Notable quotes:
"Keeping promises is not a habit; it is a characteristic of being a disciple of Jesus Christ."
"When we keep promises to one another we are more likely to keep promises to the Lord."
"I invite you to consider the promises and covenants you make with the Lord, and others, with great integrity, knowing that your word is your bond."
Summary points:
- To walk the covenant path back to Heavenly Father, each person must live true to his or her promises to the Lord and to others.
- Members of the Church make a covenant, or a two-way promise with the Lord, at baptism to take on the name of Jesus Christ and live as He lived.
- Consider the promises and covenants made with the Lord and others with great integrity.
Talk summary:
To walk the covenant path back to Heavenly Father, each person must live true to his or her promises to the Lord and to others.
The youth theme for 2020 comes from 1 Nephi 3:7, which includes Nephi’s promise to “go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded.”
“To ‘go and do’ means rising above the ways of the world, receiving and acting on personal revelation, living righteously with hope and faith in the future, making and keeping covenants to follow Jesus Christ and thereby increasing our love for Him, the Savior of the world.”
Members of the Church make a covenant, or a two-way promise with the Lord, at baptism to take on the name of Jesus Christ and live as He lived. This includes ministering to others and standing as a witness of God.
“My question today is do we stand by our promises and covenants or are they sometimes half-hearted commitments, casually made and hence, easily broken?”
The Savior’s power in each person’s life is increased when he or she makes sacred covenants and keeps them with precision.
It’s also important to keep promises to other people as it makes it more likely for a person to keep promises to the Lord. “Remember the Lord’s words: ‘... inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me’” (Matthew 25:40).
The scriptures are full of examples of people keeping promises to others, like Ruth to her mother-in-law, Ammon to King Lamoni, and the Good Samaritan to the innkeeper taking care of the injured traveller.
“I invite you to consider the promises and covenants you make with the Lord, and others, with great integrity, knowing that your word is your bond.”
In the news:
- In August, President Ballard and Elder Rasband met with U.S. Vice President Michael R. Pence in Salt Lake City, Utah. During their meeting, they addressed the value of faith and religious freedom.
- Elder Rasband visited Eastern Europe at the end of May where he spoke about the importance of paying tithes and offerings. He also reaffirmed that a temple will be built in Russia as President Nelson promised in April 2018 general conference.
- During the Mission Leadership Seminar in June 2019, Elder Rasband spoke about caring for missionaries by showing love and having high expectations.
- In a devotional address given at BYU-Idaho in April 2019, Elder Rasband shared his experience of the Rome Italy Temple dedication.
- Elder Rasband spoke at a gala commemorating the 106-year-old partnership between the Church and Boy Scouts of America in September 2019.
About the speaker:
- Before Elder Rasband was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on Oct. 3, 2015, he served as a General Authority Seventy for 15 years.
- Prior to his call as an apostle, Elder Rasband traveled hundreds of thousands of miles and filled multiple passports during his service to Church members.
- Although he attended the University of Utah, Elder Rasband never graduated due to a business opportunity. But in 1995, he received an honorary doctorate of business and commerce from Utah Valley State College.
- Elder Rasband and his wife, Sister Melanie Rasband, were married in the Salt Lake Temple and have 5 children.
Recently on social:
- Elder Rasband posted a picture of himself using social media and quoted President Russell M. Nelson’s caution about paying attention more to social media feeds than the Spirit. He invited others to consider how they can best use this tool.
