March 2, 2025 • 35 mins
https://www.churchofjesuschrist.org/study/general-conference/2024/10/53rasband?lang=eng#p_bgufh
What does it mean to “hold up” the Lord’s light? How can we do this in our daily lives?
How can we actively sustain local and general Church leaders?
How can personal revelation “counter the fear, darkness and contention” of the world? What are some ways to seek personal revelation effectively?
How can our service and worship in temples enhance our personal spiritual journeys?
When has following the teachings of the Prophet or other Church leaders impacted your life? How did it change your perspective or actions?
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
(00:00):
[♪ Music playing.
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Welcome to Closer to Christ, Your General Conference, where two friends who love Jesus share our own approach to studying the most recent General Conference talks.
This is Abbey and Amy. Let's jump into it.
[♪ Music playing.
Today we're talking about, Behold, I am the light which ye shall hold up.
This is by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Welcome, Abbey.
(00:34):
It's so good to be here.
I agree. Thanks for being here, listeners.
I appreciate Elder Rasband taking the time to point out that the messages that we heard in conference over the past two days
through his chosen leaders was an opportunity to draw closer to Jesus Christ,
an opportunity to see that the Savior makes Himself present in our mortal journey, in part, through these conference talks.
(00:56):
Kind of talked about that in our last talk, right? Or in our last podcast.
And as we dive into them in a month following conference, in the months following, it is yet another opportunity to draw closer to Him
as though the Spirit were able to gain impressions on what messages were meant specifically for us in our mortal journey.
We don't usually jump right into action items, but it's right here in the opening paragraphs, and it's really a perfect time to remind our listeners
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of the unique opportunity to be tutored by the Spirit every time we go over these talks,
specifically prepared by the Lord's chosen servants for our day and time.
Yeah, like a little prayer in your heart. What is the message meant for me in this talk?
Because we're different, Abbey. We're different people every time we hear that talk. We've had more experiences.
There are things that are pressing on our minds right then. I'm a different person than I was last week, even. Do you know what I mean?
(01:45):
So the Lord knows that. These are living scriptures.
The message you're facing this particular week can be answered within the talk that you happen to be studying right in that moment.
I 100% believe that.
It can happen to be in the come follow me lessons for the week, even if the intent wasn't there.
Right.
He can make all things work for our good. When I have specific questions that we haven't, you might ask,
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what gives them the ability to endure the criticisms that they can sometimes get?
It's not all accolades. It's not all positive feedback that they get. How do they have the energy to carry on in all of their duties?
Sheesh.
Nefai described it by saying, my God hath been my support. He hath led me through my afflictions. He hath filled me with his love.
(02:30):
That's the only answer, right? It's important to consider the work that they do.
And then also remember that even though they are happy to be in the service of God,
that they're not free of the mortal challenges that we really all are facing.
Like when President Eyring was speaking, it was very evident that he was speaking from experience.
His life is not free of trials and sorrows because he's in the service of our Lord.
(02:53):
Their work isn't easy. As members throughout the world, when we choose to sustain our leaders,
we aid in giving them the strength they need and fill their duties. And that is how we demonstrate our love.
We might ask ourselves, how can we actively sustain local and general church leaders?
I love that, the word actively. Are there some thoughts coming to your mind?
Yeah. Oh, I would say, I mean, I think this may be across the board. Maybe it isn't.
(03:15):
But in general, I would say that it's probably easier to sustain general leaders
because we don't know them in our personal lives. And it may be a little,
it may take some more effort and our consecration to sustain every local leader.
You know what I mean? And yet it is the same.
The Lord wants us to sustain all of them, regardless of what, you know,
(03:38):
if we've had interactions with them in business or in whatever, it is across the board.
And it's just a wonderful way to learn forgiveness and to consecrating ourselves to the Lord.
What I liked about that is that, like, just to point out how cool it is that we actually get the opportunity
to demonstrate our agency in sustaining these leaders. Like sometimes you maybe don't want to,
(04:00):
but you get to consider that for yourself. Every general conference, we get that opportunity.
And then like ward conferences, state conferences, whatever, that happens for our local leaders.
But it's a pretty simple action, you know, you raise your hand.
And basically every subsequent year, you get the chance to resustain or reaffirm that sustaining.
(04:22):
And like you just said, there's instances when people don't feel comfortable sustaining leaders,
but there's proper channels that those can go up to.
It's not like you can't be heard for when you're questioning these things.
And I think better than anything, Abby, is you may not know that when you're asked that question to sustain,
maybe you didn't know there was something in your heart.
Totally.
And so I think it's another thing that is a beautiful thing we do in the church where it is continued.
(04:47):
An opportunity.
An opportunity to look inward and say, wait a second, what's bothering me?
Yeah, what's bothering me? And where can I go to the Lord in this and completely remove this?
Yeah. To answer the question about how we can actively sustain leaders
made me think of what I do more than just raising my hand to the square.
To sustain means to hold up another person, to give them our attention, to be faithful to their trust,
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to act upon their words. This is from right from the talk.
They speak by inspiration of the Lord. They understand the current issues, the moral decline of society,
the adversaries increasing efforts to thwart the Father's plan.
In holding up our hands, we are committing our support, not just for that moment, but in our daily lives.
Amen.
Meaning to the best of my ability, when I hear a message that's spoken in general conference and it pricks my spirit,
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that's something that I'm being prompted to focus on.
And then I can take actions and steps in my life to make those changes and corrections that I need to do.
Do some, do more of something, do less of something, you know, whatever I'm being prompted to do.
And then the same thing when I attend stake conference and my stake leader share messages pertinent to our stake
and I hear them and the spirit testifies to me what part I can have in fulfilling what they're asking me to do,
(05:58):
or if I need to make some modifications and I do those actions necessary, then I'm sustaining my stake leader,
not just because I raised my hand to the square.
Agreed.
And the same thing on my word level.
Yes, it's much more than raising your hand. That's when you just show the sign of that.
Exactly.
It's an everyday interaction.
Through my actions, your actions, yes.
It's important to consider the various situations when sustaining is or can actually take place.
(06:20):
I really like how Elder Rasband spelled it out.
Sustaining includes holding up our stake presidents and bishops, our quorum and organization leaders, teachers,
and even camp directors in our wards and stakes.
I'm thinking of your sister right now.
Me too.
These next few lines made the importance of sustaining others more powerful.
Closer to home, we hold up our wives and our husbands, children, parents, extended family, and neighbors.
(06:46):
How does Elder Rasband suggest that we accomplish the sustaining, Abby?
He says it's not just a matter of raising our hands to the square periodically.
Yeah.
It's a matter of actually holding up that other person.
I love that visual.
Same.
They included that picture of holding up the arms of the prophet and you're just like, wow.
That really resonates.
That's truly, yes, truly sustaining.
(07:08):
Being there for them, being strength at their side, we're reminded in baptismal covenants that we promised
to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light.
Comfort those that stand in need of comfort and stand as witness of God at all times and all things and all places.
Let's run through this on the home level first.
Okay.
This is where we each might stop and ask, in my home, am I sustaining my partner?
And if not, maybe what changes am I impressed to make if I stop and consider just that one question?
(07:33):
You may think just off the top of your head, you're not being sustained by them.
And if it's more difficult, it's fact, it's more difficult to change another person.
So if you're thinking that, that's the first thought that comes to your mind,
then the best advice would be to mirror the actions in your own life that you would prefer your partner to be doing.
(07:55):
For sure.
You know, maybe your mind goes to house chores, budgeting, projects around the house,
maybe a home-centered effort to teach the children the gospel of Jesus Christ.
There's not an exact script on how these things are happening in our home that's like constantly evolving.
But what comes to mind here is a reminder that we can have executive councils in our homes,
children councils where we're, you know, we were encouraged years ago to implement those.
(08:20):
And we've picked them up. We've done them on and off.
But...
Seasons.
There's definitely seasons of it.
But I do know as we've taken the opportunity, it's like a safe place to talk about adjustments that need to be made,
whatever period of life you're navigating, whatever season that you're in.
Very good. Yes.
Abby, let's dive more into what it looks like to sustain leaders outside our homes.
To the Nephites, Jesus said, Hold up your light that it may shine unto the world.
(08:44):
Behold, I am the light which ye shall hold up.
How do we do this?
We hold up the Lord's light when we hold fast to our covenants,
when we support our living prophet as he speaks the words of God.
We aren't asked to do this blindly.
We're allowed to have the Holy Ghost witness to us the truthfulness of the words of our leaders.
We also do have the option to act on their words before the Spirit confirms the truth
(09:08):
and have the witness after we act in faith for sure,
because usually faith precedes the miracle, right?
Or we act before we know sometimes.
Both options bring us closer to Jesus Christ.
If you've taken the time to receive a witness that the general authorities have been called of God,
prevent it is much easier to accept that the words they speak come to mind.
(09:31):
How do we do this?
We hold up the Lord's light when we hold fast to our covenants,
and when we support our living prophet as he speaks the words of God.
We aren't asked to do this blindly.
We're allowed to have the Holy Ghost witness to us the truthfulness of the words of our leaders.
We also do have the option to act on their words before the Spirit confirms the truth
and have the witness after we act in faith.
(09:53):
I like taking a prayer in my heart into conference,
and I just ask the Lord to, as they're speaking truth, to have it resonate with my heart
so that it's like a continued confirmation that they indeed are called of God.
And it happens every single time.
The truth resonates with me, and I'm happy to act on the words.
(10:14):
Both options bring us closer to Jesus Christ.
If you've taken the time to receive a witness that the general authorities had been called of God,
it's much easier to accept the words that they speak come to their mind
and the words that are uttered from their lips on what the Spirit has prompted them
that they should be, what should be a prophetic priority in this moment
(10:35):
or in their whole service the whole time that they're in.
He offered more suggestions on sustaining leaders.
He said, we do not sit quietly by actively defending him.
Follow his counsel, teach his words, and pray for him.
For the prophet.
Yeah. He said, force great suggestions. He listed them as this.
Some people think it's their duty to let us all know that God doesn't have the prophet
(10:57):
and that he doesn't speak to us in our day and our time.
We certainly listen to those words, but when we have a testimony of the prophet, President Nelson,
as being God's chosen servant on earth at this time,
and we're in a situation where that truth is called into question,
there's no way to strengthen our testimony of his divine calling
than to stand up for what we believe to be true.
Counter that argument with your own testimony that you know is a living prophet.
(11:19):
I also love the idea that teaching their words is a way that we sustain a prophet.
So defending a prophet and then repeating, resonating, amplifying the words that they speak.
It's so easy with President Nelson.
It's so easy. He gives us so much good stuff to share.
Meaning any of us that are listening, like if you're listening to this podcast
and preparing your own Relief Society lesson and thoughts come to your mind,
(11:44):
you know, elders quorum lessons, if you're preparing a talk for over the pulpit
and you deep dive into the conference words and then those resonate with your heart, your soul.
And then you share those words.
That's a way that you're sustaining prophets of God is by resharing those words
and putting them into the ears and hearts of other people.
(12:06):
How easy it is to add prayers for our leaders and how often have you heard them testify
that they have felt privately, you know, they have felt those prayers on their behalf.
That was number three, pray for them.
And then the last one was to follow their counsel, meaning you hear it,
you recognize action items that can be taken, and then you actually implement those.
(12:27):
And whether they're long lasting successes or not, you're demonstrating your agency that you wanted to try.
And you know, maybe you didn't get it great the first time and then you're like,
I need to pick that thing that I had a challenge for myself to redo.
So then you try again.
But anyway, it's all about demonstrating.
And then when we do it, I think the Spirit can then again, retestify or confirm the truthfulness of the words
(12:49):
that these small modifications can have a big difference in bringing us closer to Jesus Christ.
You know, Abby, as I hear you say each one of those four things that Elder Rasband suggested,
I am realizing that I can definitely be better at praying for our leaders.
I don't always think of that.
And so I need to put that in my brain right now and have that be part of it.
(13:11):
So it's like such a small modification.
But I mean, I think about them often and the actions that you're doing, you're definitely sustaining them.
But the Spirit can just be like, hey, pray for your leaders.
Your kids will hear you pray for your leaders.
I love that because also prayer is my, that is one of my love languages.
It's not in the book, but it's definitely one of mine.
(13:32):
And so I'm like, why haven't I been doing that?
So I can totally do that and I'm happy to.
And then the Spirit just testified to me, like, I think I need to think of that more when I'm in the temple and doing my pro-role.
Or you can do it from anywhere in the world.
But adding them to the pro-role so that lots of parts can be said.
I really love that, Abby. Thank you for saying those.
I think it's always wise to remember that those we're sustaining need our sustaining because they are human too.
(13:58):
King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon said to the people,
I am like as yourselves subject to all manner of infirmities and body and mind.
Yet I have chosen been chosen and was suffered by the hand of the Lord and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power to serve you with all the might, mind and strength, which the Lord hath granted unto me.
I do think it's interesting that as far as the brethren go, as far as the 12 and the prophet go, that that is a lifetime calling.
(14:25):
You know what I mean?
There's no release from that except when you pass to the other side of the veil.
So when you beat your body down to the extreme, I'm like, you are going to say when you read that that you were like, he certainly has given them strength and sustained them over past their years.
I know they've had really healthy habits and probably if you look at their genetics or whatever, they were going to live a while.
(14:47):
But I'm like Adam was just listening to something of Elder Holland and I'm like, man, he's having a resurgence of health.
I don't know. He's got some. He looked good to me.
But like, what do I know? I just saw him in 2011, you know, because I was going back 20 years and I was like, wow, he changed a lot.
That's what 20 years does. Anyway, they have been sustained.
(15:09):
Yes. No, it's totally true.
Have you ever considered the immensity of the task that our general leaders have? Their assignments throughout the world, the traveling that they have to do.
That's what I'm saying. Like this is a lifetime devotion.
It's mind blowing. Our own beloved prophet is 100 years old. And I don't say that in any way, except in all how despite the challenges of a body that's growing older, he is still able to carry on the duties.
(15:32):
God has asked him to do at this time. And if he requires help, we also sustain those who are called to serve with him. Absolutely.
There was a quote by Elder Harold B. Lee and it cited the example of Moses standing atop the hill at Raphidium to demonstrate the importance of how counselors help in sustaining prophets.
Paraphrasing the account, it's in Exodus 17, 8 through 16, and it talks about how the Amalekites attacked the Israelites.
(15:57):
And Joshua's leading this battle and Moses is standing and as he's told, he's holding this staff of God, as long as Moses' case is hand raised, the Israelites prevail.
But when he lowers them, the Amalekites gain advantage. So to support him, Aaron and her hold up his hands until sunset, ensuring victory.
And like you referenced, the visual is in the printed form and just to see the importance of a prophet of God standing in the center and then to be flanked on his right and his left by very capable counselors.
(16:29):
The story and that image really go a long ways to help us know the importance of all of those that are serving us right now.
Absolutely. The hands of the president of the church may grow weary, he said. They may tend to droop at times because of his heavy responsibilities.
But as we uphold his hands and as we lead under his direction by his side, the gates of hell will not prevail against you and against Israel.
(16:53):
Your safety and ours depends upon whether or not we follow the ones whom the Lord has placed to preside over his church.
He knows whom he wants to preside over his church and he will make no mistake.
I love that the order of the Lord's church and I love the order of it and I love that as we saw President Nelson's body suffer from intense, gosh, that was so hard, right?
(17:14):
The intense back pain most recently that the church didn't miss a beat and that we didn't have to feel any uncertainty that God's work would be carried on in a manner pleasing to the Father.
And that the prophet could take the time he needed to rest and recover because we are not asked to do more than we physically are able to do.
And because of the sustaining, there are committees and there are other people that are willing to do the things that he physically couldn't at that point.
(17:40):
I would guess that his mind was still very clear and active and doing the things.
He was tuned by the Lord in different ways because the talks that came from it, like we had said before, he'd never been really struggled with physical pain.
Physical ailment, right?
And so then to have that piece of the Atonement, like to learn that piece of the Atonement, had probably never had such an impact in his life as it did when he was actually suffering with physical pain.
(18:04):
Amen, Abby.
So some good things came out of that horrible time for him.
President Nelson draws upon years of serving the Lord.
His maturity, wide ranging experience, wisdom and consistent receipt of revelation is specifically suited for our day.
I honestly don't think, like I didn't think much of President Nelson before he became a prophet.
That might sound bad, but it's not like, oh, I hear you, Russell and Nelson's on or whatever.
(18:28):
And I hope that doesn't sound bad.
It's not meant to sound bad.
But what I mean to say by that is that as an apostle, he carried on about his work, but he was brought up and tutored by just the right men.
Well, and even women, whatever women that he rubbed shoulders with too.
But he was tutored in particular experiences in his professional life.
(18:51):
He was also tutored.
Those things have certainly shaped him, molded him.
The experiences with his wife, losing a wife, finding another wife.
Anyway, I just felt like they were all in preparation for him to become the prophet of the church at this time.
And I recognize that when reading some of his autobiographical material that's out there, I'm like, oh, he was always meant to be the man in this job right now.
(19:19):
Totally.
When I look back at his talks to him, I'm like, man, he's always loved this particular subject or he said this phrase all the time and I just didn't hear it before.
We have different ears to hear it when we know that they're like God's chosen prophet.
And I also thought right now God's preparing his next prophet.
He's preparing his next apostle.
He's preparing his next Relief Society president, general president, young woman's president, camp counselor.
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The list would go on and on and in no way am I trying to make it seem that we have to have the perfect skill set to do whatever job we're called.
I mean, I know that the tutoring happens and you can look back on your life and be like, oh, he was preparing me for this.
Not because all of a sudden now I'm ready for that calling.
But it's just a way of tutoring so that it's not so overwhelming when we have to do something that we would maybe choose to not do if given a choice.
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Anybody that has a desire to further the work of the Lord and be tutored by him willing to accept revelation that will come through them on God's behalf through children,
God's behalf to bless the children in the church throughout the world can be the perfect person for that calling.
And you just demonstrate that willing heart to be that person, then he's going to tutor you to be prepared for those things that you could potentially be asked to do.
(20:43):
I agree. I feel like it's a lot more about the heart and being willing and teachable and humble than it is about having all of the skills that you would normally have if you're being paid for that job.
Because it all does come, you know, and I also love Abby that if so, Heavenly Father has a perfect view of our strengths and our weaknesses.
And I do feel like he very uniquely helps us choose counselors or whoever's with us to literally hold us up because he knows, oh, if this is a weakness, then the first counselor, second counselor needs that to be one of their strengths and vice versa.
(21:17):
So it's just a beautiful whole. As everyone works together, the job gets done.
I love this quote so much. President Nelson said, There has never been a time in the history of the world when knowledge of our Savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul.
Imagine how quickly the devastating effects throughout the world and those in our individual lives would be resolved if we all chose to follow Jesus Christ and to heed his teachings.
(21:43):
100%, Abby. It'd be a different world.
Like how quickly we would jump to that. How quickly we could end conflicts if we focused on Jesus Christ and his teachings.
What do you want? World peace. I mean, like the answer is there.
He quoted the prophet here. He said, One of our greatest challenges today is distinguishing between the truths of God and the counterfeits of Satan.
(22:06):
That is why the Lord warned us to pray always that we may conquer Satan and escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold the adversary's work.
Doctrine and Covenants 10.5.
I think those two quotes work so well together because they focus on our Savior and us getting to know him and that we can recognize that his called servants are emulating the actions of the Savior in a manner he would do if he were here with us all the time.
(22:34):
And I think it's easier to pick up on what truth is and what Satan's counterfeit if we're focusing in that way.
Have you ever been in the presence of a prophet of God?
I have like a conference when I've been there.
Yeah, huge conference room. Like how many people are, what would we say are in conference centers?
What is it? 20,000? There's a lot. Doesn't matter how many people are there. He walks in and the room shifts. It is different, right?
(23:00):
That's what I wanted you to say. I was in the Joseph Smith building in President Hinckley's ward when like you never know if they're going to be here around the world, but we were there and it was loud and chatty.
We were like the very farthest back like a couple of bifold doors and I'm like a child remembering this is like probably a 30 year old story for me.
And people were chatting like they do before a meeting and then all of a sudden a spirit fell over the room and hushed over the crowd.
(23:25):
Absolutely.
Like, undescribable. And so, like without even seeing his face like the, and you're feeling that too.
I went to the conference of the very first session, that Saturday morning session, the very first one that it was ever.
There's so many people in there and when a hush can fall over crowd without having to be like shh, shh.
(23:46):
Oh yeah. There's no direction needed.
It just invites this absolute calming presence. It's an amazing experience. I would love, I would love to hope for everybody that they've got to be in the presence of these people, which just adds to the testimony.
Like mostly the experience was with President Hinckley, but I know that I would feel that same way if the prof, if I was with the president Nelson.
(24:08):
Totally.
And I bring this up because in this talk it talks about how he surprised everyone when he came to the rededication of the Manti Utah Temple.
Yes, I loved that.
His eight great, how does eight work? Parents, grandparents, great grandparents makes eight right? His eight great grandparents all hailed from that Manti area.
So it was a really important pioneer temple to him. And it said, in his presence, I immediately felt the light and prophetic mantle.
(24:32):
He carries the look of joy on the faces of the people personally seeing the prophet will stay with me forever.
And I would add to that, he encounters the prophet weekly, maybe daily. I mean, so much that I think sometimes when we're in the presence, like you, you never doubt that they're prophets of God,
but probably seeing the faces of people that aren't accustomed to being with him all the time, like the absolute awe, like the joy you feel when you're with him reminds you of like all that first time that you were.
(25:02):
Oh, yeah. First time every time, man.
Yeah.
So Elder Rasband brings up the stories mostly because of what we shared in the rededication prayer.
As I read it, I want to think of the following questions. How are temples and temple covenant designed to, how are our temple covenants designed to sustain us in our individual lives?
(25:23):
In the prayer of rededication, President Nelson petitioned the Lord that his holy house would essentially hold up all who entered the temple.
I love that visual too, Abby. That they, these are, this is a quote that they may receive sacred blessings and remain worthy and faithful to their covenants.
That this may be a house of peace, a house of comfort and a house of personal revelation for all who enter these doors worthily.
(25:48):
So beautiful.
That's so great. It's so great. The rededication of temple prayers, those are documented there in church history stuff.
I know, you can find them.
Yes. And so I've gone back to the temple that we're most often attending and you can read those.
You can find it on the temple page.
Yes.
Anything that's happened there, like there's a history of it and it's fantastic.
I would strongly suggest everybody doing that, like seeing what-
(26:11):
For their temple.
Yeah. Just to remind yourself of-
Oh, I love that. I love that.
They're, yeah, they're very accessible.
It's special and it's very unique to that area, to the saints there, to the pioneer saints and to the people who will be living there, you know, currently.
So yeah, I think it's very applicable.
It's great to be drawn to the temple in whatever way possible. And that's just one way.
I feel that when I'm in, in His temples, in His house, when I make the temple a priority, I feel that despite how busy my day may be, when I enter the temple, worries and cares of the world, they're softened.
(26:43):
Softened is a really good word.
Even if it's just for a moment. And I know I have to get back to the things that were pressing on my mind before them. They don't seem the same when I go back and pick them back up on the other side of those doors.
Agreed.
Answers to my questions, the things that I've gone in there with, when I've gone in there with things on my mind, I create a space for the answers to come top of mind.
(27:04):
And I've received many times, I've received clear impressions in the temple that maybe would have taken me a lot longer on the outside of the temple.
100% agreed.
Temples are being established throughout the world in an effort to sustain God's children everywhere. And to me, it's deeply touching manifestation of God's love. Just the incredible number of temples that are being built.
(27:29):
This is a quote, we build temples to honor the Lord. President Nelson said, they are built for worship and not for show.
I love that reminder. We make sacred covenants of eternal significance inside these sacred walls. We are gathering Israel.
We make it, for me, it makes me extra grateful that the prophet of God at this time is President Nelson. And his prophetic charge seems to be to accelerate the work of temples.
(27:52):
350 sacred houses of the Lord are operating, announced or under construction.
Amazing.
And when he became prophet in 2018, that was 168. Seems like it's something top of his mind.
Yes, absolutely. In our time, he has said a whole complete and perfect union of all dispensations, keys and powers are to be welded together.
(28:14):
This is in DNC 1, 2018. For these sacred purposes, holy temples now dot the earth, like you just said, 350.
I emphasize again that construction of these temples may not change your life, but your service in the temple surely will.
The Savior and I 100% stand behind that. The Savior and his doctrine are the very heart of the temple.
(28:36):
President says, everything taught in the temple through instruction and through the Spirit increases our understanding of Jesus Christ.
His essential ordinances bind us to him through sacred priesthood covenants. Then as we keep our covenants, he endows us with his healing, strengthening power.
I really feel the importance of these words and I feel them deeply. I just feel like temple attendance truly can change your life.
(29:02):
All who worship in the temple, President Nelson has said, will have the power of God and angels having charge over them.
How much does it increase your confidence to know that as an endowed woman or man or temple attending youth, armed with that power of God, you do not have to face life alone?
What courage does it give you to know that angels really will help you?
(29:23):
I do want to delve into the angels like it's come up again.
It comes up a lot.
It does come up a lot. But one thought before that that I was thinking of was that we're talking this whole time about sustaining and upholding his prophets and our leaders.
But in this section, we're talking about how it's not a one way street because we are willing to listen and abide by the things that the prophets are teaching us.
(29:48):
What we get back in return is all of that strength and power that comes as we make comets in the temple for him to sustain us back.
It's totally true, Abby. Also, I was praying in the past couple of weeks and I was asking Heavenly Father how I could best.
I have a list of things I'm working on this year and at the end of each month I go through and just say, you know, kind of where am I with these?
(30:11):
It was just interesting because as I was praying, I had the very distinct impression that as I went, there is nothing more healing I can do in any realm of healing,
whether it's spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, that will get me further and closer to healing than going to the temple.
Like Heavenly Father put in no uncertain terms in my heart and I was just like, okay.
And the thought and feeling that I had was because when you go there, you yourself receive the Spirit.
(30:38):
You receive just more of an understanding of Jesus Christ and what he's done for you personally.
And at the same time, you are affecting generations because of the work you're doing.
So it's kind of like it just felt like, I don't know, like an overall feeling of healing and wholeness and getting closer to Christ that we're all doing it together.
And the ones that were serving, like I was doing initiatory, so those five women that I took in my family line, it also really brightened their day.
(31:06):
So to have those initiatory, if you're thinking about if your temple attending and you think of those initiatory blessings that are given to you,
they are beautiful and I just love that five more people have that in their life.
And then that goes because each one of them, then their children, and that's what I'm saying, it's just a never ending.
I do know what you're saying.
So when you ask me what kind of courage it gives me to know that angels are there to help me,
(31:30):
it gives me great courage, great confidence to know that I can be sustained by hand, both seen and unseen.
For those of you who are like me just blown away by the number of times we've heard about ministering of angels,
it seems like way more frequently.
You say it's been all the time always.
No, I agree though.
Oh, you think it has ramped up?
I do.
(31:51):
Well, Elder Rasband said, angels reaching out to us, hold us up,
is described in the scriptures when Jesus humbly knelt in the garden of Gethsemane.
I can promise you I never really zeroed in on this until I was reminded of it in this talk.
He said, by suffering, he provided an infinite atonement.
There, President Nelson states, the greatest single act of love of all recorded history took place.
(32:15):
There at Gethsemane, the Lord suffered the pain of all men that all might repent and come unto him.
Remove this cup from me, Jesus asked, nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.
And we know that he doesn't feel the presence of God for a brief moment.
He has to feel what it feels like, what it will feel like for all of us to disassociate ourselves from God.
(32:36):
And then he says this quote, and there appeared an angel unto him from heaven strengthening him.
I missed that.
Favorite.
Well, of course it was your favorite.
I'm glad I know about it now.
Angels are all around us. President Nelson has said, in the temple, you will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God's angels to attend you.
(32:58):
That is one of my favorites as well.
I feel like that is a call to action for each one of us because you might say, wait a second, in the temple, I'm learning that.
Am I really?
And maybe it's a time for reflection and prayer to ask, how are you taking advantage of that in your life?
And from you, I've learned, as we know our ancestors and we know our ancestry, we know their stories and we face challenges similar to that in our own life, we can ask for their help because they have been there, they have done those things.
(33:28):
And the Lord will dispatch them on our behalf.
We're not asked to blindly sustain our leaders.
When we recognize that we are amplifying the light of Christ, when we sustain them,
we recognize that they are a true source of good.
When we do our best to share the things that we've learned as they teach us, as we've synthesized it, as we put it into our own testimony, both in the way that we act and the words that we say,
(33:57):
those actions will tell the world, will tell our souls that we've accepted their words to be true.
I've been blessed to be able, I've been blessed in my own callings, being sustained in my own callings, different callings I've had over the years.
Maybe I haven't had the gust out of shoulder of those burdens on my own.
(34:19):
And like you've said before, like the counselors that I've worked with, or maybe I've been the counselor to a president and together we've achieved something that none of us could have achieved on our own.
It gives me a greater desire to look around, look at those around me and try to determine, you know, what maybe can I be doing in this moment to lift up and sustain those that are around me.
It's a pattern that I see with God and it's a pattern that I want to be more aware of. Am I emulating that in my own life?
(34:44):
Love that, absolutely.
There's probably always more that we can be doing.
Sure. Abbie, do you have anything, any final words, any final thoughts?
Probably just that. This one's gone on a little bit longer than probably we should have, but it is what it is.
Let me end with his testimony. To many testimonies at this conference, I add my apostolic witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our Lord and Savior, the Redeemer of all of our Father's children.
(35:09):
By His Atonement, Jesus Christ made it possible for us, if we are worthy, to return to the presence of our Father in heaven and to be with our families for eternity.
I bear my apostolic witness that Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
Maybe all as His disciples hold up His light in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Amen, Abbie. Thanks for being with us. Catch you next time.
[♪ Music playing.
(00:10):
Welcome to Closer to Christ, Your General Conference, where two friends who love Jesus share our own approach to studying the most recent General Conference talks.
This is Abbey and Amy. Let's jump into it.
[♪ Music playing.
Today we're talking about, Behold, I am the light which ye shall hold up.
This is by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. Welcome, Abbey.
(00:34):
It's so good to be here.
I agree. Thanks for being here, listeners.
I appreciate Elder Rasband taking the time to point out that the messages that we heard in conference over the past two days
through his chosen leaders was an opportunity to draw closer to Jesus Christ,
an opportunity to see that the Savior makes Himself present in our mortal journey, in part, through these conference talks.
(00:56):
Kind of talked about that in our last talk, right? Or in our last podcast.
And as we dive into them in a month following conference, in the months following, it is yet another opportunity to draw closer to Him
as though the Spirit were able to gain impressions on what messages were meant specifically for us in our mortal journey.
We don't usually jump right into action items, but it's right here in the opening paragraphs, and it's really a perfect time to remind our listeners
(01:21):
of the unique opportunity to be tutored by the Spirit every time we go over these talks,
specifically prepared by the Lord's chosen servants for our day and time.
Yeah, like a little prayer in your heart. What is the message meant for me in this talk?
Because we're different, Abbey. We're different people every time we hear that talk. We've had more experiences.
There are things that are pressing on our minds right then. I'm a different person than I was last week, even. Do you know what I mean?
(01:45):
So the Lord knows that. These are living scriptures.
The message you're facing this particular week can be answered within the talk that you happen to be studying right in that moment.
I 100% believe that.
It can happen to be in the come follow me lessons for the week, even if the intent wasn't there.
Right.
He can make all things work for our good. When I have specific questions that we haven't, you might ask,
(02:08):
what gives them the ability to endure the criticisms that they can sometimes get?
It's not all accolades. It's not all positive feedback that they get. How do they have the energy to carry on in all of their duties?
Sheesh.
Nefai described it by saying, my God hath been my support. He hath led me through my afflictions. He hath filled me with his love.
(02:30):
That's the only answer, right? It's important to consider the work that they do.
And then also remember that even though they are happy to be in the service of God,
that they're not free of the mortal challenges that we really all are facing.
Like when President Eyring was speaking, it was very evident that he was speaking from experience.
His life is not free of trials and sorrows because he's in the service of our Lord.
(02:53):
Their work isn't easy. As members throughout the world, when we choose to sustain our leaders,
we aid in giving them the strength they need and fill their duties. And that is how we demonstrate our love.
We might ask ourselves, how can we actively sustain local and general church leaders?
I love that, the word actively. Are there some thoughts coming to your mind?
Yeah. Oh, I would say, I mean, I think this may be across the board. Maybe it isn't.
(03:15):
But in general, I would say that it's probably easier to sustain general leaders
because we don't know them in our personal lives. And it may be a little,
it may take some more effort and our consecration to sustain every local leader.
You know what I mean? And yet it is the same.
The Lord wants us to sustain all of them, regardless of what, you know,
(03:38):
if we've had interactions with them in business or in whatever, it is across the board.
And it's just a wonderful way to learn forgiveness and to consecrating ourselves to the Lord.
What I liked about that is that, like, just to point out how cool it is that we actually get the opportunity
to demonstrate our agency in sustaining these leaders. Like sometimes you maybe don't want to,
(04:00):
but you get to consider that for yourself. Every general conference, we get that opportunity.
And then like ward conferences, state conferences, whatever, that happens for our local leaders.
But it's a pretty simple action, you know, you raise your hand.
And basically every subsequent year, you get the chance to resustain or reaffirm that sustaining.
(04:22):
And like you just said, there's instances when people don't feel comfortable sustaining leaders,
but there's proper channels that those can go up to.
It's not like you can't be heard for when you're questioning these things.
And I think better than anything, Abby, is you may not know that when you're asked that question to sustain,
maybe you didn't know there was something in your heart.
Totally.
And so I think it's another thing that is a beautiful thing we do in the church where it is continued.
(04:47):
An opportunity.
An opportunity to look inward and say, wait a second, what's bothering me?
Yeah, what's bothering me? And where can I go to the Lord in this and completely remove this?
Yeah. To answer the question about how we can actively sustain leaders
made me think of what I do more than just raising my hand to the square.
To sustain means to hold up another person, to give them our attention, to be faithful to their trust,
(05:10):
to act upon their words. This is from right from the talk.
They speak by inspiration of the Lord. They understand the current issues, the moral decline of society,
the adversaries increasing efforts to thwart the Father's plan.
In holding up our hands, we are committing our support, not just for that moment, but in our daily lives.
Amen.
Meaning to the best of my ability, when I hear a message that's spoken in general conference and it pricks my spirit,
(05:33):
that's something that I'm being prompted to focus on.
And then I can take actions and steps in my life to make those changes and corrections that I need to do.
Do some, do more of something, do less of something, you know, whatever I'm being prompted to do.
And then the same thing when I attend stake conference and my stake leader share messages pertinent to our stake
and I hear them and the spirit testifies to me what part I can have in fulfilling what they're asking me to do,
(05:58):
or if I need to make some modifications and I do those actions necessary, then I'm sustaining my stake leader,
not just because I raised my hand to the square.
Agreed.
And the same thing on my word level.
Yes, it's much more than raising your hand. That's when you just show the sign of that.
Exactly.
It's an everyday interaction.
Through my actions, your actions, yes.
It's important to consider the various situations when sustaining is or can actually take place.
(06:20):
I really like how Elder Rasband spelled it out.
Sustaining includes holding up our stake presidents and bishops, our quorum and organization leaders, teachers,
and even camp directors in our wards and stakes.
I'm thinking of your sister right now.
Me too.
These next few lines made the importance of sustaining others more powerful.
Closer to home, we hold up our wives and our husbands, children, parents, extended family, and neighbors.
(06:46):
How does Elder Rasband suggest that we accomplish the sustaining, Abby?
He says it's not just a matter of raising our hands to the square periodically.
Yeah.
It's a matter of actually holding up that other person.
I love that visual.
Same.
They included that picture of holding up the arms of the prophet and you're just like, wow.
That really resonates.
That's truly, yes, truly sustaining.
(07:08):
Being there for them, being strength at their side, we're reminded in baptismal covenants that we promised
to bear one another's burdens, that they may be light.
Comfort those that stand in need of comfort and stand as witness of God at all times and all things and all places.
Let's run through this on the home level first.
Okay.
This is where we each might stop and ask, in my home, am I sustaining my partner?
And if not, maybe what changes am I impressed to make if I stop and consider just that one question?
(07:33):
You may think just off the top of your head, you're not being sustained by them.
And if it's more difficult, it's fact, it's more difficult to change another person.
So if you're thinking that, that's the first thought that comes to your mind,
then the best advice would be to mirror the actions in your own life that you would prefer your partner to be doing.
(07:55):
For sure.
You know, maybe your mind goes to house chores, budgeting, projects around the house,
maybe a home-centered effort to teach the children the gospel of Jesus Christ.
There's not an exact script on how these things are happening in our home that's like constantly evolving.
But what comes to mind here is a reminder that we can have executive councils in our homes,
children councils where we're, you know, we were encouraged years ago to implement those.
(08:20):
And we've picked them up. We've done them on and off.
But...
Seasons.
There's definitely seasons of it.
But I do know as we've taken the opportunity, it's like a safe place to talk about adjustments that need to be made,
whatever period of life you're navigating, whatever season that you're in.
Very good. Yes.
Abby, let's dive more into what it looks like to sustain leaders outside our homes.
To the Nephites, Jesus said, Hold up your light that it may shine unto the world.
(08:44):
Behold, I am the light which ye shall hold up.
How do we do this?
We hold up the Lord's light when we hold fast to our covenants,
when we support our living prophet as he speaks the words of God.
We aren't asked to do this blindly.
We're allowed to have the Holy Ghost witness to us the truthfulness of the words of our leaders.
We also do have the option to act on their words before the Spirit confirms the truth
(09:08):
and have the witness after we act in faith for sure,
because usually faith precedes the miracle, right?
Or we act before we know sometimes.
Both options bring us closer to Jesus Christ.
If you've taken the time to receive a witness that the general authorities have been called of God,
prevent it is much easier to accept that the words they speak come to mind.
(09:31):
How do we do this?
We hold up the Lord's light when we hold fast to our covenants,
and when we support our living prophet as he speaks the words of God.
We aren't asked to do this blindly.
We're allowed to have the Holy Ghost witness to us the truthfulness of the words of our leaders.
We also do have the option to act on their words before the Spirit confirms the truth
and have the witness after we act in faith.
(09:53):
I like taking a prayer in my heart into conference,
and I just ask the Lord to, as they're speaking truth, to have it resonate with my heart
so that it's like a continued confirmation that they indeed are called of God.
And it happens every single time.
The truth resonates with me, and I'm happy to act on the words.
(10:14):
Both options bring us closer to Jesus Christ.
If you've taken the time to receive a witness that the general authorities had been called of God,
it's much easier to accept the words that they speak come to their mind
and the words that are uttered from their lips on what the Spirit has prompted them
that they should be, what should be a prophetic priority in this moment
(10:35):
or in their whole service the whole time that they're in.
He offered more suggestions on sustaining leaders.
He said, we do not sit quietly by actively defending him.
Follow his counsel, teach his words, and pray for him.
For the prophet.
Yeah. He said, force great suggestions. He listed them as this.
Some people think it's their duty to let us all know that God doesn't have the prophet
(10:57):
and that he doesn't speak to us in our day and our time.
We certainly listen to those words, but when we have a testimony of the prophet, President Nelson,
as being God's chosen servant on earth at this time,
and we're in a situation where that truth is called into question,
there's no way to strengthen our testimony of his divine calling
than to stand up for what we believe to be true.
Counter that argument with your own testimony that you know is a living prophet.
(11:19):
I also love the idea that teaching their words is a way that we sustain a prophet.
So defending a prophet and then repeating, resonating, amplifying the words that they speak.
It's so easy with President Nelson.
It's so easy. He gives us so much good stuff to share.
Meaning any of us that are listening, like if you're listening to this podcast
and preparing your own Relief Society lesson and thoughts come to your mind,
(11:44):
you know, elders quorum lessons, if you're preparing a talk for over the pulpit
and you deep dive into the conference words and then those resonate with your heart, your soul.
And then you share those words.
That's a way that you're sustaining prophets of God is by resharing those words
and putting them into the ears and hearts of other people.
(12:06):
How easy it is to add prayers for our leaders and how often have you heard them testify
that they have felt privately, you know, they have felt those prayers on their behalf.
That was number three, pray for them.
And then the last one was to follow their counsel, meaning you hear it,
you recognize action items that can be taken, and then you actually implement those.
(12:27):
And whether they're long lasting successes or not, you're demonstrating your agency that you wanted to try.
And you know, maybe you didn't get it great the first time and then you're like,
I need to pick that thing that I had a challenge for myself to redo.
So then you try again.
But anyway, it's all about demonstrating.
And then when we do it, I think the Spirit can then again, retestify or confirm the truthfulness of the words
(12:49):
that these small modifications can have a big difference in bringing us closer to Jesus Christ.
You know, Abby, as I hear you say each one of those four things that Elder Rasband suggested,
I am realizing that I can definitely be better at praying for our leaders.
I don't always think of that.
And so I need to put that in my brain right now and have that be part of it.
(13:11):
So it's like such a small modification.
But I mean, I think about them often and the actions that you're doing, you're definitely sustaining them.
But the Spirit can just be like, hey, pray for your leaders.
Your kids will hear you pray for your leaders.
I love that because also prayer is my, that is one of my love languages.
It's not in the book, but it's definitely one of mine.
(13:32):
And so I'm like, why haven't I been doing that?
So I can totally do that and I'm happy to.
And then the Spirit just testified to me, like, I think I need to think of that more when I'm in the temple and doing my pro-role.
Or you can do it from anywhere in the world.
But adding them to the pro-role so that lots of parts can be said.
I really love that, Abby. Thank you for saying those.
I think it's always wise to remember that those we're sustaining need our sustaining because they are human too.
(13:58):
King Benjamin in the Book of Mormon said to the people,
I am like as yourselves subject to all manner of infirmities and body and mind.
Yet I have chosen been chosen and was suffered by the hand of the Lord and have been kept and preserved by his matchless power to serve you with all the might, mind and strength, which the Lord hath granted unto me.
I do think it's interesting that as far as the brethren go, as far as the 12 and the prophet go, that that is a lifetime calling.
(14:25):
You know what I mean?
There's no release from that except when you pass to the other side of the veil.
So when you beat your body down to the extreme, I'm like, you are going to say when you read that that you were like, he certainly has given them strength and sustained them over past their years.
I know they've had really healthy habits and probably if you look at their genetics or whatever, they were going to live a while.
(14:47):
But I'm like Adam was just listening to something of Elder Holland and I'm like, man, he's having a resurgence of health.
I don't know. He's got some. He looked good to me.
But like, what do I know? I just saw him in 2011, you know, because I was going back 20 years and I was like, wow, he changed a lot.
That's what 20 years does. Anyway, they have been sustained.
(15:09):
Yes. No, it's totally true.
Have you ever considered the immensity of the task that our general leaders have? Their assignments throughout the world, the traveling that they have to do.
That's what I'm saying. Like this is a lifetime devotion.
It's mind blowing. Our own beloved prophet is 100 years old. And I don't say that in any way, except in all how despite the challenges of a body that's growing older, he is still able to carry on the duties.
(15:32):
God has asked him to do at this time. And if he requires help, we also sustain those who are called to serve with him. Absolutely.
There was a quote by Elder Harold B. Lee and it cited the example of Moses standing atop the hill at Raphidium to demonstrate the importance of how counselors help in sustaining prophets.
Paraphrasing the account, it's in Exodus 17, 8 through 16, and it talks about how the Amalekites attacked the Israelites.
(15:57):
And Joshua's leading this battle and Moses is standing and as he's told, he's holding this staff of God, as long as Moses' case is hand raised, the Israelites prevail.
But when he lowers them, the Amalekites gain advantage. So to support him, Aaron and her hold up his hands until sunset, ensuring victory.
And like you referenced, the visual is in the printed form and just to see the importance of a prophet of God standing in the center and then to be flanked on his right and his left by very capable counselors.
(16:29):
The story and that image really go a long ways to help us know the importance of all of those that are serving us right now.
Absolutely. The hands of the president of the church may grow weary, he said. They may tend to droop at times because of his heavy responsibilities.
But as we uphold his hands and as we lead under his direction by his side, the gates of hell will not prevail against you and against Israel.
(16:53):
Your safety and ours depends upon whether or not we follow the ones whom the Lord has placed to preside over his church.
He knows whom he wants to preside over his church and he will make no mistake.
I love that the order of the Lord's church and I love the order of it and I love that as we saw President Nelson's body suffer from intense, gosh, that was so hard, right?
(17:14):
The intense back pain most recently that the church didn't miss a beat and that we didn't have to feel any uncertainty that God's work would be carried on in a manner pleasing to the Father.
And that the prophet could take the time he needed to rest and recover because we are not asked to do more than we physically are able to do.
And because of the sustaining, there are committees and there are other people that are willing to do the things that he physically couldn't at that point.
(17:40):
I would guess that his mind was still very clear and active and doing the things.
He was tuned by the Lord in different ways because the talks that came from it, like we had said before, he'd never been really struggled with physical pain.
Physical ailment, right?
And so then to have that piece of the Atonement, like to learn that piece of the Atonement, had probably never had such an impact in his life as it did when he was actually suffering with physical pain.
(18:04):
Amen, Abby.
So some good things came out of that horrible time for him.
President Nelson draws upon years of serving the Lord.
His maturity, wide ranging experience, wisdom and consistent receipt of revelation is specifically suited for our day.
I honestly don't think, like I didn't think much of President Nelson before he became a prophet.
That might sound bad, but it's not like, oh, I hear you, Russell and Nelson's on or whatever.
(18:28):
And I hope that doesn't sound bad.
It's not meant to sound bad.
But what I mean to say by that is that as an apostle, he carried on about his work, but he was brought up and tutored by just the right men.
Well, and even women, whatever women that he rubbed shoulders with too.
But he was tutored in particular experiences in his professional life.
(18:51):
He was also tutored.
Those things have certainly shaped him, molded him.
The experiences with his wife, losing a wife, finding another wife.
Anyway, I just felt like they were all in preparation for him to become the prophet of the church at this time.
And I recognize that when reading some of his autobiographical material that's out there, I'm like, oh, he was always meant to be the man in this job right now.
(19:19):
Totally.
When I look back at his talks to him, I'm like, man, he's always loved this particular subject or he said this phrase all the time and I just didn't hear it before.
We have different ears to hear it when we know that they're like God's chosen prophet.
And I also thought right now God's preparing his next prophet.
He's preparing his next apostle.
He's preparing his next Relief Society president, general president, young woman's president, camp counselor.
(19:48):
The list would go on and on and in no way am I trying to make it seem that we have to have the perfect skill set to do whatever job we're called.
I mean, I know that the tutoring happens and you can look back on your life and be like, oh, he was preparing me for this.
Not because all of a sudden now I'm ready for that calling.
But it's just a way of tutoring so that it's not so overwhelming when we have to do something that we would maybe choose to not do if given a choice.
(20:16):
Anybody that has a desire to further the work of the Lord and be tutored by him willing to accept revelation that will come through them on God's behalf through children,
God's behalf to bless the children in the church throughout the world can be the perfect person for that calling.
And you just demonstrate that willing heart to be that person, then he's going to tutor you to be prepared for those things that you could potentially be asked to do.
(20:43):
I agree. I feel like it's a lot more about the heart and being willing and teachable and humble than it is about having all of the skills that you would normally have if you're being paid for that job.
Because it all does come, you know, and I also love Abby that if so, Heavenly Father has a perfect view of our strengths and our weaknesses.
And I do feel like he very uniquely helps us choose counselors or whoever's with us to literally hold us up because he knows, oh, if this is a weakness, then the first counselor, second counselor needs that to be one of their strengths and vice versa.
(21:17):
So it's just a beautiful whole. As everyone works together, the job gets done.
I love this quote so much. President Nelson said, There has never been a time in the history of the world when knowledge of our Savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul.
Imagine how quickly the devastating effects throughout the world and those in our individual lives would be resolved if we all chose to follow Jesus Christ and to heed his teachings.
(21:43):
100%, Abby. It'd be a different world.
Like how quickly we would jump to that. How quickly we could end conflicts if we focused on Jesus Christ and his teachings.
What do you want? World peace. I mean, like the answer is there.
He quoted the prophet here. He said, One of our greatest challenges today is distinguishing between the truths of God and the counterfeits of Satan.
(22:06):
That is why the Lord warned us to pray always that we may conquer Satan and escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold the adversary's work.
Doctrine and Covenants 10.5.
I think those two quotes work so well together because they focus on our Savior and us getting to know him and that we can recognize that his called servants are emulating the actions of the Savior in a manner he would do if he were here with us all the time.
(22:34):
And I think it's easier to pick up on what truth is and what Satan's counterfeit if we're focusing in that way.
Have you ever been in the presence of a prophet of God?
I have like a conference when I've been there.
Yeah, huge conference room. Like how many people are, what would we say are in conference centers?
What is it? 20,000? There's a lot. Doesn't matter how many people are there. He walks in and the room shifts. It is different, right?
(23:00):
That's what I wanted you to say. I was in the Joseph Smith building in President Hinckley's ward when like you never know if they're going to be here around the world, but we were there and it was loud and chatty.
We were like the very farthest back like a couple of bifold doors and I'm like a child remembering this is like probably a 30 year old story for me.
And people were chatting like they do before a meeting and then all of a sudden a spirit fell over the room and hushed over the crowd.
(23:25):
Absolutely.
Like, undescribable. And so, like without even seeing his face like the, and you're feeling that too.
I went to the conference of the very first session, that Saturday morning session, the very first one that it was ever.
There's so many people in there and when a hush can fall over crowd without having to be like shh, shh.
(23:46):
Oh yeah. There's no direction needed.
It just invites this absolute calming presence. It's an amazing experience. I would love, I would love to hope for everybody that they've got to be in the presence of these people, which just adds to the testimony.
Like mostly the experience was with President Hinckley, but I know that I would feel that same way if the prof, if I was with the president Nelson.
(24:08):
Totally.
And I bring this up because in this talk it talks about how he surprised everyone when he came to the rededication of the Manti Utah Temple.
Yes, I loved that.
His eight great, how does eight work? Parents, grandparents, great grandparents makes eight right? His eight great grandparents all hailed from that Manti area.
So it was a really important pioneer temple to him. And it said, in his presence, I immediately felt the light and prophetic mantle.
(24:32):
He carries the look of joy on the faces of the people personally seeing the prophet will stay with me forever.
And I would add to that, he encounters the prophet weekly, maybe daily. I mean, so much that I think sometimes when we're in the presence, like you, you never doubt that they're prophets of God,
but probably seeing the faces of people that aren't accustomed to being with him all the time, like the absolute awe, like the joy you feel when you're with him reminds you of like all that first time that you were.
(25:02):
Oh, yeah. First time every time, man.
Yeah.
So Elder Rasband brings up the stories mostly because of what we shared in the rededication prayer.
As I read it, I want to think of the following questions. How are temples and temple covenant designed to, how are our temple covenants designed to sustain us in our individual lives?
(25:23):
In the prayer of rededication, President Nelson petitioned the Lord that his holy house would essentially hold up all who entered the temple.
I love that visual too, Abby. That they, these are, this is a quote that they may receive sacred blessings and remain worthy and faithful to their covenants.
That this may be a house of peace, a house of comfort and a house of personal revelation for all who enter these doors worthily.
(25:48):
So beautiful.
That's so great. It's so great. The rededication of temple prayers, those are documented there in church history stuff.
I know, you can find them.
Yes. And so I've gone back to the temple that we're most often attending and you can read those.
You can find it on the temple page.
Yes.
Anything that's happened there, like there's a history of it and it's fantastic.
I would strongly suggest everybody doing that, like seeing what-
(26:11):
For their temple.
Yeah. Just to remind yourself of-
Oh, I love that. I love that.
They're, yeah, they're very accessible.
It's special and it's very unique to that area, to the saints there, to the pioneer saints and to the people who will be living there, you know, currently.
So yeah, I think it's very applicable.
It's great to be drawn to the temple in whatever way possible. And that's just one way.
I feel that when I'm in, in His temples, in His house, when I make the temple a priority, I feel that despite how busy my day may be, when I enter the temple, worries and cares of the world, they're softened.
(26:43):
Softened is a really good word.
Even if it's just for a moment. And I know I have to get back to the things that were pressing on my mind before them. They don't seem the same when I go back and pick them back up on the other side of those doors.
Agreed.
Answers to my questions, the things that I've gone in there with, when I've gone in there with things on my mind, I create a space for the answers to come top of mind.
(27:04):
And I've received many times, I've received clear impressions in the temple that maybe would have taken me a lot longer on the outside of the temple.
100% agreed.
Temples are being established throughout the world in an effort to sustain God's children everywhere. And to me, it's deeply touching manifestation of God's love. Just the incredible number of temples that are being built.
(27:29):
This is a quote, we build temples to honor the Lord. President Nelson said, they are built for worship and not for show.
I love that reminder. We make sacred covenants of eternal significance inside these sacred walls. We are gathering Israel.
We make it, for me, it makes me extra grateful that the prophet of God at this time is President Nelson. And his prophetic charge seems to be to accelerate the work of temples.
(27:52):
350 sacred houses of the Lord are operating, announced or under construction.
Amazing.
And when he became prophet in 2018, that was 168. Seems like it's something top of his mind.
Yes, absolutely. In our time, he has said a whole complete and perfect union of all dispensations, keys and powers are to be welded together.
(28:14):
This is in DNC 1, 2018. For these sacred purposes, holy temples now dot the earth, like you just said, 350.
I emphasize again that construction of these temples may not change your life, but your service in the temple surely will.
The Savior and I 100% stand behind that. The Savior and his doctrine are the very heart of the temple.
(28:36):
President says, everything taught in the temple through instruction and through the Spirit increases our understanding of Jesus Christ.
His essential ordinances bind us to him through sacred priesthood covenants. Then as we keep our covenants, he endows us with his healing, strengthening power.
I really feel the importance of these words and I feel them deeply. I just feel like temple attendance truly can change your life.
(29:02):
All who worship in the temple, President Nelson has said, will have the power of God and angels having charge over them.
How much does it increase your confidence to know that as an endowed woman or man or temple attending youth, armed with that power of God, you do not have to face life alone?
What courage does it give you to know that angels really will help you?
(29:23):
I do want to delve into the angels like it's come up again.
It comes up a lot.
It does come up a lot. But one thought before that that I was thinking of was that we're talking this whole time about sustaining and upholding his prophets and our leaders.
But in this section, we're talking about how it's not a one way street because we are willing to listen and abide by the things that the prophets are teaching us.
(29:48):
What we get back in return is all of that strength and power that comes as we make comets in the temple for him to sustain us back.
It's totally true, Abby. Also, I was praying in the past couple of weeks and I was asking Heavenly Father how I could best.
I have a list of things I'm working on this year and at the end of each month I go through and just say, you know, kind of where am I with these?
(30:11):
It was just interesting because as I was praying, I had the very distinct impression that as I went, there is nothing more healing I can do in any realm of healing,
whether it's spiritual, physical, mental, emotional, that will get me further and closer to healing than going to the temple.
Like Heavenly Father put in no uncertain terms in my heart and I was just like, okay.
And the thought and feeling that I had was because when you go there, you yourself receive the Spirit.
(30:38):
You receive just more of an understanding of Jesus Christ and what he's done for you personally.
And at the same time, you are affecting generations because of the work you're doing.
So it's kind of like it just felt like, I don't know, like an overall feeling of healing and wholeness and getting closer to Christ that we're all doing it together.
And the ones that were serving, like I was doing initiatory, so those five women that I took in my family line, it also really brightened their day.
(31:06):
So to have those initiatory, if you're thinking about if your temple attending and you think of those initiatory blessings that are given to you,
they are beautiful and I just love that five more people have that in their life.
And then that goes because each one of them, then their children, and that's what I'm saying, it's just a never ending.
I do know what you're saying.
So when you ask me what kind of courage it gives me to know that angels are there to help me,
(31:30):
it gives me great courage, great confidence to know that I can be sustained by hand, both seen and unseen.
For those of you who are like me just blown away by the number of times we've heard about ministering of angels,
it seems like way more frequently.
You say it's been all the time always.
No, I agree though.
Oh, you think it has ramped up?
I do.
(31:51):
Well, Elder Rasband said, angels reaching out to us, hold us up,
is described in the scriptures when Jesus humbly knelt in the garden of Gethsemane.
I can promise you I never really zeroed in on this until I was reminded of it in this talk.
He said, by suffering, he provided an infinite atonement.
There, President Nelson states, the greatest single act of love of all recorded history took place.
(32:15):
There at Gethsemane, the Lord suffered the pain of all men that all might repent and come unto him.
Remove this cup from me, Jesus asked, nevertheless, not my will, but thine be done.
And we know that he doesn't feel the presence of God for a brief moment.
He has to feel what it feels like, what it will feel like for all of us to disassociate ourselves from God.
(32:36):
And then he says this quote, and there appeared an angel unto him from heaven strengthening him.
I missed that.
Favorite.
Well, of course it was your favorite.
I'm glad I know about it now.
Angels are all around us. President Nelson has said, in the temple, you will learn how to part the veil between heaven and earth, how to ask for God's angels to attend you.
(32:58):
That is one of my favorites as well.
I feel like that is a call to action for each one of us because you might say, wait a second, in the temple, I'm learning that.
Am I really?
And maybe it's a time for reflection and prayer to ask, how are you taking advantage of that in your life?
And from you, I've learned, as we know our ancestors and we know our ancestry, we know their stories and we face challenges similar to that in our own life, we can ask for their help because they have been there, they have done those things.
(33:28):
And the Lord will dispatch them on our behalf.
We're not asked to blindly sustain our leaders.
When we recognize that we are amplifying the light of Christ, when we sustain them,
we recognize that they are a true source of good.
When we do our best to share the things that we've learned as they teach us, as we've synthesized it, as we put it into our own testimony, both in the way that we act and the words that we say,
(33:57):
those actions will tell the world, will tell our souls that we've accepted their words to be true.
I've been blessed to be able, I've been blessed in my own callings, being sustained in my own callings, different callings I've had over the years.
Maybe I haven't had the gust out of shoulder of those burdens on my own.
(34:19):
And like you've said before, like the counselors that I've worked with, or maybe I've been the counselor to a president and together we've achieved something that none of us could have achieved on our own.
It gives me a greater desire to look around, look at those around me and try to determine, you know, what maybe can I be doing in this moment to lift up and sustain those that are around me.
It's a pattern that I see with God and it's a pattern that I want to be more aware of. Am I emulating that in my own life?
(34:44):
Love that, absolutely.
There's probably always more that we can be doing.
Sure. Abbie, do you have anything, any final words, any final thoughts?
Probably just that. This one's gone on a little bit longer than probably we should have, but it is what it is.
Let me end with his testimony. To many testimonies at this conference, I add my apostolic witness that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, our Lord and Savior, the Redeemer of all of our Father's children.
(35:09):
By His Atonement, Jesus Christ made it possible for us, if we are worthy, to return to the presence of our Father in heaven and to be with our families for eternity.
I bear my apostolic witness that Jesus Christ is the light of the world.
Maybe all as His disciples hold up His light in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
Amen, Abbie. Thanks for being with us. Catch you next time.
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