Transcript

Well, it's an honor for us to be here tonight. I just want to tell you what an awesome feeling I have as I look out over each of you and realize all the good that you do throughout the world and in your lives. And we just honor you and are so grateful for you. Chaplains and partners, spouses, we know that it takes both, and we're appreciative and want you to know that we can feel of the goodness that you have as we are with you tonight. I just wanted to share with you. So President Nelson is my father. And my parents had 10 children, and I'm the eighth. And so I just wanted to give you a little glimpse into something that I have grown up with, and that I think will be interesting for you.

Growing up, I think, one of the main things that my parents--it was kind of the foundation of their marriage and our family--and that was the scripture in 3 Nephi. It's also in Matthew. "Seek ye first the kingdom of God ..., and all [else will] be added unto you." That was the theme. That was how we were raised. And you can see that now, through President Nelson's life, how everything he does is, he trusts the Lord. He knows that if he lives the commandments and does everything that we've been asked to do through scriptures and a modern-day prophet, that we will be blessed if we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness. And when I think about that, I think about each of you in your various lives and positions and responsibilities, and how important it is for each of us to trust the Lord, and how important it is for you to share with those that you minister with to trust the Lord and to know that His will is what's the most important thing that we can be doing with our lives. And as we do that, we have the promise that we'll have joy and rejoicing and be able to return to live with our Heavenly Father. It makes me think of--when you think about trust, trusting in our Heavenly Father--it makes me think of the widow of Zarephath, from the book of Kings, how she was a widow and had almost nothing. And she had a son. and Elijah asked her--she was asked to help Elijah and give him food and water. And all she had was enough for her and her son. But she trusted. She trusted in the Lord. She trusted in the prophet and gave of what she had. And she was promised that she wouldn't go hungry, and that she didn't. And then later, when her son fell ill, Elijah ask the Lord to help this child be raised from the dead and live again. And he did. And I'm amazed at this widow of Zeraphath because she trusted first. She did God's will and was blessed, through her obedience, from our Heavenly Father. She wanted to--she asked how she could repay the goodness that God had given her. And she was told by Elijah to just keep the commandments and live the gospel. And that's all that our Heavenly Father wants of us, to trust in Him and to know that His will is the best thing for us to follow.

To trust means to obey willingly, without knowing the end from the beginning. I love that. In Proverbs, chapter 3, it says, "Trust in the Lord with all thy heart; and lean not unto thine own understanding." And I think that as we serve and seek guidance and inspiration from our Father in Heaven, we will have that promised blessing. And it's an important thing. Sometimes, as we get older, we think we've lived life and we know what's best, and we know how things should go. But it's when we give our will to our Heavenly Father and trust in Him, is when we're blessed beyond measure.

I love the hymn "Lead, Kindly Light." And I won't sing it, and I won't say it all. But there are a few lines in there that really have caused me to think, as I think about trusting in the Lord. And one of the lines is "I loved to choose." Let's see if I can see it with my eyes. "I loved to choose and see [the] path; but now, lead ... me on. ... Pride ruled my will." "Now, lead ... me on!" So as we give up the path we think we know, and the pride that we think that we have, but we let the Lord lead us and guide us. And that is a great blessing that we have, and that He won't leave us. He won't leave us comfortless, but He'll help us and guide us in our lives. Elder Scott said this: "To produce fruit, your trust in the Lord must be more powerful and enduring than your confidence in your own personal feelings and experience." I love that. "To produce fruit, your trust in the Lord must be more powerful and enduring than your confidence in your own personal feelings and experience." Brothers and sisters, it's my prayer that we can each live our lives and turn our hearts and our trust over to the Lord and let Him guide us and direct us, as I know each of you need and receive blessings as you minister and serve others, that He'll help you and He'll guide you as you do the important work that you do. We again express our love to you. And I want to bear my testimony that I know that this Church is true. I know that we have a Heavenly Father who loves us and a Savior who gave His life for us. I'm grateful for our scriptures, the tools that they are to help us in our daily lives, and for a living prophet who loves us and guides us and loves our Heavenly Father more than anything. And I leave that testimony with you in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Trust God More Than You Trust Your Own Experience

Description
The foundation of our home was to seek first the kingdom of God, said Rosalie Ringwood, daughter of President Russell M. Nelson. Trust God more than you trust your own experience and wisdom.
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