Following the Prophet’s Invitation Blessed My Life—Even amid a Pandemic

By Jonas Weitzel

The author lives in Hesse, Germany.

I’ve seen for myself how accepting the invitations of prophets and apostles can bless our lives.

General conference has always been an inspiring time for me. I have many sweet memories of watching conference with my family as a child.

I remember one year when my family and I were reading in the book of Mosiah before conference. We read about how the people listened to the words of the prophet, King Benjamin, in their tents as he invited them to have faith in God, repent, and humble themselves (see Mosiah 4:9–12). My sweet mother then built a tent in the middle of our living room so that we could do the same as we listened to conference. It helped us understand the importance of listening to the prophet’s voice, and it was something I’ve never forgotten.

Invitations Help Us Exercise Faith

During my mission, I started to learn more about invitations, commitments, and accountability. I was extending the invitation to come unto Christ to people I loved so much. And if they were true to the commitments they made, they were blessed. I witnessed how the Lord showered actual miracles on people who accepted the invitations that His servants extended.

And the same can happen for us when we accept invitations from our prophets and apostles.

In his April 2018 general conference address, the newly sustained prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, invited each of us to increase our “spiritual capacity to receive revelation.”¹ I felt as though God had given this invitation to me personally. And since I had been witnessing how blessings come from accepting inspired invitations, I was eager to follow the steps President Nelson recommended.

Finding Lessons in the Pandemic

After I prayed and pondered and read everything I could about revelation in the scriptures, I learned so much about how the Spirit speaks to me. And the blessings that I received from that exercise have been very personal and sacred to me. I felt like the Lord was showering me with so many blessings that there was not room enough to receive them (see Malachi 3:10).

Since then, my desire to follow the prophet has deepened. So when President Nelson invited us in this year’s priesthood session to write down what we have learned during this pandemic,² I took out my journal.

In the spring of 2020, when the pandemic began, I was working for the health department of my city in Germany. There, I spoke to dozens of people who had just lost their jobs, lost their hope for the day after tomorrow, and in some cases even lost their beloved family members. There were times during lockdown when I was depressed.

But as I took the time to write down what I had learned, I started to look at this pandemic with changed eyes. Along with the lessons that President Nelson mentioned in his talk,³ here are some other things I have learned:

With God, all things are possible.

Before the pandemic, I had high goals and plans to fulfill those goals. But all these pursuits faced dramatic opposition when COVID-19 hit. During times of trouble, I often felt like I was running faster than I had strength (see Mosiah 4:27). In such moments, I accounted to the Lord that I had done all I could and that I trusted in Him to work His miracles. He always did (see Mark 9:23; 2 Nephi 27:23).
Social media isn’t that important after all.

Especially in the beginning of the pandemic, I spent a lot of time on social media. After a while, I decreased how much time I spent in this second world. Now, as I take more time to “be still” (Psalm 46:10), I feel more peaceful, confident, and focused.
Gratitude is the key to peace and joy.

This pandemic has been terrible in many ways. I wish daily that things were normal again. But I’ve learned that instead of complaining, expressing gratitude leads to peace and joy. President Nelson recently reminded us that gratitude has the power to “soothe our feelings” of grief and sorrow and provide us “with a greater perspective on the very purpose and joy of life.”⁴

As difficult as things have been during this pandemic, I have also experienced some of the happiest moments of my life. I now feel closer to the Lord than ever before. And because I followed President Nelson’s simple invitation, I have been able to look back and see the “many ways … the Lord has been guiding [me]” and “helping [me] to become a more devoted, more converted”⁵ follower of Jesus Christ—just as the prophet of God promised.

How grateful I am for prophets and apostles who not only warn and prepare us for troubling times but also offer counsel and support while we are in them. I know we can all experience miracles and blessings suited perfectly for our lives as we are willing to follow the invitations given by the Lord’s prophets and apostles. I know I have.