Brothers and sisters, you are a beautiful sight. Thank you for making the decision to be here at devotional today! I have prayed for months to know what to share with you today, and I pray that the Spirit will prepare your hearts and minds to receive the things that will be presented to you in word and spirit.
Jesus Christ has restored His Church to the earth, and we are led today by prophets and apostles. These truths are foundational truths that are a blessing to us. It was important in Christ’s time that the Church be led by those who have authority, that priesthood keys be present to govern the Church, and that ordinances be performed with authority and governance. Additionally, it has always been important for a prophet to be on the earth who is a mouthpiece for continued revelation for God’s Church and children. President Russell M. Nelson is God’s prophet on the earth today and is the mouthpiece of the Lord. Through him, our Savior Jesus Christ leads His Church.
As the Lord’s mouthpiece, what has the prophet recently taught? A few of his recent addresses are: “Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys,” “Think Celestial,” “Peacemakers Needed,” “Focus on the Temple,” “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” “Spiritual Momentum,” ‘Let God Prevail,” “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation,” “The Correct Name of the Church,” and “Hear Him.”
Today I would like to focus on three of these principles or messages:
- Let God Prevail
- Hear Him
- Focus on the Temple
Let God Prevail
A few years ago, President Nelson spoke in general conference about letting God prevail in our lives. He asked some very thought-provoking questions: “Are you willing to let God prevail in your life? Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life? Will you allow His words, His commandments, and His covenants to influence what you do each day? Will you allow His voice to take priority over any other? Are you willing to let whatever He needs you to do take precedence over every other ambition? Are you willing to have your will swallowed up in His?”[1]
In the spring of 1999, I made the decision to serve a mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In truth, I had made up my mind to serve a mission as a young boy in Primary years before, but the real decision came as I approached my 19th birthday and was eligible to serve. As I took inventory of my life, my current circumstances, and what I wanted at that time, it was a difficult decision to make. However, as I counseled with family and friends and turned to the Lord in prayer, I knew that serving a mission was what the Lord wanted for me and what I needed to do. The decision to serve has influenced my life in more ways than I can count or convey. Putting my trust in the Lord and serving a mission
helped me come to know Him intimately, helped me trust Him completely with my life, and deepened my faith and knowledge of His gospel to name a few. Little did I know then how helpful these principles would be for my life.
Brothers and sisters, the prophet Alma taught that “faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things.”[2] And Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf has taught, “There are times when we have to step into the darkness in faith, confident that God will place solid ground beneath our feet once we do.”[3]
Letting God prevail in our lives and trusting our will to be swallowed up in His can be difficult and unsettling. But I can testify that there is peace in knowing that you are aligned with His will and that He loves us and wants what is best for us. I know this to be true from personal experience and, more importantly, because the Spirit has testified to me that this is true.
In February 2017, I was working here at BYU-Idaho as the Institutional Planning Managing Director. One of my responsibilities at the time was providing budget support to the Online Learning and Pathway departments. On February 7, the Church announced the creation of BYU-Pathway Worldwide. With this announcement, the Pathway organization would be relocated from Rexburg to Salt Lake City. I remember thinking at the time, “I’m glad I don’t work directly for Pathway so I don’t have to move my family with the team.” Well, long story short, then-president Clark G. Gilbert asked me to be the Budget Officer for BYU-Pathway Worldwide and move my family with them.
I remember going home from work that day, waiting for our four young children to go to bed, and sitting down with my sweetheart and telling her about my conversation with President Gilbert. Tears flowed as we talked about the decision ahead and the impact it would have on our children. I still vividly remember the conversation. Some of it was Taunia asking the following questions:
Taunia: “Where will we live?”
Me: “I don’t know.”
Taunia: “How much will you make?”
Me: “I don’t know.”
Taunia: “What are the employee benefits?”
Me: “I don’t know. But the good news is we have a couple of weeks to decide!”
Ultimately we both agreed that, no matter the outcome, we wanted to do what was best for our little family and that the Lord knew what was best for us. We didn’t ever want to look back and wonder what might have been or have regrets for not trusting in Heavenly Father’s plan for us. So we fasted, prayed, and went to the temple, earnestly seeking direction from the Lord.
It became evident that we needed to accept this opportunity and move to Salt Lake. So we did. And it was hard, difficult, scary at times, and overwhelming. But it was also wonderful, faith-building, a tremendous opportunity in many ways, and we had so much peace
knowing that we had subjected our will to the will of the Lord, and, no matter the outcome, it was where we were supposed to be. I will be forever grateful for the experiences we had in Utah, the friends we made, and the circumstances that allowed us to return back to Rexburg six years later.
Elder Ulisses Soares has stated, “During our sojourn in mortality, we often wrestle with what we think we know, what we think is best, and what we assume works for us, as opposed to comprehending what Heavenly Father actually knows, what is eternally best, and what absolutely works for children within His plan.
“My dear friends, when we choose to let God be the most powerful influence in our life over our self-serving pursuits, we can make progress in our discipleship and increase our capacity to unite our mind and heart with the Savior. On the other hand, when we don’t allow God’s way to prevail in our life, we are left to ourselves, and without the Lord’s inspiring guidance, we can justify almost anything we do or don’t do. We can also make excuses for ourselves by doing things our own way, saying in effect, ‘I am just doing things my way.’”[4]
Brothers and sisters, our earthly experience is filled with challenges and opportunities, discouragements and successes, and through it all an opportunity to learn and grow. Do we have the faith to let God prevail and submit our will to the Father? And not just in the big decisions or challenges that we face, but in the small and simple daily things that we do that invite the Spirit and deepen our faith: saying our prayers, reading the scriptures, attending our church meetings, serving faithfully in church callings, and attending the temple. Doing so will make all the difference.
Hear Him
President Nelson’s talk “Hear Him” is probably my favorite talk that he has given as our prophet. His counsel to hear, hearken, and heed what the Savior has said is very instructive. While living in Utah, our stake theme for a season was “Hear, Hearken, and Heed.” We were all given magnets to remind us of our prophet’s council. This daily reminder has engrained this phrase in my heart and mind. So what does it mean to hear, hearken, and heed?
President Nelson taught, “The very first word in the Doctrine and Covenants is hearken. It means ‘to listen with the intent to obey.’ To hearken means to ‘hear Him’—to hear what the Savior says and then to heed His counsel. In those two words—'Hear Him’—God gives us the pattern for success, happiness, and joy in this life. We are to hear the words of the Lord, hearken to them, and heed what He has told us!”[5]
I love this pattern, hear the words of the Lord, hearken to them, and heed what the Savior has told us. It seems like such a simple pattern for success.
President Nelson stated four things that we can do to hear the Savior:
“We can go to the scriptures. They teach us about Jesus Christ and His gospel, the magnitude of His Atonement, and our Father’s great plan of happiness and redemption.
Daily immersion in the word of God is crucial for spiritual survival, especially in these days of increasing upheaval. As we feast on the words of Christ daily, the words of Christ will tell us how to respond to difficulties we never thought we would face.
“We can also hear Him in the temple. The house of the Lord is a house of learning. There the Lord teaches in His own way. There each ordinance teaches about the Savior. There we learn how to part the veil and communicate more clearly with heaven. There we learn how to rebuke the adversary and draw upon the Lord’s priesthood power to strengthen us and those we love. How eager each of us should be to seek refuge there. …
“We also hear Him more clearly as we refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now. In the Godhead, the Holy Ghost is the messenger. He will bring thoughts to your mind which the Father and Son want you to receive. He is the Comforter. He will bring a feeling of peace to your heart. He testifies of truth and will confirm what is true as you hear and read the word of the Lord.
“I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation.
“Doing so will help you know how to move ahead with your life, what to do during times of crisis, and how to discern and avoid the temptations and the deceptions of the adversary.
“And, finally, we hear Him as we heed the words of prophets, seers, and revelators. Ordained Apostles of Jesus Christ always testify of Him. They point the way as we make our way through the heart-wrenching maze of our mortal experiences.
“What will happen as you more intentionally hear, hearken, and heed what the Savior has said and what He is saying now through His prophets? I promise that you will be blessed with additional power to deal with temptation, struggles, and weakness. I promise miracles in your marriage, family relationships, and daily work. And I promise that your capacity to feel joy will increase even if turbulence increases in your life.”[6]
Don’t you just love President Nelson’s optimism! He is so full of love and joy! I am grateful for his leadership and counsel. Studying the scriptures, worshipping in the temple, refining our ability to recognize the whisperings of the spirit, and heeding the words of prophets, seers, and revelators will help us hear Him more fully.
In the spring of 1820, a young boy in Palmyra, New York, entered a grove of trees to inquire of the Lord. In response to his humble prayer, God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. Our Heavenly Father called the young boy by name and said, “This is my beloved son, Hear Him.”[7]
Since that time, this hallowed place has been referred to as the Sacred Grove. In June of 2021, 201 years after this glorious experience, our family made the trip to Palmyra and visited the Sacred Grove. I can add my witness that it is a sacred and hallowed place, and that I felt the Spirit strongly as I prayed to know for myself if Joseph saw what he said he saw.
I believe that Joseph went to that grove to find a quiet place to commune with God. A place away from others, free of distraction and noise. A place of security and peace. A place where he could hear the Spirit.
Brothers and sisters, we can find our own sacred grove in each of our lives. A place of refuge, a place free from the distractions of the world. A place where we can turn to our Heavenly Father in prayer and pour out our hearts. A place where we can study, ponder, and hear the words of the Lord.
There is a song written by Angie Killian titled “My Own Sacred Grove.” The chorus reads, “I will find my own sacred grove, / Away from all of the noise of the world, / I will turn to prayer, / For I know He’s there, / I will find my own sacred grove.”[8]
We don’t have to venture out into the woods and find a literal grove of trees to find our own sacred grove. For each of us, this may look different. It may be a bedroom, or an office, or a park, or a church meetinghouse. The temple, or the temple grounds, or even your car. The location isn’t what makes it sacred, it’s our efforts to put off the natural man, unplug from the electronics of the world, and commune with the Lord through study and prayer on a regular, consistent basis that makes it sacred. I love this picture of President Nelson that Elder Neil L. Andersen included in a general conference talk a few years ago. He was studying on the patio of his home. Have you found your own sacred grove?
I would invite each of you to record the impressions you are having, and to ponder about the things you can do to improve your ability to Hear Him in your daily life.
Focus on the Temple
As I attend the Rexburg Temple, I am humbled by so many of you and others in the community who are also attending the temple. Whether you are there as patrons or ordinance workers, thank you for devoting your time to worshiping in the house of the Lord.
President Nelson taught, “The house of the Lord is a house of learning. There the Lord teaches in His own way. There each ordinance teaches about the Savior. There we learn how to part the veil and communicate more clearly with heaven. There we learn how to rebuke the adversary and draw upon the Lord’s priesthood power to strengthen us and those we love. How eager each of us should be to seek refuge there.”[9]
What a blessing it is to have a temple in our midst, and a second temple in the not-too-distant future. I commend those of you who regularly set aside time to worship in the temple. There are so many blessings that come into our lives when we make time to worship in the house of the Lord.
President Nelson has taught the following:
“Regular worship in the temple will help us. In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. We learn of Him. We make covenants to follow Him. We come to know Him. As we keep our temple covenants, we gain greater access to the Lord’s strengthening power. In the temple, we receive protection from the buffetings of the world. We experience the pure
love of Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father in great abundance! We feel peace and spiritual reassurance, in contrast to the turbulence of the world.
“Here is my promise to you: Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple. You will feel His mercy. You will find answers to your most vexing questions. You will better comprehend the joy of His gospel.”[10]
Brothers and sisters, this month is my favorite month of the year. This month we celebrate the birth of our Savior Jesus Christ all month long. We celebrate His birth, His life, His ministry, His Atonement, and His sacrifice for each and every child of God. What a blessing it is to know Him, to feel His love for us as we consider all that He sacrificed for us, and the opportunity we have to remember Him and become more like Him. Because of Him, we have hope for a better day and eternal life with our families. Because of Him, we can have joy in our lives because he has loosed the bands of sin and death and is our advocate with the Father. Because of Him we can have peace as we let Him prevail in our lives and turn our will over to Him.
Brothers and sisters, this Christmas season, as our thoughts turn to the Savior and our hearts are a little more tender, please consider the following questions: What can we each do to let God prevail in our lives? What can we do to hear Him daily in all that we do? And how will we make the temple, and in turn the Savior, a greater focus in our lives? I testify that as we ask these questions, with real intent, and then act on the impressions we receive, we will find joy in the gospel of Jesus Christ. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes
[1] Russell M Nelson, “Let God Prevail,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2020
[2] Alma 32:21
[3] Dieter F. Uchtdorf, “The Why of Priesthood Service,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012
[4] Ulisses Soares, “Aligning Our Will with His,” Liahona, November 2024
[5] Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020
[6] Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him.”
[7] Joseph Smith – History 1:17
[8] Angie Killian, “My Own Sacred Grove,” Angie Killian Music, January 5, 2024
[9] Russell M. Nelson, “Hear Him.”
[10] Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” Liahona, November 2024