“The Savior loves us more than we can comprehend, and He pleads with us again and again, “Come, follow me.” He gave His life for us, paid the price for our sins, and rose from the dead. Because of Him, we have “hope for a future existence with Heavenly Father.” Whether you are a child or a king, and regardless of your background or your status, I invite you to choose to have faith in Jesus Christ and to decide to follow Him. For “there is none other name given under heaven save it be this Jesus Christ … whereby man can be saved.” “
A healthy mix: Keep good cultural traditions and keep covenants “My parents were born in the Philippines, but both of them had Chinese ancestry. Like almost everyone else in the Philippines, they embraced the predominant faith of my native country. So, our family enjoyed a healthy mix of different family, ethnic, and religious practices and traditions that influenced our daily lives. When my parents joined the Church, little did they know that they were embracing yet another set of values and traditions—even the gospel culture, based on the plan of salvation, God’s commandments, and the words of living prophets. Over time, as our family strived to fully embrace the gospel, my parents discovered that some of our well-loved traditions were not consistent with gospel culture. …You could just imagine the…
The following quote from Elder Christofferson shows poverty does not equal unrighteousness: “Remember that in the Book of Mormon promise, the opposite of prosperity was not poverty—it was being cut off from the presence of the Lord.”
Apply the following quote from Elder Amos to anti-racism: “Well, there we have it. The simple secret for happy living is to just follow God’s recipe as detailed in the scriptures. I call it the “Good News Recipe.” What do you do if something goes wrong when following the recipe? Well, embedded in the Good News Recipe is the “secret ingredient” to ensure you always get it right in the end. The answer is always Jesus Christ. I think we all have moments when we feel our ingredients are not good enough, or we struggle to follow the directions, or perhaps we do something out of order, or something happens that is out of our control, and so on. What’s the remedy? It’s simply to add more of what invites…
“It is in the nature of a fallen world—where the devil rages and where everyone is imperfect—that there will be disappointments and offenses, suffering and sorrow, failure and loss, persecution and injustice. It is only by looking to God that individuals, families, and even nations can flourish. President Russell M. Nelson taught, “Because the Savior, through His infinite Atonement, redeemed each of us from weakness, mistakes, and sin, and because He experienced every pain, worry, and burden you have ever had [see Alma 7:11–13], then as you truly repent and seek His help, you can rise above this present precarious world.”
“My friends, there have been moments in my life when I too have felt unimportant, alone, discouraged, and unseen. I have felt as if I did not belong. I was baptized and confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints when I was 19 years old. One year later, I accepted the call to serve as a full-time missionary, but there was much I had not yet learned about Church history. Early in my missionary service, I learned that there was a period when those of Black African descent were not allowed to enjoy all of the blessings of worshipping in the house of the Lord. Learning this for the first time brought feelings of anger, confusion, doubt, and fear. These feelings were so intense that…
“Oftentimes, the world exalts behaviors born of aggressiveness, arrogance, impatience, and excessiveness, often justifying such attitudes by the pressures of daily life and the inclination toward validation and popularity. When we turn our gaze away from the virtue of temperance and ignore the gentle and moderating influence of the Holy Spirit in our way of acting and speaking, we easily fall into the enemy’s trap, which inevitably leads us to utter words and adopt attitudes we will deeply regret, whether in our social, family, or even ecclesiastical relationships. The gospel of Jesus Christ invites us to exercise this virtue especially in times of challenge, for it is precisely on these occasions that the true character of an individual is revealed. As Martin Luther King Jr. once said, “The ultimate measure…
“Consider the evidence of another truth, this one regarding the holy priesthood. In documenting the organization of the meridian Church, Luke’s first line reads, “Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority,” gifts not granted on the basis of impressive credentials nor determined by tradition or birthright.”
“Unfortunately, for some of us, attending church can be hard at times for many different reasons. It could be someone struggling with questions of faith or someone with social anxiety or depression. It could be someone from a different country or race or someone with different life experiences or ways of seeing things who may feel they don’t fit the mold. …It could also be someone mustering the courage to return after years of being away or someone with a nagging feeling that they just don’t measure up and will never belong. President Russell M. Nelson said: “…they do not need your judgment. They need to experience the pure love of Jesus Christ reflected in your words and actions.” Our experience at church is meant to provide vital connections with…
“Think about the people the Saviour ministered to—the people He taught, healed, raised, forgave, and restored. Was He selecting them from a particular economic class or background? Was He distinguishing between the righteous and the sinful? Was He singling people out because they were more deserving or more loved? No.”
