Digital Only: Church Leaders’ Teachings from Social Media
Communicating with Heavenly Father through Prayer
See what prophets, apostles, and other Church leaders have taught on social media about prayer.
Heavenly Communication, by Yongsung Kim
With many burdens, questions, or concerns in our lives, what a gift it is to be able to pray to our loving Heavenly Father for guidance, strength, hope, faith, and comfort! This blessing is available to everyone, as President Russell M. Nelson has taught:
“Through prayer, we can show our love for God. And He has made it so easy. We may pray to Him any time. No special equipment is needed. We don’t even need to charge batteries or pay a monthly service fee.”1
President Nelson also added:
“Jesus revealed that we pray to a wise Father who knows what things we have need of, before we ask Him [see Matthew 6:8]. …
“Not all of our prayers will be answered as we might wish. Occasionally the answer will be no. We should not be surprised. Loving mortal parents do not say yes to every request of their children. …
“We should pray in accord with the will of our Heavenly Father [see Helaman 10:4–5]. He wants to test us, to strengthen us, and to help us achieve our full potential.”2
As we seek to know more about how prayer can help us draw closer to Heavenly Father and become more like Him, these recent social media messages from Church leaders can help.
Call upon God for the Strength You Need
“Be prayerful. Call upon God for the strength you need as you labor diligently to become a better version of yourself—a better disciple of Jesus Christ, a brighter light in the world. For ‘they that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint’ (Isaiah 40:31).”
President Russell M. Nelson, Facebook, Jan. 1, 2023, facebook.com/russell.m.nelson.
Pray for Direction to Help Others
“On this National Day of Prayer, I have been pondering the evolving meaning in our society of the phrase ‘thoughts and prayers.’ For many, this is still a sincere expression of condolence and concern. For others, it is viewed as a perceived lack of action in the face of tragedy.
“I have a firm belief that praying for those in need is pleasing to God; in fact, He commands us to turn to Him and to pray for others! However, it is my own personal experience that when I ask God in prayer for direction on what I can do to help minister, lift, love, and support those in need, He answers these prayers with specific and simple things I can actually do to bless one of His children.
“I invite you to consider how your thoughts and prayers can be a catalyst for God to inspire and direct you toward acts of kindness, compassion, and generosity. Imagine how much good you could do in the world—and in your own family, school, and workplace. As we seek to be His healing and helping hands, we surely will exalt the Lord.”
President Russell M. Nelson, Facebook, May 5, 2022, facebook.com/russell.m.nelson.
Seek Revelation from God
“There are many reading this today who feel a pressing need for a blessing of personal revelation from our loving Heavenly Father.
“For those in a war-ravaged place in the world, it will be a desperate need to know whether to move their family to safety or whether to stay where they are. For many it’s praying to know how to help the Lord rescue a lost sheep.
“We all know that human judgment and logical thinking will not be enough to get answers to the questions that matter most in life. We need revelation from God. And we will need not just one revelation in a time of stress, but we need a constantly renewed stream.
“Heavenly Father hears your prayers. He loves you. He knows your name. Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and our Redeemer. I promise that He pours out revelation upon all of us through the Holy Ghost as we seek His guidance.”
President Henry B. Eyring, Facebook, July 16, 2023, facebook.com/henry.b.eyring.
Express Our Desires to Draw Close to Heavenly Father
“No matter where we are, you and I can walk in the path of discipleship today. Let us be humble; let us pray to our Father in Heaven with all our heart and express our desire to draw close to Him and learn of Him.”
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Facebook, Apr. 22, 2023, facebook.com/dieterf.uchtdorf.
Have a Heartfelt Conversation with Heavenly Father
“One of our first meetings in India was a New Delhi Stake devotional during which the opening prayer touched my heart—and Harriet’s heart—deeply.
“The prayer, offered by Sister Dorothy Elisabeth Mehra, was an earnest plea of a pure child of God to our Father in Heaven that created a profound spiritual opening to the messages of the evening.
“She began with an appeal to Heavenly Father to strengthen her as it were the first time in her life praying in such a setting. ‘Please help me, so I don’t have any kind of problem in saying a small prayer to you,’ she confided aloud from her heart.
“Recounting her experience, Sister Mehra said she simply wanted to ‘talk to God’ because she was ‘shivering with fear.’ She felt the Spirit as divine help heralded an answer to her prayer. As she calmed down, her prayer brought forth the Spirit strongly, and filled the meeting hall.
“Her simple, sincere prayer moved many. I realized what we were hearing was a heartfelt conversation with Heavenly Father. Isn’t that what prayers are?
“I later learned that Sister Mehra’s prayer drew on a testimony that has grown since 2011 when she first met missionaries at her friend’s home in New Delhi. The way the missionaries spoke about Jesus Christ moved her. In 2012, she was baptized with her two daughters and disabled son.
“In a tender exchange after the meeting, Sister Mehra asked me to pray for her son, and I gladly promised that I would. Her faith and belief in prayer is emblematic of the members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in India.”
Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf, Facebook, Feb. 13, 2023, facebook.com/dieterf.uchtdorf.
Pray to Be an Instrument in God’s Hands
“Melanie and I just celebrated our 50th wedding anniversary with our family, walking in the paths of the land that our Savior made holy.
“Because this was a family trip—and not an official Church assignment—I wanted to be a dad and husband but also fulfill my calling as an Apostle to be a special witness of the Lord, wherever I may be. I prayed that God would put experiences and people in my path so I could be an instrument in His hands—and He heard my prayers.
“One such example was with a group of young humanitarian volunteers. We unexpectedly ran into most of the members of this group at Caesarea Philippi. I testified to them that as the Apostles of old proclaimed there that Jesus was indeed the Christ and the Son of the living God, I too could bear my solemn witness of the same. And I humbly do so!
“The next day, I began my morning with the prayer that if I could be put in the path of anyone who needed my love or testimony, then I would be properly directed. The location where we had planned to go for lunch was closed, so we went somewhere else. Not long after we sat down, the full group of young humanitarian volunteers from the day before entered as well. Their lunch plans had also been rerouted. We learned that one of the young men had cried the night before because he had missed the chance to meet an Apostle. Both of our prayers were heard, and God orchestrated our paths to cross—for the one.
“God hears our prayers. He answers the one. By divine design, He directs the details of our lives. He loves each and every one of us so very much. Just as Jesus Christ ministered to those in the Holy Land 2,000 years ago, He does the same for us today, wherever we are.
“I am grateful to be a witness to His power and His love, to make all things possible to them that believe. May it be so for each of us as we place our lives and hopes in His hands.”
Elder Ronald A. Rasband, Facebook, July 30, 2023, facebook.com/RonaldARasband.
Take Your Sincere Questions to Heavenly Father in Prayer
“In the loud world around us, it can be hard to hear the answers to questions we ask the Lord. Rosana and I recently spoke with young adults in St. George [Utah, United States] about some of their questions.
“My invitation for them and my invitation for you is to always take your sincere questions to our Heavenly Father in prayer. Asking, seeking and knocking, so to speak, is one of the marvelous gifts offered us when we were sent to earth. As we focus our lives on the Jesus Christ, we will find answers to the deep and essential concerns of our souls.
“Some of the questions we received at the devotional focused on how we cope with trials; what should we do to remain on the covenant path, and how can we feel the Savior’s love for us?
“Let me say that following the Savior is always the answer to life’s questions. The Savior’s heart is full of mercy. He is always ready to help and succor us. As we draw closer to Him and surrender ourselves spiritually to His care, He can make our burdens light. I pray you can see your trials through the eyes of faith, and not give up.
“Whatever your question may be, know that the Lord hears you and is walking with you. As you then walk with Him, He blesses you with His spirit, helping you to see things clearly, and He fills you with His love.”
Elder Ulisses Soares, Facebook, Apr. 28, 2023, facebook.com/soares.u.
Find Joy in Communicating with Heavenly Father through Prayer
“Today’s Primary song that I’ve been thinking about a lot is found in the Children’s [Song]book on page 25. And it is ‘I Love to Pray.’ Don’t you just love that title? It says,
In the morning when I wake,
Before I work or play,
Always I remember
To kneel and softly pray.
When I go to bed and night,
I love to kneel and say,
‘Thank thee, Heav’nly Father,
For blessings of the day.’
“I love this song so much because it’s joyful and it reminds me that I love to pray, that it’s not a chore. It’s not something that I’m just trying to check off and get done at the beginning and evening of each night. But I can find joy in talking to my Heavenly Father because He wants to hear from me every day.
“And the scripture that we find that counsels us about why we should love to pray is found in Alma 37:37, where we’re taught that we should ‘counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good; yea, when thou liest down at night lie down unto the Lord, that He may watch over you in you sleep; and when thou risest in the morning let thy heart be full of thanks unto God.’
“God seeks to bless us every day as we come to Him through prayer. And I invite you today to talk to your Heavenly Father in the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and see how He will direct you for good.”
Sister Tracy Y. Browning, Facebook, Feb. 28, 2023, facebook.com/Primary2ndCounselor.