Elder Jeffrey R Holland, “And Now I See”
Topics - Don’t forget what you know
“The ninth chapter of John records the experience of Jesus and His disciples passing near a beggar, blind from birth. This led the disciples to ask Jesus several complex religious questions regarding the origin and transmission of this man’s limitation. The Master responded by doing something very simple and very surprising. He spit into the dirt and stirred a small mixture of clay. He then applied this to the eyes of the man, instructing him to wash in the pool of Siloam. All this the sightless man obediently did and “came [forth] seeing,” the scripture says. How important evidence is, as opposed to wishes or argument or even malice in opposition to the truth.
“Well, afraid this miracle would again add to the threat Jesus already posed to their presumed authority, the enemies of the Savior confronted the newly sighted man and said in anger, ‘We know [Jesus] is a sinner.’ The man listened for a moment, then said, ‘Whether he be a sinner … , I know not: [but] one thing I [do] know, … whereas I was blind, now I see.’”
“Like Naaman resisting the River Jordan or the children of Israel refusing to look at the serpent on the staff, how easy it is for us to dismiss the source of our redemption because the ingredients and the instruments seem embarrassingly plain.”
“So what if the answers to our prayers come in plain or convoluted ways? Are we willing to persevere, to keep trying to live Christ’s gospel no matter how much spit and clay it takes?”
Luke 9:1
1 Then he called his twelve disciples together, and gave them power and authority over all devils, and to cure diseases.
“The claims about [The book of Mormon] have been attacked and dismissed by some unbelievers, the anger often matching the vitriol of those who told the healed man that he could not possibly have experienced what he knew he had experienced.
Omni 1:20
20 And it came to pass in the days of Mosiah, there was a large stone brought unto him with engravings on it; and he did interpret the engravings by the gift and power of God.
Doctrine and Covenants 20:35
35 And we know that these things are true and according to the revelations of John, neither adding to, nor diminishing from the prophecy of his book, the holy scriptures, or the revelations of God which shall come hereafter by the gift and power of the Holy Ghost, the voice of God, or the ministering of angels.
Elder James E Evenson, “Go and Do Likewise”
Topics - Service, Opening people’s hearts, Gathering Israel
Matthew 20:28
28 Even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.
“Christ shared the parable of the good Samaritan, with a charge to ‘go, and do thou likewise.’”
“Service Opens Hearts to the Gospel of Jesus Christ”
“In about 91 BC, Ammon, a Book of Mormon missionary, introduced himself to King Lamoni by saying, ‘I desire to dwell among this people for a time; … [and] I will be thy servant.’ Because of his service to the king, Ammon was granted an opportunity to ‘speak boldly, … and tell [King Lamoni] … by what power’ he had performed his service. In return, the king promised that ‘whatsoever [Ammon] desirest … [the king would] grant it.’ Ammon’s only request was that the king listen to the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Ammon’s service resulted in ‘thousands of souls [brought] to repentance.’”
“Jesus invites us to ‘go, and do thou likewise.’”
“Service Allows All of Us to Minister Regardless of Our Circumstances”
“Service missions changed the definition of the word able.”
“You don’t need to have a service assignment or wear a name tag to do good. Every act of service is recognized by the Savior.”
“We sing, ‘I’ll go where you want me to go’ and ‘I’ll be what you want me to be.’ Here is an opportunity to show that we really mean what we say!”
“If teaching missionaries are the Lord’s mouth, then service missionaries are the Lord’s hands, and you are not second-class missionaries.”
“President Nelson taught that ‘anytime we do anything that helps anyone … to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel.’”
“Through service we change hearts—and the world.”
Elder Ulisses Soares, “Adorned with the Virtue of Temperance”
Topics - Spiritual Foundation, Christ’s suffering and humility
“we also need to take extraordinary measures—perhaps measures we have never before taken—to strengthen our own spiritual foundation in Jesus Christ.”
“So I ask each of you, how firm is your foundation? And what reinforcements to your testimony and understanding of the gospel are needed?” (Russell M. Nelson, “The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation”, October 2021 General Conference)
DnC 12
7 Behold, I speak unto you, and also to all those who have desires to bring forth and establish this work;
8 And no one can assist in this work except he shall be humble and full of love, having faith, hope, and charity, being temperate in all things, whatsoever shall be entrusted to his care.
“Temperance harmonizes and strengthens other Christlike attributes mentioned in this revelation: humility, faith, hope, charity, and the pure love that flows from Him. Furthermore, cultivating temperance is a meaningful way to protect our souls against the subtle yet constant spiritual erosion caused by worldly influences that can weaken our foundation in Jesus Christ.”
“Disciples of Christ who strive to cultivate this Christlike attribute become increasingly humble and full of love. A serene strength arises in them, and they become better capable of restraining anger, nurturing patience, and treating others with tolerance, respect, and dignity, even when the winds of adversity blow fiercely. They strive not to act impulsively but choose to act with spiritual wisdom, guided by meekness and the gentle influence of the Holy Spirit. In this way, they become less vulnerable to spiritual erosion because, as the Apostle Paul taught, they know that they can do all things through Christ, who strengthens them even in the face of trials that could shake their testimony of Him.”
1 Samuel 2:3
3 Talk no more so exceeding proudly; let not arrogancy come out of your mouth: for the Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.
“Hannah reminds us that true spiritual strength is not expressed in impulsive reactions or haughty words but in temperate, thoughtful attitudes aligned with the Lord’s wisdom.”
“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.”
“The ultimate measure of a man is not where he stands in moments of comfort and convenience, but where he stands at times of challenge and controversy.” (Martin Luther King Jr., Strength to Love (1964), 25)
3 Nephi 11:39
39 Verily, verily, I say unto you, that this is my doctrine, and whoso buildeth upon this buildeth upon my rock, and the gates of hell shall not prevail against them.
“Even though their hearts were broken by suffering, these Saints pressed forward with faith in Jesus Christ, choosing not to let their afflictions become gaps in their faith or cause instability in their testimony of the gospel.”
“Jesus Christ, the greatest of all, suffered for us until He bled from every pore, yet He never allowed anger to inflame His heart, nor did aggressive, offensive, or profane words escape His lips, even amid such affliction.”
1 Peter 2:23
23 Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously:
Doctrine and Covenants 19:19
19 Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men.
Elder Peter M Johnson, “The Power of Ministering to the One”
Topics - Second coming, Self Discipline, Don’t judge, We are children of God
“Now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority. In a world filled with dizzying distractions, how can we do this?”
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“Regular worship in the temple will help us. In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. … We come to know Him. … Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,”, October 2024 General Conference)
“Regular worship in the temple will help us. In the house of the Lord, we focus on Jesus Christ. … We come to know Him. … Every sincere seeker of Jesus Christ will find Him in the temple.” (Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” Liahona, Nov. 2024, 121–22.
“Ministering in the Savior’s way involves compassion, kindness, patience, and love without judgment.”
“This woman may have felt unimportant, alone, discouraged, and unseen.”
Doctrine and Covenants 6:21–23
21 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I am the same that came unto mine own, and mine own received me not. I am the light which shineth in darkness, and the darkness comprehendeth it not.
22 Verily, verily, I say unto you, if you desire a further witness, cast your mind upon the night that you cried unto me in your heart, that you might know concerning the truth of these things.
23 Did I not speak peace to your mind concerning the matter? What greater witness can you have than from God?
John 16:33
33 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.
“As we strive to live the higher laws of Jesus Christ, … the Savior lifts us above the pull of this fallen world by blessing us with greater charity, humility, generosity, kindness, self-discipline, peace, and rest.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” 97)
“not only powers the transformation of our divine nature into our eternal destiny but also motivates us to help [to minister to] others in appropriate ways.” (Elder Dale G. Renlund, “The Powerful, Virtuous Cycle of the Doctrine of Christ,” 82, 83)
“The Book of Mormon provides the fullest and most authoritative understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ to be found anywhere. It teaches what it really means to be born again.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like Without It?,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2017, 62.)
“My friends, I promise that as we live the doctrine of Christ and minister to the one in ways that lead to the house of the Lord, we will press forward with faith in Jesus Christ even amid unanswered questions and feelings of being unimportant, alone, discouraged, and unseen. We will invite the one to come unto Jesus Christ and to worship in the house of the Lord to receive of His redeeming power and love.”
Elder D Todd Chistofferson, “Look to God and Live”
Topics - Keep looking to God, Humility, Stay anchored to God
Hebrews 12:2
2 Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God.
Alma 37:47
47 And now, my son, see that ye take care of these sacred things, yea, see that ye look to God and live. Go unto this people and declare the word, and be sober. My son, farewell.
Alma 33
18 But behold, this is not all; these are not the only ones who have spoken concerning the Son of God.
19 Behold, he was spoken of by Moses; yea, and behold a type was raised up in the wilderness, that whosoever would look upon it might live. And many did look and live.
20 But few understood the meaning of those things, and this because of the hardness of their hearts. But there were many who were so hardened that they would not look, therefore they perished. Now the reason they would not look is because they did not believe that it would heal them.
21 O my brethren, if ye could be healed by merely casting about your eyes that ye might be healed, would ye not behold quickly, or would ye rather harden your hearts in unbelief, and be slothful, that ye would not cast about your eyes, that ye might perish?
22 If so, wo shall come upon you; but if not so, then cast about your eyes and begin to believe in the Son of God, that he will come to redeem his people, and that he shall suffer and die to atone for their sins; and that he shall rise again from the dead, which shall bring to pass the resurrection, that all men shall stand before him, to be judged at the last and judgment day, according to their works.
Helaman 8:15
15 And as many as should look upon that serpent should live, even so as many as should look upon the Son of God with faith, having a contrite spirit, might live, even unto that life which is eternal.
“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.”
“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.” (Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” General Conference October 2022)
“No promise is repeated more often in Book of Mormon scripture than this: ‘Inasmuch as ye shall keep my commandments ye shall prosper in the land; but inasmuch as ye will not keep my commandments ye shall be cut off from my presence.’ (2 Nephi 1:20)”
“Alma explained that to look to God is to keep His commandments, cry unto Him continually for His support, counsel with Him in all your doings, and let your heart be full of thanks unto Him day and night.”
“Treat your body—and others’ bodies—with respect. As you make decisions about your clothing, hairstyle, and appearance, ask yourself, ‘Am I honoring my body as a sacred gift from God?’”
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““Keep sex and sexual feelings sacred. They should not be the subject of jokes or entertainment.” (For the Strength of Youth: A Guide for Making Choices (2022), 24, 25.)
“Few things will complicate your life more quickly than violating this divine law [of chastity].” (President Russell M. Nelson, “Think Celestial!,” General Conference October 2023)
“Much of the world does not believe this, but public opinion is not the arbiter of truth.” (President Russell M. Nelson, “Think Celestial!,” General Conference October 2023)
“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. His presence refers to the influence of His Spirit in one’s life.”
Ephesians 4:14
14 That we henceforth be no more children, tossed to and fro, and carried about with every wind of doctrine, by the sleight of men, and cunning craftiness, whereby they lie in wait to deceive;
“Looking to God means that He is not just one of our priorities; it means, rather, that He is our one highest priority.”
“I bear testimony of the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, who in perfect unity of word, thought, purpose, and action are the one God, to whom we may look for all good things.”
Sister Andrea Muñoz Spannaus, “Prophets of God”
Topics - Being prepared, God is with us
“One day the prophet Elisha was passing through Shunem, and we read that there ‘was a great woman; and she [invited] him to eat bread. And so it was, that as oft as he passed by, he turned in … to eat bread.’ I imagine the prophet Elisha was so happy with the invitation to eat at her house! He had already gone several times, when one day the woman said to her husband, ‘Now, I perceive that this is an holy man of God.’ (2 Kings 4)”
“We too can receive a personal testimony of God’s prophets today and open our hearts and minds—our house—to the message that our Heavenly Father has for us in these latter days.”
“Prophets are seers and revelators. That means they can see what others cannot see, and they can prophesy of future events. They can also prepare us for calamities.”
Articles of Faith 1:9
9 We believe all that God has revealed, all that He does now reveal, and we believe that He will yet reveal many great and important things pertaining to the Kingdom of God.
“The Lord continues to reveal His commandments and will to His prophets today because He desires to lead us to happiness in this life and to celestial glory in the next life.” (Elder Gary E. Stevenson, “The Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Cheering Sound,” For the Strength of Youth, July 2025, 5)
Mosiah 15:1–2
1 And now Abinadi said unto them: I would that ye should understand that God himself shall come down among the children of men, and shall redeem his people.
2 And because he dwelleth in flesh he shall be called the Son of God, and having subjected the flesh to the will of the Father, being the Father and the Son—
Helaman 14:12
12 And also that ye might know of the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Father of heaven and of earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning; and that ye might know of the signs of his coming, to the intent that ye might believe on his name.
Ether 12:39
39 And then shall ye know that I have seen Jesus, and that he hath talked with me face to face, and that he told me in plain humility, even as a man telleth another in mine own language, concerning these things;
3 Nephi 12:1
1 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words unto Nephi, and to those who had been called, (now the number of them who had been called, and received power and authority to baptize, was twelve) and behold, he stretched forth his hand unto the multitude, and cried unto them, saying: Blessed are ye if ye shall give heed unto the words of these twelve whom I have chosen from among you to minister unto you, and to be your servants; and unto them I have given power that they may baptize you with water; and after that ye are baptized with water, behold, I will baptize you with fire and with the Holy Ghost; therefore blessed are ye if ye shall believe in me and be baptized, after that ye have seen me and know that I am.
Moses 6:58
58 Therefore I give unto you a commandment, to teach these things freely unto your children, saying:
“He entrusted us with the responsibility to teach our children the saving truths of the gospel. If we fail to do so, the world will not do it.”
“The woman of Shunem taught us that we can have that testimony through the Holy Ghost. I promise you that once we know they are God’s anointed ones, our lives will be easier in spite of our ongoing challenges, as we will obey their voices with trust, faith, and hope. To listen to and obey the voice of the prophet is crucial to holding on to every good thing until the Second Coming of our Savior.”
Doctrine and Covenants 128:22
22 Brethren, shall we not go on in so great a cause? Go forward and not backward. Courage, brethren; and on, on to the victory! Let your hearts rejoice, and be exceedingly glad. Let the earth break forth into singing. Let the dead speak forth anthems of eternal praise to the King Immanuel, who hath ordained, before the world was, that which would enable us to redeem them out of their prison; for the prisoners shall go free.
Elder Henry B. Eyring, “Proved and Strengthened in Christ”
Topics - Power through Christ, Refining our Faith, Trials
“I felt weak. As I prayed, I felt the quiet assurance of the Lord. I felt Him say to my mind, ‘I am proving you, but I am also with you.’
“I did not know then all that those words meant. But I knew what to do—I went to work.”
Philippians 4:13
13 I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.
“The word prove has several meanings. To prove something is not simply to test it. It is to increase its strength. To prove a piece of steel is to place it under strain. Heat, weight, and pressure are added until its true nature is enhanced and revealed. The steel is not weakened by the proving. In fact, it becomes something that can be trusted, something strong enough to bear greater burdens.”
“The Lord proves us in much the same way to strengthen us. That proving does not come in moments of ease or comfort.”
“In his proving, Moroni’s faith was refined and strengthened. It became more pure. His words carry the power of one who endured faithfully to the end. We can feel that power as we read his testimony:”
Moroni 10:1–5
1 Now I, Moroni, write somewhat as seemeth me good; and I write unto my brethren, the Lamanites; and I would that they should know that more than four hundred and twenty years have passed away since the sign was given of the coming of Christ.
2 And I seal up these records, after I have spoken a few words by way of exhortation unto you.
3 Behold, I would exhort you that when ye shall read these things, if it be wisdom in God that ye should read them, that ye would remember how merciful the Lord hath been unto the children of men, from the creation of Adam even down until the time that ye shall receive these things, and ponder it in your hearts.
4 And when ye shall receive these things, I would exhort you that ye would ask God, the Eternal Father, in the name of Christ, if these things are not true; and if ye shall ask with a sincere heart, with real intent, having faith in Christ, he will manifest the truth of it unto you, by the power of the Holy Ghost.
5 And by the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things.
“Another Book of Mormon prophet, Jacob, was proved and strengthened as a child who experienced afflictions and much sorrow. But his father, Lehi, taught him God would bless him through his trials.”
2 Nephi 2:1–3
1 And now, Jacob, I speak unto you: Thou art my firstborn in the days of my tribulation in the wilderness. And behold, in thy childhood thou hast suffered afflictions and much sorrow, because of the rudeness of thy brethren.
2 Nevertheless, Jacob, my firstborn in the wilderness, thou knowest the greatness of God; and he shall consecrate thine afflictions for thy gain.
3 Wherefore, thy soul shall be blessed, and thou shalt dwell safely with thy brother, Nephi; and thy days shall be spent in the service of thy God. Wherefore, I know that thou art redeemed, because of the righteousness of thy Redeemer; for thou hast beheld that in the fulness of time he cometh to bring salvation unto men.
Alma 7:11–12
11 And he shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and this that the word might be fulfilled which saith he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people.
12 And he will take upon him death, that he may loose the bands of death which bind his people; and he will take upon him their infirmities, that his bowels may be filled with mercy, according to the flesh, that he may know according to the flesh how to succor his people according to their infirmities.
“I bear witness that these moments are not evidence that the Lord has abandoned you. Rather, they are evidence that He loves you enough to refine and strengthen you. He is making you strong enough to carry the weight of eternal life.”
“I testify that God knows you. He knows the trials you face. He is with you.”
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