D. Todd Christofferson on blessings from obedience to covenants

Elder D. Todd Christofferson (b. January 24, 1945) was called to the Seventy in 1993, and as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 2008.

"As we walk in obedience to the principles and commandments of the gospel of Jesus Christ, we enjoy a continual flow of blessings promised by God in His covenant with us. Those blessings provide the resources we need to act rather than simply be acted upon as we go through life.... Obedience gives us greater control over our lives, greater capacity to come and go, to work and create. Of course, age, accident, and illnesses inevitably take their toll, but even so, our obedience to this gospel law enhances our capacity to deal with these challenges.

"In the covenant path we find a steady supply of gifts and help. 'Charity never faileth' (1 Corinthians 13:8; Moroni 7:46), love begets love, compassion begets compassion, virtue begets virtue, commitment begets loyalty, and service begets joy. We are part of a covenant people, a community of Saints who encourage, sustain, and minister to one another. As Nephi explained, 'And if it so be that the children of men keep the commandments of God he doth nourish them, and strengthen them' (1 Nephi 17:3)....

"Our covenants supply strength—they produce the faith necessary to persevere and to do all things that are expedient in the Lord. Our willingness to take upon us the name of Christ and keep His commandments requires a degree of faith, but as we honor our covenants, that faith expands. In the first place, the promised fruits of obedience become evident, which confirms our faith. Secondly, the Spirit communicates God's pleasure, and we feel secure in His continued blessing and help. Thirdly, come what may, we can face life with hope and equanimity, knowing that we will succeed in the end because we have God's promise to us individually, by name, and we know He cannot lie (see Enos 1:6; Ether 3:12)."

- D. Todd Christofferson, "The Power of Covenants," Ensign, May 2009, pp. 19-23
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I love the concept of walking "in the covenant path" with God. Though obedience is often thought to be limiting and constricting, Elder Christofferson teaches that there is greater power and freedom, greater capacity and ability when we act in obedience to covenants.

Perhaps most importantly, covenants produce faith. It requires a degree of faith to begin in the covenant path, trusting that God will uphold His promises. But as we begin along that path, our faith is immediately strengthened, and it grows with every additional step we take.

1. Obedience brings results or "fruits" and we grow in faith as we observe them
2. We feel God's pleasure at our obedience as the Spirit communicates to us
3. We know all will be will in the end because we trust in God's promises to us, and can therefore face life "with hope and equanimity"

What a marvelous promise and process that is!

Quentin L. Cook on help for the difficult journey of life

Elder Quentin L. Cook (b. 1940) was called as a Seventy in 1996, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 2007.

"This mortal life can constitute a difficult journey, but the destination is truly glorious. Christ expressed this to His disciples: 'These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world' (John 16:33, emphasis added)....

"A loving Father has provided a comprehensive and compassionate plan for His children 'that saves the living, redeems the dead, rescues the damned, and glorifies all who repent' (Orson F. Whitney, Saturday Night Thoughts, 323). Even though our journey may be fraught with tribulation, the destination is truly glorious.

"I rejoice in the great plan of salvation that is big enough for all of our Father in Heaven's children. I express gratitude beyond my ability to articulate for the Atonement of Jesus Christ."

- Quentin L. Cook, "Our Father's Plan—Big Enough for All His Children," Ensign, May 2009, pp. 34-38
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There are times in each of our lives when we see that life becomes "a difficult journey." But we are blessed to remember that there is a glorious destination at the end of the path; God has reassured us of that fact many times, as Elder Cook notes. But He has also provided directions for negotiating the journey:

Elder Cook emphasizes that the plan of salvation is "big enough" for every one of God's children. No matter what our situation is, what challenges we face, what burdens we carry—there is direction, hope, and reassurance in God's eternal plan!

Jeffrey R. Holland on the power of coming unto Christ

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland (b. 1940) served as Church Commissioner of Education from 1976-1980, as the president of BYU from 1980-1989, as a Seventy from 1989-1994, and as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1994.

"Whoever we are, and whatever our problems, his response is always the same—forever. 'Come unto me' (Matt. 11:28). Come see what I do and how I spend my time. Learn of me, follow me, and in the process I will give you answers to your prayers and rest to your souls.

"I know of no other way for you to be able to carry your burdens or find what Jacob called 'that happiness which is prepared for the saints' (2 Ne. 9:43). That is why we make solemn covenants based on Christ's atoning sacrifice, why we take upon us his name.

"In as many ways as possible, both figuratively and literally, we try to take upon us his identity. We seek out his teachings and retell his miracles. We send latter-day witnesses, including prophets, apostles, and missionaries, around the world to declare his message. We call ourselves his children and we testify that he is the only source of eternal life. We plead for him to swing open the gates of heaven in our behalf, and trust everlastingly that he will, based upon our faithfulness.

"My desire for you is to have more straightforward experience with the Savior's life and teachings. Perhaps sometimes we come to Christ too obliquely, focusing on structure or methods or elements of Church administration. Those are important, but not without attention to the weightier matters of the kingdom, first and foremost of which is a personal spiritual relationship with Deity, including the Savior whose kingdom this is."

- Jeffrey R. Holland, "Come and See," adapted from a Church Education System fireside address delivered March 2, 1997. See New Era, Dec. 1997, pp. 4-8; Ensign, April 1998, pp. 16-23
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Elder Holland has a way of sharing thoughts and invitations that speak right to the heart. In describing the Savior's love for each of us, he does that in a powerful way in this quote. He interprets the Savior's invitation to "Come unto me" as a beckoning call to "Come see what I do and how I spend my time. Learn of me, follow me, and in the process I will give you answers to your prayers and rest to your souls." The goal is to "try to take upon us his identity" and become more and more like Him in every way. We do that through our direct, personal experiences with His life and teachings:

In the establishment of that "personal spiritual relationship with Deity," we unlock the door to His love and blessings in our lives. That is certainly worth every effort to obtain and achieve!

Robert D. Hales on the gift and blessing of scriptures

Elder Robert D. Hales (1932- ) served as a Seventy from 1976 to 1985, when he was called as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.

"The holy scriptures are the word of God given to us for our salvation. The scriptures are essential in receiving a testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel....

"As with voices from the dust, the prophets of the Lord cry out to us on earth today: take hold of the scriptures! Cling to them, walk by them, live by them, rejoice in them, feast on them. Don't nibble. They are 'the power of God unto salvation' (D&C 68:4) that lead us back to our Savior Jesus Christ....

"What a glorious blessing! For when we want to speak to God, we pray. And when we want Him to speak to us, we search the scriptures; for His words are spoken through His prophets. He will then teach us as we listen to the promptings of the Holy Spirit.

"If you have not heard His voice speaking to you lately, return with new eyes and new ears to the scriptures. They are our spiritual lifeline."

- Robert D. Hales, "Holy Scriptures: The Power of God unto Our Salvation," Ensign, Nov 2006, p. 24
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This is a beautifully-expressed reminder of one of the great gifts and powerful aids we have in our mortal experience. We are invited to take advantage of this wonderful gift through our study and application of its principles:

I appreciated Elder Hales' challenge: "If you have not heard His voice speaking to you lately, return with new eyes and new ears to the scriptures. They are our spiritual lifeline." If we only knew and understood how much we need that lifeline, we would need fewer reminders!

M. Russell Ballard on spiritual safety in turbulent times

Elder M. Russell Ballard (1928- ) was called as a Seventy in 1976, and has served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1985.

"Admittedly we have ample reason to be deeply concerned because we see no immediate answers to the seemingly unsolvable problems confronting the human family. But regardless of this dark picture, which will ultimately get worse, we must never allow ourselves to give up hope! Moroni, having seen our day, counseled, 'Wherefore, there must be faith; and if there must be faith there must also be hope.' (Moro. 10:20.)

"To all who have harbored feelings of despair and an absence of hope, I offer the words of the Lord through the Prophet Joseph Smith:

"'Fear not, little flock; do good; let earth and hell combine against you, for if ye are built upon my rock, they cannot prevail.…

"'Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not' (D&C 6:34, 36), 'even so am I in the midst of you' (D&C 6:32).

"My message to you today, my brothers and sisters, is simply this: the Lord is in control. He knows the end from the beginning. He has given us adequate instruction that, if followed, will see us safely through any crisis. His purposes will be fulfilled, and someday we will understand the eternal reasons for all of these events. Therefore, today we must be careful to not overreact, nor should we be caught up in extreme preparations; but what we must do is keep the commandments of God and never lose hope!

"But where do we find hope in the midst of such turmoil and catastrophe? Quite simply, our one hope for spiritual safety during these turbulent times is to turn our minds and our hearts to Jesus Christ."

- M. Russell Ballard, "The Joy of Hope Fulfilled," Ensign, November 1992, pp. 31-33
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Every day we see a new barrage of distressing news and information about the "seemingly unsolvable problems confronting the human family" in moral, social, political, and economic aspects. And as Elder Ballard notes, there is reason to be "deeply concerned" about the state of things in our surroundings and the trends they express. However, the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ always offers hope and assurance to those who have faith in Jesus Christ. Even if "earth and hell combine against [us]", we still have the Rock of the Savior as a foundation and protection.

The key lies in understanding and following the message of the Savior. Elder Ballard's testimony is challenging but reassuring: "He has given us adequate instruction that, if followed, will see us safely through any crisis." Do we know that instruction? Are we following it carefully?

Elder Ballard cautions us not to overreact or be "caught up in extreme preparations." The sure, quiet, steady life of the disciple is the only way to peace.

Gordon B. Hinckley on feeling and expressing love

President Gordon B. Hinckley (Born June 23, 1910—106 years ago today!  Died January 27, 2008) was called to the Quorum of Twelve in 1961, served as a counselor in the First Presidency from 1981-1995, then as Church President until his death in 2008 at age 97.

"If the world is to be improved, the process of love must make a change in the hearts of men. It can do so when we look beyond self to give our love to God and others, and do so with all our heart, with all our soul, and with all our mind.

"The Lord has declared in modern revelation, 'If your eye be single to my glory, your whole bodies shall be filled with light, and there shall be no darkness in you.' (D&C 88:67.)

"As we look with love and gratitude to God, as we serve him with an eye single to his glory, there goes from us the darkness of sin, the darkness of selfishness, the darkness of pride. There will come an increased love for our Eternal Father and for his Beloved Son, our Savior and our Redeemer. There will come a greater sense of service toward our fellowmen, less of thinking of self and more of reaching out to others.

"This principle of love is the basic essence of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Without love of God and love of neighbor there is little else to commend the gospel to us as a way of life....

"Each of us can, with effort, successfully root the principle of love deep in our being so that we may be nourished by its great power all our lives. For as we tap into the power of love, we will come to understand the great truth written by John: 'God is love; and he that dwelleth in love dwelleth in God.' (1 Jn. 4:16.)"

- Gordon B. Hinckley, "And the Greatest of These Is Love," Ensign, May 1984, p. 3
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In many ways, we live in a time that is becoming increasingly selfish and self-focused. President Hinckley understood the world's challenges, and the need to develop real love as we "look beyond self" to sincerely serve God and bless those around us.

The passage from D&C 88:67 has always intrigued me; President Hinckley teaches that our love for God and for our fellowman drives darkness from our lives and facilitates that process of becoming filled with light. Love truly is the essence of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

Dallin H. Oaks on revelation and personal decisions

Elder Dallin H. Oaks (b. August 12, 1932) served as president of BYU from 1971-1980.  He was then appointed as a justice of the Utah Supreme Court, and resigned when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984.

"A desire to be led by the Lord is a strength, but it needs to be accompanied by an understanding that our Heavenly Father leaves many decisions for our personal choices. Personal decision making is one of the sources of the growth we are meant to experience in mortality. Persons who try to shift all decision making to the Lord and plead for revelation in every choice will soon find circumstances in which they pray for guidance and don't receive it. For example, this is likely to occur in those numerous circumstances in which the choices are trivial or either choice is acceptable.

"We should study things out in our minds, using the reasoning powers our Creator has placed within us. Then we should pray for guidance and act upon it if we receive it. If we do not receive guidance, we should act upon our best judgment. Persons who persist in seeking revelatory guidance on subjects on which the Lord has not chosen to direct us may concoct an answer out of their own fantasy or bias, or they may even receive an answer through the medium of false revelation. Revelation from God is a sacred reality, but like other sacred things, it must be cherished and used properly so that a great strength does not become a disabling weakness."

- Dallin H. Oaks, "Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall," BYU 18-Stake Fireside, June 7, 1992; quoted in Ensign, Oct. 1994, pp. 13-14
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Sometimes we struggle in our mortal experience to find the right "balance" in a variety of ways. Elder Oaks explains one of them: how does personal agency and the need to choose and learn, balance with promises of inspiration and spiritual direction? He gives wise counsel on the tendency of some to require or expect revelation on every decision of life, warning that it is not going to come, particularly in cases where "the choices are trivial or either choice is acceptable":

Note that Elder Oaks didn't warn (in this excerpt) about the other extreme (not asking God at all for help) since his talk focused on a general theme of how something appears to be a good thing, a "strength," can become a challenge or weakness.

The second paragraph gives his counsel on how we should expect to see revelation in our personal lives. The process he describes is:

1. When faced with a decision, "study things out in our minds." Use our God-given faculties to consider the problem and alternatives
2. Pray for guidance
3. If we receive a spiritual prompting, act on it
4. If we do not receive a prompting, act on our best judgement

I especially appreciated the warning about not expecting revelation in every case, and the potential traps that can lead to.  Wise counsel!