President Russell M. Nelson on sustaining modern prophets

President Russell M. Nelson (born Sept 9, 1924) was an internationally-renowned heart surgeon when he was called to serve as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1984. He was set apart as president of the Quorum of Twelve on July 15, 2015. With the death of President Monson, at age 93 he currently presides over the Church as senior apostle.

"If the Restoration did anything, it shattered the age-old myth that God had stopped talking to His children. Nothing could be further from the truth. A prophet has stood at the head of God's Church in all dispensations, from Adam to the present day. Prophets testify of Jesus Christ—of His divinity and of His earthly mission and ministry. We honor the Prophet Joseph Smith as the prophet of this last dispensation. And we honor each man who has succeeded him as President of the Church....

"All leaders in the Lord’s Church are called by proper authority. No prophet or any other leader in this Church, for that matter, has ever called himself or herself. No prophet has ever been elected. The Lord made that clear when He said, 'Ye have not chosen me, but I have chosen you, and ordained you' (John 15:16). You and I do not 'vote' on Church leaders at any level. We do, though, have the privilege of sustaining them.

"The ways of the Lord are different from the ways of man. Man’s ways remove people from office or business when they grow old or become disabled. But man’s ways are not and never will be the Lord’s ways. Our sustaining of prophets is a personal commitment that we will do our utmost to uphold their prophetic priorities. Our sustaining is an oath-like indication that we recognize their calling as a prophet to be legitimate and binding upon us."

- Russell M. Nelson, "Sustaining the Prophets," General Conference October 2014
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

It's fascinating to read President Nelson's witness of living prophets. Truly, "A prophet has stood at the head of God's Church in all dispensations, from Adam to the present day." When he spoke these words in 2014, President Monson was healthy and two additional senior apostles (Boyd K. Packer and L. Tom Perry) also were ahead of then-Elder Nelson, who was already 90 years old at the time and probably had little expectation he would ever become the senior apostle. But now he finds himself "called" by the Lord to stand in that responsibility, "chosen" by the Lord to fill the sacred role.

And what does the change mean for us as Church members? President Nelson himself offered this suggestion:

What a solemn privilege it is to sustain our divinely-appointed leaders! Among other things, it shows our willingness and commitment to "uphold their prophetic priorities" as they are shared and expressed, and to recognize the prophetic calling as "legitimate and binding upon us."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President Thomas S. Monson on death and life through the Savior

President Thomas S. Monson (August 21, 1927—January 2, 2018) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley until becoming Church president in 2008. He led the Church for almost a decade.

"Life moves on. Youth follows childhood, and maturity comes ever so imperceptibly. As we search and ponder the purpose and the problems of life, all of us sooner or later face the question of the length of life and of a personal, everlasting life. These questions most insistently assert themselves when loved ones leave us or when we face leaving those we love.

"At such times, we ponder the universal question, best phrased by Job of old, who centuries ago asked, 'If a man die, shall he live again?' (Job 14:14) ...

"My brothers and sisters, we laugh, we cry, we work, we play, we love, we live. And then we die. Death is our universal heritage. All must pass its portals. Death claims the aged, the weary and worn. It visits the youth in the bloom of hope and the glory of expectation. Nor are little children kept beyond its grasp. In the words of the Apostle Paul, 'It is appointed unto men once to die.' (Hebrews 9:27)

"And dead we would remain but for one Man and His mission, even Jesus of Nazareth....

"Through tears and trials, through fears and sorrows, through the heartache and loneliness of losing loved ones, there is assurance that life is everlasting. Our Lord and Savior is the living witness that such is so.

"With all my heart and the fervency of my soul, I lift up my voice in testimony as a special witness and declare that God does live. Jesus is His Son, the Only Begotten of the Father in the flesh. He is our Redeemer; He is our Mediator with the Father. He it was who died on the cross to atone for our sins. He became the firstfruits of the Resurrection. Because He died, all shall live again. 'Oh, sweet the joy this sentence gives: "I know that my Redeemer lives!"' (Hymns, no. 136; see also Job 19:25.) May the whole world know it and live by that knowledge."

- Thomas S. Monson, "I Know That My Redeemer Lives!," General Conference, April 2007
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

President Thomas S. Monson was one of the greatest optimists of our time—always hopeful, always smiling. It seemed the sun always shined on President Monson. But he also understood reality. He understood the sorrow and suffering that come when one we love parts from us. He expressed beautifully in this message the challenges of death, but yet the eternal hope of everlasting life:

President Monson left no doubt of his firm and sure witness of the Redeemer, the Savior, the Resurrection and the Life. We are so grateful for his many years of service, leadership, teaching, and testimony that leave a remarkable legacy to bless the Church for a long time to come.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

Elder Richard G. Scott on recovering from poor choices in life

Elder Richard G. Scott (1928-2015) served as a Seventy from 1977-1988, when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles.  He passed away in September 2015 at the age of 86.

"It is a fundamental truth that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be cleansed. We can become virtuous and pure. However, sometimes our poor choices leave us with long-term consequences. One of the vital steps to complete repentance is to bear the short- and long-term consequences of our past sins....

"The joyful news for anyone who desires to be rid of the consequences of past poor choices is that the Lord sees weaknesses differently than He does rebellion. Whereas the Lord warns that unrepented rebellion will bring punishment, when the Lord speaks of weaknesses, it is always with mercy....

"Each of us has had times in our lives when we have made poor choices. We are all in desperate need of the redemptive power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Each of us must repent of any rebellion. 'For I the Lord cannot look upon sin with the least degree of allowance' (D&C 1:31). He cannot because He knows what it takes to become like Him.

"Many of us have allowed weakness to develop in our character. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we... can build spiritual fortifications between ourselves and any past mistakes that Satan attempts to exploit."

- Richard G. Scott, "Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ," General Conference October 2013
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

Poor choices have consequences. Elder Scott, in this message, distinguishes between the rebellion that is initially expressed in making a poor choice, and the weakness that can develop as we persist in inappropriate activity or as we suffer the consequences of our initial bad decision. Elder Scott teaches the crucial need to repent of the transgression and receive forgiveness through the Atonement of Jesus Christ. But it's also a great truth and blessing of eternity that we find healing for our weaknesses and for the long-term consequences of sin through that same Atonement of the Savior.

How critical that we not only resolve the transgression, but "build fortifications" to prevent the Adversary from exploiting our weaknesses. We are blessed by a true understanding of how the Atonement of Jesus Christ can bless us in those endeavors.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)

President Thomas S. Monson on changes, goals, and success

President Thomas S. Monson (born August 21, 1927) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley until becoming Church president in 2008.

"We live in a changing world. Technology has altered nearly every aspect of our lives. We must cope with these advances—even these cataclysmic changes—in a world of which our forebears never dreamed.

"Remember the promise of the Lord: 'If ye are prepared ye shall not fear.' (D&C 38:30.) Fear is a deadly enemy of progress.

"It is necessary to prepare and to plan so that we don't fritter away our lives. Without a goal, there can be no real success. One of the best definitions of success I have ever heard goes something like this: Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal. Someone has said the trouble with not having a goal is that you can spend your life running up and down the field and never crossing the goal line."

- Thomas S. Monson, "In Search of Treasure," General Conference, April 2003
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

Any of us who are in "middle age" or beyond have witnessed first-hand the "cataclysmic changes" in technology that President Monson refers to, altering "nearly every aspect of our lives." But President Monson reminds us that we have nothing to fear from change, or from anything else, as long as we are prepared. We may not know what we are preparing for; but the preparation involves continuing progress and growth

I like the imagery of "fritter away our lives" with its implication of a gradual wasting over time. One definition given is "To occupy oneself idly or without clear purpose, to tinker with an unimportant part of a project, to dally, sometimes as a form of procrastination." President Monson suggests that we can "fritter away our lives" by being unclear in our purpose or destination; as we engage in meaningless tasks or activities that distract from worthy goals, we are gradually missing out on the progress we might be making. In the context of the technological advances mentioned in the earlier paragraph, it's easy to see how our technology can contribute to that frittering.

On the other hand, the beautiful definition of success gives us much to ponder. "Success is the progressive realization of a worthy ideal." Just as frittering away happens gradually and piecemeal, so does the achievement of success. As we hold our goals clearly in our mind and work progressively to attain them, the end result is assured! But we must be progressing. That's the benefit of establishing our goals in ways that are clear and well-defined. They can keep us moving forward in positive ways.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)

President Thomas S. Monson on four goals for a new year

President Thomas S. Monson (b. August 21, 1927) was sustained to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 1963. He served as a counselor in the First Presidency with Presidents Benson, Hunter, and Hinckley until becoming Church president in 2008.

"I made a few resolutions at the commencement of this new year. I’d like to share them with you, hoping that you, too, will join in making the same choices, the same resolutions.

"First in 1973, I will listen. Second, I will learn. Third, I will labor. And fourth, I will love. Four words beginning with the letter l, but four words which can well determine our destiny....

"Four pledges for the new year: I will listen, I will learn, I will labor, I will love. As we fulfill these pledges, we can have the guidance of our Heavenly Father and in our own lives experience true joy. Now, I don’t simply mean that we should make a wish, or that we should dream a dream, but rather determine to do that which we pledge to accomplish. We can, if we will. It was Henry Ford, the industrialist, who declared, 'Whether you think you can, or whether you think you can’t, you’re right.' Now, shall we go forward with such resolutions? Can we change our practices if such need changing? I declare that we can....

"I testify today that when the Savior spoke those words recorded in Revelation he was giving you and me counsel to help us be true to our pledge this new year. Remember his words? 'Behold, I stand at the door, and knock: if any man hear my voice, and open the door, I will come in to him' (Rev. 3:20). My prayer today is that we will have listening ears, that we might in turn hear his knock, appreciate the invitation of our Lord, and have the wisdom to open wide the doorway to our heart and the portals to our mind, that Jesus Christ might come in unto us. Shall we make room for him in our hearts? Shall we provide time for him in our lives? Once again the choice is yours, and the choice is mine, remembering that our choices, our decisions, determine our destiny."

- Thomas S. Monson, "A Time to Choose," BYU Devotional, January 16, 1973
Click here to read the full message

It's been almost 45 years since President Monson offered this counsel to BYU students at the start of a new year and a new semester in school. The vigor and enthusiasm of his message and challenges has not changed much over the years! He shared his personal goals with the students, and encouraged them to consider similar areas of growth in their own lives:

In the full text of the talk, President Monson goes into more detail for each of these four areas, giving more specifics about how improvement could occur and how it could be a blessing. It's very worth reviewing!

President Monson concludes with the reminder that divine assistance is available to us as we strive to change and grow. The Savior still stands at the door knocking, hoping that we will allow Him to enter our hearts and minds:

Perhaps the most important "resolution" of all would be to make sure we are opening that door more often and more fully!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin on examining life and setting goals

Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin (1917-2008) served as a Seventy from 1976 to 1986, then as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles from 1986 until his passing in 2008 at age 91.

"I have known many great men and women. Although they have different backgrounds, talents, and perspectives, they all have this in common: they work diligently and persistently towards achieving their goals. It’s easy to get distracted and lose focus on the things that are most important in life. I’ve tried to remember the lessons I learned... and prioritize values that are important to me so that I can keep my eye focused on things that really matter.

"I urge you to examine your life. Determine where you are and what you need to do to be the kind of person you want to be. Create inspiring, noble, and righteous goals that fire your imagination and create excitement in your heart. And then keep your eye on them. Work consistently towards achieving them.

"'If one advances confidently in the direction of his dreams,' wrote Henry David Thoreau, 'and endeavors to live the life which he has imagined, he will meet with a success unexpected in common hours.' (Walden 323)"

- Joseph B. Wirthlin, "Life’s Lessons Learned," General Conference, April 2007
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

What defines greatness? How is it achieved? Elder Wirthlin gives some suggestions in this interesting talk, in which he drew from his own life experiences to show the importance of such principles as setting goals, always doing what is right no matter the consequences, and then reaching out in love to those around us.

I think one of the keys to this message is in the statement, "It's easy to get distracted and lose focus on the things that are most important in life." In our busy, complicated lives, we often have things press upon us that seem urgent. But those are often not the things that matter most in the long run! Learning to balance the demands of the moment, with the long-range priorities and principles, is a critical skill. Elder Wirthlin suggests that having "righteous goals" on which we can fix our attention makes all the difference:

I've always loved the statement from Thoreau that Elder Wirthlin quotes. Having dreams, well-defined dreams, towards which we can be advancing consistently, will enable us to ensure that our overall life direction is as it should be. We need to have the destination firmly in mind in order to travel the right path! This principle applies not just to the grand, eternal goals but also to shorter intermediate stages along the way.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)

Elder M. Russell Ballard on finding life's priorities through challenges

Elder M. Russell Ballard (born October 8, 1928) was called as a Seventy in 1976, and has served as a member of the Quorum of Twelve Apostles since 1985.

"Sometimes we need a personal crisis to reinforce in our minds what we really value and cherish. The scriptures are filled with examples of people facing crises before learning how to better serve God and others. Perhaps if you, too, search your hearts and courageously assess the priorities in your life, you may discover, as I did, that you need a better balance among your priorities.

"All of us must come to an honest, open self-examination, an awareness within as to who and what we want to be.

"As most of you know, coping with the complex and diverse challenges of everyday life, which is not an easy task, can upset the balance and harmony we seek. Many good people who care a great deal are trying very hard to maintain balance, but they sometimes feel overwhelmed and defeated....

"Brothers and sisters, we all face these kinds of struggles from time to time. They are common human experiences. Many people have heavy demands upon them stemming from parental, family, employment, church, and civic responsibilities. Keeping everything in balance can be a real problem."

- M. Russell Ballard, "Keeping Life’s Demands in Balance," General Conference, April 1987
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

The challenges that occur in our lives can have many different impacts on us. Elder Ballard suggests that one positive way to handle a "personal crisis" is to spend time evaluating our priorities in life to make sure the balance is proper and appropriate. Particularly at those times when life hangs in the balance, we naturally reconsider what matters most and how we might better prepare for future challenges.

Maintaining the proper balance in our lives is not an easy task. As Elder Ballard notes, many people struggle with the demands that come and end up feeling overwhelmed or even defeated.  In the rest of his address, he gives a series of suggestions of the things that we can do to regain and maintain the proper perspective and balance in life. Click on the link and read the full article!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2017)