General Priesthood Session
Faith Is Not by Chance, but by Choice
Elder Neil L. Andersenof the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles
Faith does not fall upon us by chance nor stay with us by birthright. … The future of your faith is not by chance, but by choice. …
How we live our lives increases or diminishes our faith. … There is an adversary who delights in destroying our faith! Be relentless in protecting your faith.
Addressing honest questions is an important part of building faith, and we use both our intellect and our feelings. … Not all answers will come immediately, but most questions can be resolved through sincere study and seeking answers from God. Using our mind without our heart will not bring spiritual answers. …
Faith never demands an answer to every question but seeks the assurance and courage to move forward, sometimes acknowledging, “I don’t know everything, but I do know enough to continue on the path of discipleship.”
Immersing oneself in persistent doubt, fueled by answers from the faithless and the unfaithful, weakens one’s faith in Jesus Christ and the Restoration. …
The guidance of the First Presidency and the Twelve helps protect our faith. …
… I promise you that your faith, through the grace of Jesus Christ, will one day allow you to stand with those you love, clean and pure in the presence of God.
Your Next Step
Elder Randall K. Bennettof the Seventy
Because “no unclean thing can dwell with God” [1 Nephi 10:21], in order to live with Him again, we will need to be cleansed of sin and sanctified. If we had to do this alone, none of us would make it. But we are not alone. In fact, we are never alone. …
Consider … three principles that will help us on our journey back to our Heavenly Father. …
The Savior taught that to inherit the kingdom of God, we must become as a little child. So, spiritually speaking, the first principle is that we need to do what we did as children.
With childlike humility and willingness to focus on our Heavenly Father and our Savior, we take steps toward Them, never giving up hope, even if we fall. Our loving Heavenly Father rejoices in each faithful step, and if we fall, He rejoices in each effort to get back up and try again. …
A second principle is … the Lord more than matches our willingness to act in faith. Our willingness to take a step is not just met—it is exceeded—by His promised blessings. …
Whenever we willingly act with faith in Jesus Christ and take another step, especially an uncomfortable step requiring change or repentance, we are blessed with strength. …
A third principle is this: we must counter the natural man’s tendency to procrastinate or give up.
As we progress along the covenant path, we will make mistakes, some multiple times. … But faith in Heavenly Father and in Jesus Christ is a principle of action and power. If we are willing to act, we will be given the strength to repent and change.
Be Not Afraid, Only Believe
President Dieter F. UchtdorfSecond Counselor in the First Presidency
Satan, our adversary, wants us to fail. He spreads lies as part of his effort to destroy our belief. He slyly suggests that the doubter, the skeptic, the cynic is sophisticated and intelligent, while those who have faith in God and His miracles are naive, blind, or brainwashed. Satan will advocate that it is cool to doubt spiritual gifts and the teachings of true prophets. …
Heavenly Father has prepared for His children a spiritual feast, offering every kind of exquisite food imaginable—and yet, instead of enjoying these spiritual gifts, the cynics content themselves with observing from a distance, sipping from their cups of skepticism, doubt, and disrespect. …
… Another of Satan’s deceptions [is] that belief is available to some people but not to others. There is no magic to belief. But wanting to believe is the necessary first step! …
Brethren, let me be clear: there is nothing noble or impressive about being cynical. Skepticism is easy—anyone can do it. It is the faithful life that requires moral strength, dedication, and courage. …
We can choose to believe. …
Because of our belief, we will never hunger, never thirst. … We will experience true and lasting joy. …
I pray that each one of us—young and old—will find renewed strength, courage, and desire to believe.
You Are Not Alone in the Work
President Henry B. EyringFirst Counselor in the First President
Any calling we receive in the Lord’s kingdom requires more than our human judgment and our personal powers. Those calls require help from the Lord, which will come. Even the new deacon will learn that is true, and he will go on learning over the years. …
As you move from one priesthood service to another, you will see the Lord is in the work with you. …
… The Lord’s servants are inspired to know the Lord’s will. And … the prophet of God, as the president of the priesthood, is inspired of God to watch over and care for the Lord’s servants and to call them.
Whatever your calling in the priesthood, you may have at times felt Heavenly Father was unaware of you. You can pray to know His will, and with the honest desire to do whatever He asks you to do, you will receive an answer. …
It is my prayer that every priesthood holder will reach out in faith to rescue every soul for whom he is responsible. God will add His power to His servant’s efforts. Hearts of people will be touched to make the choices that will bring them along the gospel path toward happiness and away from sorrow.
Keep the Commandments
President Thomas S. MonsonMy message to you tonight is straightforward. It is this: keep the commandments. …
I am confident that each of us has as his ultimate goal life everlasting in the presence of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. It is imperative, therefore, for us to make choices throughout our lives that will lead us to this great goal. We know, however, that the adversary is committed to our failure. He and his hosts are relentless in their efforts to thwart our righteous desires. They represent a grave and constant threat to our eternal salvation unless we are also relentless in our determination and efforts to achieve our goal. …
… We are surrounded by persuasive voices, beguiling voices, belittling voices, sophisticated voices, and confusing voices. I might add that these are loud voices. I admonish you to turn the volume down and to be influenced instead by that still, small voice which will guide you to safety. Remember that one with authority placed his hands on your head after you were baptized, confirming you a member of the Church and saying, “Receive the Holy Ghost.” Open your hearts, even your very souls, to the sound of that special voice which testifies of truth. … May we ever be in tune, that we might hear this comforting, guiding voice which will keep us safe.
