Notable quotes:
Summary points:
- As faith in Jesus Christ is diminishing in some parts of the world, what are followers of Christ to do? Part of the answer comes in following President Russell M. Nelson, who has invited Church members to follow his example and study the 2,200 scripture references of Jesus Christ listed in the Topical Guide. President Nelson has also encouraged individuals to use the correct name of the Church.
- Members can do better about speaking of Jesus Christ in their homes, with their children, in worship services, and with those around them, including on social media.
- “My dear friends across the world, let us talk of Christ, anticipating the Savior’s glorious promise, ‘Whosoever … shall confess me before men, him will I confess … before my Father’ ” (Matthew 10:32).
Talk summary:
Like a guiding star, Jesus Christ lights the way.
“He came to earth in a humble stable. He lived a perfect life. He healed the sick and raised the dead. He was a friend to the forgotten. He taught us to do good, to obey, and to love one another. He died on the cross, rising majestically three days later, allowing us and those we love to live beyond the grave. With His incomparable mercy and grace, He took upon Himself our sins and our suffering, bringing forgiveness as we repent, and peace in the storms of life. We love Him. We worship Him. We follow Him. He is the anchor of our souls.”
While this spiritual conviction is increasing in some, faith in Jesus Christ is diminishing in parts of the world. “We have taken upon ourselves the name of the Savior upon us. What more are we to do?”
Part of the answer comes in following President Russell M. Nelson, who has invited members to follow his example and study the 2,200 scripture references of Jesus Christ listed in the Topical Guide. President Nelson has also encouraged individuals to use the correct name of the Church.
“I promise you that as you prepare yourselves as President Nelson did, you too will be different, thinking more about the Savior, speaking of Him more frequently and with less hesitation. As you come to know and love Him even more deeply, your words will flow more comfortably, as they do when you speak of one of your children or of a dear friend. Those listening to you will feel less like debating or dismissing you, and more like learning from you.”
Members can do a little better about speaking of Jesus Christ in their homes, with their children, in worship services, and with those around them, including on social media. “As the world speaks less of Jesus Christ, let us speak more of Him.”
In the news:
- Speaking to new mission leaders during the 2020 Mission Leadership Seminar in June, Elder Neil L. Anderson emphasized unity in discerning the Lord’s will.
- Amid the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, Elder Andersen said in an interview with the Church News in May: “As we are righteous, compensatory blessings always come — even in the most difficult times of our lives.”
- During the April 2020 general conference, Elder Anderson encouraged Latter-day Saints to record and remember “spiritually defining memories.”
About the speaker:
- Elder Neil L. Andersen was sustained to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles on April 4, 2009.
- He served a mission in France, presided over the France Bordeaux Mission from 1989-1992, and accompanied President Henry B. Eyring as he dedicated the Paris France Temple on May 21, 2017.
- Elder Andersen is multilingual, speaking French, Portuguese and Spanish, in addition to English.
- Elder Andersen and his wife, Kathy Williams Andersen, are the parents of four children.
- He was called as a General Authority Seventy in 1993; his Church assignments gave him responsibilities in Brazil, Western Europe, Mexico and Central America.
Recently on social:
- In a Sept. 30 Instagram post, Elder Neil L. Andersen invited his followers to prepare for October general conference by following three suggestions: be prayerful, don’t be casual in attendance and take notes.
- Elder Andersen shared a photo of him as a young boy riding a horse in a July 23 Facebook post. Watching cattle or working on irrigation gave him time to think. The COVID-19 pandemic offers an opportunity to ask in prayer: “What am I to do? What am I to learn? How am I to grow in this unusual time?” he wrote.
- On July 23, Elder Andersen also posted on Twitter about being blessed during difficult times. “This life is a time for becoming, not just for experiencing. It is a time of being taught from on high,” he wrote.
- In an April 13 Facebook post, Elder Andersen shared a link to a game created by his daughter, Kristen Ebert, to study teachings from the April 2020 general conference. “Because many of us are spending more time at home, I thought you might enjoy playing this game at home with your families,” Elder Andersen wrote.
- Elder Andersen posted on Twitter on April 4 with a quote from his general conference message: “I promise you that as you willingly acknowledge and carefully treasure the spiritually defining events in your life, more and more will come to you.”