Do the Words I Say Really Matter?
The things that we say can either bring us closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ or drive the Spirit away.
I love to write! I find so much joy in taking the time to carefully craft my sentences. I do this because I know how powerful my written words can be and how much the things I write can help others.
But when I’m speaking, for some reason I don’t think of words in the same way. I don’t use that same patience and effort to choose what I say. I tend to get caught up in the excitement or laughter of the moment, and I just speak whatever thoughts come to my mind.
However, listening to this most recent general conference, the Spirit testified to me that that is actually not how the Lord wants us to speak to others—He wants us to be intentional, kind, and spiritual with all our words, not just the ones that we write on a paper or type online.
I realized I had a lot that I needed to work on!
The Lord’s Words Matter
In general conference, Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles taught:
“Words set a tone. They voice our thoughts, feelings, and experiences, for good or bad.
“Unfortunately, words can be thoughtless, hasty, and hurtful. Once said, we cannot take them back. …
“That is why, first and foremost, the Lord’s words matter.”1
When I heard this, I felt like the Spirit was gently letting me know that this was an area of my life that I could work on. It reminded me that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ understand the power of our words and that They want us to use words to bring ourselves and others closer to Jesus Christ.
As Elder Rasband continued his talk, he mentioned an experience he had that showed him the power of the prophet’s words.
Elder Rasband explained that he had prepared a dedicatory prayer for the Bangkok Thailand Temple months in advance. But the night before the dedication, he felt prompted to add sentences that referred to President Russell M. Nelson’s October 2023 general conference talk, “Think Celestial!”2
Elder Rasband said: “I sensed certain words were missing, and by divine design they came to me in revelation, and I inserted these words in the prayer near the end: ‘May we think celestial, letting Thy Spirit prevail in our lives, and strive to be peacemakers always.’ The Lord was reminding me to heed the words of our living prophet.”3
When Elder Rasband described obeying the subtle prompting of the Spirit, even if it seemed like a small change of words, I realized it was no small action—he was following the example of the prophet, and I should too!
Because of general conference, I felt empowered to make a change in my life. Now, I try to choose words that lead me closer to my Savior. This is something we can all do. In our conversations, we can share things that are kind and intentional—because our words do matter!
In doing so, we can begin to more easily feel the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and we will see our relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ blossom.