waters; the waters were to the ankles.
4 Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through
the waters; the waters were to the knees.
Again he measured a thousand, and brought me through; the waters were to the loins.
6 ¶ And he said unto me, Son of man, hast
thou seen this? Then he brought me, and caused me to return to
the brink of the river.
7 Now when I had returned, behold, at the bank of the
river were very many trees on the one side and on the other.
8 Then said he unto me, These waters issue out toward the
east country, and go down into the desert, and go into the sea: which being brought
forth into the sea, the waters shall be
healed.
In that day He will
bear new titles and be surrounded by special Saints. He will be known as “Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that
[will be] with him [will be those who] are called, and chosen, and faithful”
(Revelation 17:14) to their trust here in mortality. Then He
“shall reign for ever and ever” (Revelation 11:15).
14 These shall make war with the Lamb, and the Lamb shall overcome them: for
he is Lord of lords, and King of kings: and they that are with him are called, and chosen, and faithful.
15 And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great
voices in heaven, saying, The kingdoms of
this world are become the kingdoms of
our Lord, and of his Christ; and he
shall reign for ever
and ever.
The earth will be returned to its paradisiacal state and be made
new. There will be a new
heaven and a new earth (see Revelation 21:1; Ether 13:9; Doctrine and Covenants 29:23–24).
1 And I saw a new heaven and a
new earth: for the first heaven and the first earth were passed away; and there was no more sea.
9 And there shall be a new heaven and a new earth; and they shall be like unto
the old save the old have passed away, and all things have become new.
23 And the end shall come, and the heaven and the earth shall be
consumed and pass away, and there shall be a new heaven and a new earth.
24 For all old things shall pass away, and all things shall become new, even the heaven
and the earth, and all the fulness thereof, both men and beasts, the fowls of the air, and the fishes of the sea;
It is our charge—it is our privilege—to help prepare the world
for that day.
Face the Future with Faith
Meanwhile, here and
now, we live in a time of turmoil. Earthquakes and tsunamis wreak devastation,
governments collapse, economic stresses are severe, the family is under attack,
and divorce rates are rising. We have great cause for concern. But we do not
need to let our fears displace our faith. We
can combat those fears by strengthening our faith.
Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested.
The Apostle Paul warned that in the latter days, those who diligently follow the Lord “shall suffer persecution” (2 Timothy 3:12).
That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.
How you deal with
life’s trials is part of the development of your faith. Strength comes when you remember
that you have a divine nature, an inheritance of infinite worth.
The Lord
has reminded you, your children, and your grandchildren that you are lawful heirs, that you have been reserved
in heaven for your specific time and place to be born, to grow and become His
standard bearers and covenant people.
As you walk in the Lord’s path of righteousness, you will be blessed to continue in His goodness and be a light and a savior unto His people (see Doctrine and Covenants 86:8–11).
The Lord
has reminded you, your children, and your grandchildren that you are lawful heirs, that you have been reserved
in heaven for your specific time and place to be born, to grow and become His
standard bearers and covenant people.As you walk in the Lord’s path of righteousness, you will be blessed to continue in His goodness and be a light and a savior unto His people (see Doctrine and Covenants 86:8–11).
8 Therefore, thus saith the Lord unto you, with whom
the priesthood hath continued through the lineage of your
fathers—
9 For ye are lawful heirs, according to
the flesh, and have been hid from the
world with Christ in God—
10 Therefore your life and the priesthood have remained, and must needs remain through
you and your lineage until the restoration of all things spoken by the mouths of all the
holy prophets since the world began.
11 Therefore, blessed are
ye if ye continue in my goodness,
a light unto
the Gentiles, and through this priesthood, a savior unto my people Israel. The Lord hath said it. Amen.
Do whatever it takes to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ by
increasing your understanding of the doctrine taught in His restored Church and
by relentlessly seeking truth.
Anchored in pure doctrine, you will be able to step forward with faith and dogged persistence and cheerfully do all that lies in your power to fulfill the purposes of the Lord.
Anchored in pure doctrine, you will be able to step forward with faith and dogged persistence and cheerfully do all that lies in your power to fulfill the purposes of the Lord.
You will have days
when you will be discouraged. So pray for
courage not to give up! Sadly, some whom you thought were your friends will
betray you. And some things will simply seem unfair.
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 what only
members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can accomplish.
We are to be builders of an individual faith in God, faith in the
Lord Jesus Christ and faith in His Church. We are to build families and be
sealed in holy temples. We are to build the
Church and kingdom of God upon the earth (see Matthew 6:33). We are to
prepare for our own divine destiny: glory, immortality, and eternal lives (see Romans 2:7; Doctrine and Covenants 75:5).
7 To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour
and immortality, eternal life:
5 And thus, if ye are faithful ye shall be laden with
many sheaves, and crowned with
honor, and glory, and immortality, and eternal life.
I humbly testify to
you that—as the Prophet Joseph Smith
proclaimed—the restored gospel of
Jesus Christ “will go forth boldly,
nobly, and independent, till it has penetrated every continent, visited every
clime, swept every country, and sounded in every ear, till the purposes of God
shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done” (History of the Church, 4:540).
We are engaged in
the work of Almighty God. I pray for His blessings to be with each and every
one of you.
April 2020 General Conference
·
APRIL
4–5, 2020
Please
join us for General Conference this weekend.I promised you that it will be worth your while to tune in😊
Bring your questions ad listen for the answers to those questions.
You must be ready, so prepare yourselves you want to have His Spirit to be with you, so that you may hear Him!
I
pray that each one of you and your family are healthy and well as you are
reading through this post.
I hope that you have enjoyed reading the words of
our Prophet Russell M. Nelson😊
I pray that each one of you have made the decision to become a part of the gathering of Israel.
I pray that each one of you have made the decision to become a part of the gathering of Israel.
For
those of you who are members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
I challenge you to step up to the plate and do all that you can to help the missionaries in your area.
To share the gospel with all those around you. To pray for missionary moments.
I challenge you to step up to the plate and do all that you can to help the missionaries in your area.
To share the gospel with all those around you. To pray for missionary moments.
For
those of you who are not yet members of the Church of Jesus Christ of
Latter-day Saints I challenge you to read the Book of Mormon, to pray to know
if you are learning about Jesus Christ within its pages. You must learn the truth
for yourselves, no one can do it for you😊
This
means to me that I must become a better help to our missionaries here where I am
living just as each one of you must become a better help to the missionaries in
your area wherever that may e in the world. We must all work together and help one another come unto Christ. To learn about Jesus Christ.
To
follow the examples that He has shown us. To be our brothers [and sisters]
keeper. We must learn the truth of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus
Christ. And we must help in the gathering. Until my next post, please, please
remember to stay healthy and well!! And make it a good week😊
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