To do anything well — including becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ — requires effort, President Russell M. Nelson has taught.
“The more you learn about the Savior, the easier it will be to trust in His mercy, His infinite love and His strengthening, healing and redeeming power,” the Prophet and President of the Church testified during April 2021 general conference.
In the first of his five suggestions to increase faith and trust in the Savior, President Nelson invited all to study. “Become an engaged learner,” he said.
“Immerse yourself in the scriptures to understand better Christ’s mission and ministry. Know the doctrine of Christ so that you understand its power for your life.”
As Latter-day Saints begin a new year of New Testament study with “Come, Follow Me,” they have an opportunity to “immerse” themselves in the life and teachings of the Savior.
Below are invitations and promises from other Church leaders about studying — and teaching about — the Savior’s life as recorded in scripture.
‘The power and importance of the Holy Bible’
“How grateful we should be for the Holy Bible. In it we learn not only of the life and teachings and doctrines of Christ, we learn of His Church and of His priesthood and of the organization which He established and named the Church of Jesus Christ in those former days. … My brothers and sisters, we must help all people, including our own members, understand the power and importance of the Holy Bible. The Bible is scripture that leads us and all mankind to accept Jesus Christ as our Savior.”
— Elder M. Russell Ballard, then of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Miracle of the Holy Bible,” October 2007 general conference
Focus on the Savior in teaching
“Our goal is to help those we teach to come closer to Christ, increase in their knowledge and love of God, and serve God by reaching out in compassion towards all His children. That is the center. And where do we find our greatest example of loving God and others? In the life and teachings of our Savior and Redeemer.”
— Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “Teaching in the Savior’s Way” broadcast, June 12, 2022
The purpose of scripture
“The central purpose of all scripture is to fill our souls with faith in God the Father and in His Son, Jesus Christ — faith that They exist; faith in the Father’s plan for our immortality and eternal life; faith in the Atonement and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, which animates this plan of happiness; faith to make the gospel of Jesus Christ our way of life; and faith to come to know ‘the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom [He has] sent’ (John 17:3).”
— Elder D. Todd Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, “The Blessing of Scripture,” April 2010 general conference
Know Him by His many names
“I encourage you to know Him not only through His teachings, His miracles and His parables, but to know Him by His many names. … If you will study His many names, you will feel the love of the Lord in your life, and in the process, come to know Him for who He is.”
— Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, BYU–Hawaii devotional, Oct. 20, 2020
‘Feast upon the words of Christ’
“We can come to know the Lord and trust Him as we ‘feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do’ (2 Nephi 32:3). … More scriptures enlighten our minds, nourish our spirits, answer our questions, increase our trust in the Lord, and help us center our lives on Him. ‘Remember to search them diligently, that ye may profit thereby’” (Mosiah 1:7).
— Sister Bonnie H. Cordon, then second counselor in the Primary general presidency, “Trust in the Lord and Lean Not,” April 2017 general conference
Personal experiences with the scriptures
“Consider this profound statement from the introduction to ‘Come, Follow Me’: ‘The aim of all gospel learning and teaching is to deepen our conversion to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.’ … To be most effective, your experiences with the scriptures must be your own. Reading or hearing about another person’s experiences and insights can be helpful, but that won’t bring the same converting power. There is no substitute for the time you spend in the scriptures, hearing the Holy Ghost speak directly to you.”
— President Mark L. Pace, Sunday School general president, “Conversion Is Our Goal,” April 2022 general conference
‘Dig more deeply’
“My dear friends in Christ, I invite you to dig more deeply into the sacred word of God. There you will find the fuel to power your spiritual momentum. There you will find your perfect foundation, and the scriptures will be beautiful to your eyes — because, like Alma’s people, ‘there [you] came to the knowledge of [your] Redeemer’” (Mosiah 18:30).
— Brother Jan E. Newman, second counselor in the Sunday School general presidency, BYU–Idaho devotional, April 26, 2022
‘A permanent plan to study the scriptures’
“I invite you to have a permanent plan to study the scriptures. ‘Come, Follow Me’ is a great resource that we have for teaching and learning the gospel, deepening our conversion to Jesus Christ, and helping us to become like Him. When we study the gospel, we are not simply seeking new information; rather, we are seeking to become ‘a new creature’” (2 Corinthians 5:17).
— Elder Arnulfo Valenzuela, General Authority Seventy, “Deepening Our Conversion to Jesus Christ,” October 2021 general conference
Healing things that are broken
“We can learn much from the scriptures about how our Savior, Jesus Christ, will help us successfully navigate the things in our lives that are broken, no matter our age. He can heal broken relationships with God, broken relationships with others, and broken parts of ourselves.”
— Sister Amy A. Wright, then second counselor in the Primary general presidency, “Christ Heals That Which Is Broken,” April 2022 general conference
Editor’s note: This page was updated on July 12, 2023.
