By Sarah Jane Weaver | Church News
In the short time since President Russell M. Nelson has been called to lead the Latter-day Saints of the Church of Jesus Christ, he has become an inspiration to hundreds of thousands of people, including those who are not members of the Church. At the age of 94, he gives a new meaning to the word “energy” or “stamina.” I honestly don’t know if I would be able to keep up with him…at any age!
All of God’s chosen Prophets since I joined the Church in 1989 have had a special place in my heart. All of them have taught me, strengthened me, and inspired me. President Nelson has taken that to a new level for me. He has the energy of a child, and he just doesn’t stop when it comes to sharing the gospel of Jesus Christ or moving forward with the things that the Lord would have him do. Our beloved Prophet lives life to its fullest every day and is an excellent example to…well…the world! He is gathering Israel, and from where I am sitting, he makes it look so simple and gives me a greater desire to be part of it by observing him and obeying his teachings, which come from the Savior.
I will never forget the day my husband had a special encounter with the Prophet. He had the privilege of being security for President and Sister Nelson, Elder and Sister Andersen, and others that traveled with them. He had had a beautiful day as it was, but when he dropped the team off again at the airport, Jason had a spiritual experience that he will never forget and hold close to his heart. He was edified and strengthened by it. You can read about his experience HERE.
On Sunday, in between all of his other world tours, President Nelson traveled to Florida with Sister Nelson and a few others. He addressed a crowd of thousands, and during his remarks to them, he had highlighted “truths that have the power to change your life and the lives of those you love.”
Here are the details of his visit and the points he had made that, if abided, will bring us great “blessings and happiness here and to ‘never-ending happiness’ (Mosiah 2:41) in the world to come.” I have a testimony of this. ~Emilia Julian
“Understanding who we are influences how we choose to live our lives,” said President Nelson. “What we choose to do here will determine the kind of life we have throughout all eternity. We are never living just for today.”
ORLANDO, Florida — Lasting happiness, even joy, comes to those who keep the commandments of God, said President Russell M. Nelson, speaking here in the “happiest place on earth” on Sunday, June 9.
“There is no other way to find joy,” he said. “If you want to be miserable, break the commandments — and never repent. If you want joy, stay on the covenant path.”
Home to more than a dozen theme and amusement parks, Orlando certainly can claim to be the site of many happy memories for countless individuals, said the president of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
But where, he asked, is the happiest place on earth?
“It is wherever the Spirit of the Lord dwells in the hearts of the people (1 Peter 4:14). It is inside any home that has become a sanctuary of faith and is filled with love. It is inside every House of the Lord,” said President Nelson. “It can be wherever you are when the Spirit of the Lord is with you.”
President Nelson told 15,500 people gathered in the Amway Center in central Florida — and in Church buildings across the state watching a broadcast of the evening devotional — their “first and highest priority in the work of gathering Israel begins in our own home with our own family. We invite all of God’s children on this and the other side of the veil to come unto their Savior, be blessed by the ordinances of the temple, have enduring joy and qualify for that greatest of all blessings, that of eternal life. We start at home with our precious children.”
President Nelson traveled to Florida with his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson; Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and his wife, Sister Harriet Uchtdorf; and Elder Shayne M. Bowen, a General Authority Seventy, and his wife, Sister Lynette M. Bowen.
During his remarks, President Nelson highlighted “truths that have the power to change your life and the lives of those you love.”
These are truths, he said, “that open the heavens and allow us to draw upon the power of God. These are truths that will lead to blessings and happiness here and to ‘never-ending happiness’ (Mosiah 2:41) in the world to come.”
God is our Father
“The most profound truth is that God is our Father,” he said. “What is His work and His glory? To ‘bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ (Moses 1:39).”
President Nelson said Heavenly Father’s deepest desire is that His children will choose to come back home to Him. “He will never violate our agency and force us to come home.”
Daily prayer is the best way to remember that “you are a son or daughter of God and He will guide and watch over you as you pour out your heart to Him.”
Jesus Christ is our Savior
President Nelson asked the congregation to teach their children about God’s Beloved Son, Jesus Christ. “Because of the Savior’s sacrifice, we have access to His healing power,” President Nelson said. “He will heal our hearts, give us strength when we are weak, enable us to do things we could never do on our own and heal us from sin when we repent.”
The Atonement of Jesus Christ can help God’s children cope with grief, sadness, weakness, fear and anxiety that are part of mortality’s trials.
“Life can be overwhelming at times,” said President Nelson. “My wife Dantzel died suddenly when her heart stopped beating. All my knowledge as a heart surgeon could not save her. Cancer has claimed the lives of two of our daughters. I understand the heartbreak of separation from loved ones.
“But Jesus is the Light that shines in the dark.”
We are children of God
“Understanding who we are influences how we choose to live our lives,” said President Nelson. “What we choose to do here will determine the kind of life we have throughout all eternity. We are never living just for today.”
Satan teaches one can totally disregard the commandments of God without consequence. “The adversary would have us believe that we can sin, lie, take advantage of others, abuse our bodies and the bodies of others, ignore the commandments of God — and still be saved in the kingdom of God,” he said. “My dear brothers and sisters, this is simply not true.”
The Book of Mormon is the word of God
Daily immersion in the Book of Mormon “will fill your life with wisdom, power and guidance,” said President Nelson.
He spoke of visiting, in Harmony, Pennsylvania, the replica of the house where Joseph translated much of the Book of Mormon.
During a turbulent time in the Prophet Joseph’s life, he completed the work of translating the book in about 65 working days — which means he translated an average of nine pages per day. “Today, our most experienced translators can translate about one page of scripture a day, and that with all the help of modern technology,” said President Nelson.
He noted that Joseph Smith published the first draft of the printer’s manuscript. “This is an inconceivable feat. … There simply is no other explanation for the existence of the Book of Mormon than the one the Prophet Joseph gave. He translated it by the gift and power of God.”
The Book of Mormon is filled with truth, he said. “If you will feast on the words of Christ found throughout the Book of Mormon, I promise that you will have greater power to resist temptation, increased ability to receive revelation and greater capacity to deal with the challenges of life.”
To read more of the 7 truths that have the power to change lives, click HERE.
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