President Russell M. Nelson, Prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, died Sept. 27, at the age of 101.
As the world mourns this loss, the Church News podcast dedicates this special memorial episode to his leadership, teachings, revelations and kindness. This podcast features just a small sample of his words from general conference talks, devotionals and more.
President Nelson will be forever known as a man of science and faith. During his tenure as President of the Church, he reinforced the correct name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints; implemented a home-centered, Church-supported curriculum with the introduction of the “Come, Follow Me” study program just in time to guide the Church through the COVID-19 pandemic; announced the building and renovation of scores of temples around the world; encouraged peacemaking; and continually invited individuals to reinforce their own faith in Jesus Christ, the Restoration of the gospel and commitment to the covenant path.
We commemorate the lasting legacy of this prophet, seer and revelator, with Sarah Jane Weaver, Deseret News editor and Church News executive editor, as guest host for this special episode.
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Transcript:
Sarah Jane Weaver: It is with heavy hearts that we celebrate the life and ministry of President Russell M. Nelson, the 17th President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
The oldest Apostle in this dispensation, President Nelson was born Sept. 9, 1924, to Marion C. and Edna Anderson Nelson. He and his first wife, Sister Dantzel White Nelson, are the parents of nine daughters and one son. After her death in February of 2005, he married Wendy Watson Nelson in April of 2006. President Nelson was an internationally renowned surgeon and medical researcher before his call to full-time Church service.
He led the Church through a pandemic, traveled to nations across the globe, announced more than half of the Church’s temples and issued hundreds of invitations — promising the Church’s global membership that they can find great joy in living the principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
We begin this special memorial podcast with recent words from President Nelson offered during April 2025 general conference. He said as Latter-day Saints diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill their lives, their confidence in approaching God will increase.
1:23
President Russell M. Nelson: When we make and keep covenants with God, we can have confidence that is born of the Spirit. Imagine the comfort of having confidence in the presence of God! Now, how do we gain such confidence? In the Lord’s own words, charity and virtue open the way to having confidence before God! As we diligently seek to have charity and virtue fill our lives, our confidence in approaching God will increase. I invite you to take intentional steps to grow in your confidence before the Lord.
2:17
Sarah Jane Weaver: Following are President Nelson’s words spoken in April of 1984 after he was ordained as an apostle and set apart as a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He shared his thoughts on that role in the talk titled “Call to the Holy Apostleship.”
President Russell M. Nelson: I have implicit faith in the Lord and in His prophets. I have learned not to put question marks but to use exclamation points when calls are issued through inspired channels of priesthood government.
About 20 years ago, two members of the Quorum of the Twelve were assigned to select a new president of the Bonneville stake in which we lived. They were Elders Spencer W. Kimball and LeGrand Richards. That call they extended to me. Now, I am to be ordained an Apostle under the hand of President Spencer W. Kimball, to fill a chair created by the passing of Elder LeGrand Richards.
Feelings of commitment well up from the depths of my soul. My sweetheart, Dantzel, and I first made those covenants in the temple of the Lord over 38 years ago, to consecrate our lives to the service of the Lord. Today, I reaffirm that promise, to give all I have to the building of the kingdom of God on the earth. In accepting this call, knowing that challenges, charges and keys will be conferred and that buffetings will likewise come, I commit my effort, energy and my all.
4:12
Sarah Jane Weaver: President Nelson’s energy and commitment to the gospel of Jesus Christ was showcased in April 2018, his first general conference as President of the Church. In his closing remarks, titled “Let Us All Press On,” he reminded the Church’s global membership of the blessings that come from ministering to each other and engaging in the work of the Almighty God.
President Russell M. Nelson: This general conference marks the beginning of a new era of ministering. The Lord has made important adjustments in the way we care for each other. Sisters and brothers — old and young — will serve one another in a new, holier way. Elders quorums will be strengthened to bless the lives of men, women and children throughout the world. Relief Society sisters will continue to minister in their unique and loving way, extending opportunities to younger sisters to join them as appropriately assigned.
Our message to the world is simple and sincere: We invite all of God’s children on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior, receive the blessings of the holy temple, have enduring joy and qualify for eternal life.
Eventual exaltation requires our complete fidelity now to covenants we make and ordinances we receive in the house of the Lord. At this time, we have 159 functioning temples, and more are under construction. We want to bring temples closer to the expanding membership of the Church. So we are now pleased to announce plans to construct seven more temples. Those temples will be located in the following locations: Salta, Argentina; Bengaluru, India; Managua, Nicaragua; Cagayan de Oro, Philippines; Layton, Utah; Richmond, Virginia; and a major city yet to be determined in Russia.
My dear brothers and sisters, construction of these temples may not change your life, but your time in the temple surely will. In that spirit, I bless you to identify those things you can set aside so you can spend more time in the temple. I bless you with greater harmony and love in your homes and a deeper desire to care for your eternal family relationships. I bless you with increased faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and a greater ability to follow Him as His true disciples.
I bless you to raise your voice in testimony, as I do now, that we are engaged in the work of Almighty God! Jesus is the Christ. This is His Church, which He directs through His anointed servants. I so testify, with my expression of love for each of you.
8:21
Sarah Jane Weaver: In his October 2010 general conference address, he asked all of us to “Be Thou an Example of the Believers.”
President Russell M. Nelson: Paul’s counsel, “Be thou an example of the believers” (1 Timothy 4:12), applies equally to members. Most have not been and may never be full-time missionaries. But all can be member missionaries. That statement reminds me of a report of a humorous event. On a large playing field at a missionary training center, a sign was posted. It read, “Missionaries only!” People who also wanted to play on that field posted a new sign of their own. Their sign read, “Every Member a Missionary!”
Each member can be an example of the believers. Brethren, as followers of Jesus Christ, each of you can live in accord with His teachings. You can have “a pure heart and clean hands”; you can have “the image of God engraven upon your [countenance]” (Alma 5:19). Your good works will be evident to others. The light of the Lord can beam from your eyes. With that radiance, you had better prepare for questions. The apostle Peter so counseled, “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asketh you a reason of the hope that is in you” (1 Peter 3:15).
Let your response be warm and joyful. And let your response be relevant to that individual. Remember, he or she is also a child of God, that very God who dearly wants that person to qualify for eternal life and return to Him one day. You may be the very one to open the door to his or her salvation and understanding of the doctrine of Christ.
10:33
Sarah Jane Weaver: Ten years earlier, in September of the year 2000, then-Elder Nelson encouraged a similar understanding of the doctrine of Christ when he challenged students to explore their true identities in a talk titled “Identity, Priority and Blessings.”
President Russell M. Nelson: One day you will be asked if you took upon yourself the name of Christ and if you were faithful to that covenant. The newest convert makes that same covenant that each of us has made, to take upon us the Lord’s name. We are all allowed — even encouraged — to achieve the fullness of the stature of Christ (see Ephesians 4:13).
Tonight I come to you in my true identity as a husband, a father and an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. My priority is my wife, my family and my ministry. I am to teach plain and precious things that have been restored in these latter days. As special witnesses of His name in all the world, the Apostles “talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ” (2 Nephi 25:26).
In a very real way, you bear similar responsibilities. As Jesus said to His faithful followers in ancient America, He would surely say to you, “Ye are my disciples; and ye are a light unto this people, who are a remnant of the house of Joseph” (3 Nephi 15:12). We are to bear witness; we are to minister; we are to bear example to all who come within our sphere of influence.
This responsibility is ours 24 hours a day, 365 days a year — even on vacation. The Savior stated simply: “What manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am” (3 Nephi 27:27). Your most sincere sign of adoration of Jesus is your emulation of Him. You know of Him. You know of His divine parentage. You know of His mission and ministry in mortality. You know of Him, not by direct visitation, but through the testimony of the Holy Ghost. “The testimony of the Holy Ghost is the strongest testimony that can be given. It is better than a personal visit.”
I don’t fear death. In fact, a scripture describes a Saint’s death as “precious in the sight of the Lord” (Psalm 116:15). It will be precious to me, too. I will eagerly meet my ancestors and preceding prophets and apostles. And one day Sister Nelson and I will dwell together in the presence of our family and the Lord forevermore. We will have been faithful to covenants made in the temple, and to the oath and covenant of the priesthood, which have assured us, in the words of the Lord, that “all that my Father hath shall be given unto [you]” (Doctrine and Covenants 84:38).
13:57
Sarah Jane Weaver: An example of his constant plea to all of us to increase our capacity to receive and act on personal revelation, President Nelson gave a classic talk in April of 2020 titled “Hear Him.”
President Russell M. Nelson: Our Father knows that when we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear, what will help us the very most is to hear His Son. Because when we seek to hear — truly hear — His Son, we will be guided to know what to do in any circumstance.
The very first word in the Doctrine and Covenants is “hearken” (see Doctrine and Covenants 1:1). It means “to listen with the intent to obey.” To hearken means to “hear Him” — to hear what the Savior says and then to heed His counsel. In those two words — “hear Him” — God gives us the pattern for success, happiness and joy in this life. We are to hear the words of the Lord, hearken to them and heed what He has told us!
As disciples of Jesus Christ, our efforts to hear Him need to be ever more intentional. It takes conscious and consistent effort to fill our daily lives with His words, His teachings, His truths.
We also hear Him more clearly as we refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now. In the Godhead, the Holy Ghost is the messenger. He will bring thoughts to your mind which the Father and Son want you to receive. He is the Comforter. He will bring a feeling of peace to your heart. He testifies of truth and will confirm what is true as you hear and read the word of the Lord.
I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation.
16:34
Sarah Jane Weaver: In October of 2020, he again addressed personal revelation with the talk “Let God Prevail.”
President Russell M. Nelson: For the more than 36 years I have been an Apostle, the doctrine of the gathering of Israel has captured my attention. Everything about it has intrigued me, including the ministries and names of Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; their lives and their wives; the covenant God made with them and extended through their lineage, the dispersion of the twelve tribes; and the numerous prophecies about the gathering in our day.
I have studied the gathering, prayed about it, feasted upon every related scripture and asked the Lord to increase my understanding.
So imagine my delight when I was led recently to a new insight. With the help of two Hebrew scholars, I learned that one of the Hebraic meanings of the word Israel is “let God prevail.” Thus the very name of Israel refers to a person who is willing to let God prevail in his or her life. That concept stirs my soul!
The word “willing” is crucial to this interpretation of Israel. We all have our agency. We can choose to be of Israel, or not.
With the Hebraic definition of Israel in mind, the gathering of Israel takes on added meaning. The Lord is gathering those who are willing to let God prevail in their lives. The Lord is gathering those who will choose to let God be the most important influence in their lives.
For centuries, prophets have foretold this gathering, and it is happening right now! As an essential prelude to the Second Coming of the Lord, it is the most important work in the world!
This premillennial gathering is an individual saga of expanding faith and spiritual courage for millions of people. And as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, or “latter-day covenant Israel,” we have been charged to assist the Lord with this pivotal work.
When we speak of gathering Israel on both sides of the veil, we are referring, of course, to missionary, temple and family history work. We are also referring to building faith and testimony in the hearts of those with whom we live, work and serve. Anytime we do anything that helps anyone — on either side of the veil — to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel.
20:15
Sarah Jane Weaver: In that same talk offered in October of 2020, as the world faced a global pandemic and as racial tensions flared in the United States and across the globe, President Nelson decried racism.
President Russell M. Nelson: The gospel net to gather scattered Israel is expansive. There is room for each person who will fully embrace the gospel of Jesus Christ. Each convert becomes one of God’s covenant children, whether by birth or by adoption. Each becomes a full heir to all that God has promised the faithful children of Israel!
Each of us has a divine potential because each is a child of God. Each is equal in His eyes. The implications of this truth are profound. Brothers and sisters, please listen carefully to what I am about to say. God does not love one race more than another. His doctrine on this matter is clear. He invites all to come unto Him, “black and white, bond and free, male and female” (2 Nephi 26:33).
I assure you that your standing before God is not determined by the color of your skin. Favor or disfavor with God is dependent upon your devotion to God and His commandments, and not to the color of your skin.
I grieve that our Black brothers and sisters the world over are enduring the pains of racism and prejudice. Today I call upon our members everywhere to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice. I plead with you to promote respect for all of God’s children.
The question for each of us, regardless of race, is the same. Are you willing to let God prevail in your life? Are you willing to let God be the most important influence in your life? Will you allow His words, His commandments and His covenants to influence what you do each day? Will you allow His voice to take priority over any other? Are you willing to let whatever He needs you to do take precedence over every other ambition? Are you willing to have your will swallowed up in His?
23:23
Sarah Jane Weaver: A few months later, in November of 2020, as the world continued to deal with the hardships brought on by the global pandemic, President Nelson gave us a surprising remedy to our problems. He said, “Give thanks.”
President Russell M. Nelson: During my 96 years of life, I have seen a great depression, a world war, the rise of terrorism, hunger and poverty throughout the world. I have also witnessed the advent of space travel, the internet, medical advancements galore and countless other discoveries that delight me.
Prior to my ministry, I was a cardiovascular and thoracic surgeon and spent many hours in operating rooms. As a surgical resident, I was one of the research team that developed the first heart-lung machine to be used in a human open-heart operation. Subsequently, I had the privilege of helping to save lives of hundreds of patients; and, sadly, I watched other patients die despite my best efforts.
As a man of science and as a man of faith, the current worldwide pandemic has been of great concern to me. As a man of science, I appreciate the critical need to prevent the spread of infection. I also honor the devoted service of health care professionals and grieve for the many whose lives have been upended by COVID-19.
As a man of faith, however, I view the current pandemic as only one of many ills that plague our world, including hate, civil unrest, racism, violence, dishonesty and lack of civility.
There is, however, a remedy — one that may seem surprising — because it flies in the face of our natural intuitions. Nevertheless, its effects have been validated by scientists as well as men and women of faith.
I am referring to the healing power of gratitude.
Over my 9½ decades of life, I have concluded that counting our blessings is far better than recounting our problems. No matter our situation, showing gratitude for our privileges is a fast-acting and long-lasting spiritual prescription.
Does gratitude spare us from sorrow, sadness, grief and pain? No, but it does soothe our feelings. It provides us with a greater perspective on the very purpose and joy of life.
As a doctor, I know the value of good therapy. So, dear friends, may I prescribe two activities to help us experience the healing power of gratitude.
First, I invite you — just for the next seven days — to turn social media into your own personal gratitude journal. Post every day about what you are grateful for, who you are grateful for and why you are grateful.
At the end of seven days, see if you feel happier and more at peace. Use the hashtag #GiveThanks. Working together, we can flood social media with a wave of gratitude that reaches the four corners of the earth. Perhaps this will fulfill, in part, the promise God gave to Father Abraham, that through his descendants, “all families of the earth [shall] be blessed” (Genesis 12:3).
Second, let us unite in thanking God through daily prayer. Jesus Christ taught His disciples to pray by first expressing gratitude to God and then petitioning Him for the things we need. Prayer brings forth miracles.
28:15
Sarah Jane Weaver: Referencing the seismic renovations on the foundation of the historic Salt Lake Temple, President Nelson spoke in October of 2021, asking all of us to strengthen our spiritual foundations.
President Russell M. Nelson: As you know, we are performing major renovations on the historic Salt Lake Temple. This complex project includes major reinforcement of its original foundation, which has served well for more than a century. But this temple must stand much longer.
We are sparing no effort to give this venerable temple, which had become increasingly vulnerable, a foundation that will withstand the forces of nature into the Millennium. In like manner, it is now time that we each implement extraordinary measures — perhaps measures we have never taken before — to strengthen our personal spiritual foundations. Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures.
My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ.
So I ask each of you: How firm is your foundation? And what reinforcements to your testimony and understanding of the gospel are needed?
My dear brothers and sisters, when renovations on the Salt Lake Temple are completed, there will be no safer place during an earthquake in the Salt Lake Valley than inside that temple.
Likewise, whenever any kind of upheaval occurs in your life, the safest place to be spiritually is living inside your temple covenants!
Please believe me when I say that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear. As you are true to your covenants made in the temple, you will be strengthened by His power. Then, when spiritual earthquakes occur, you will be able to stand strong because your spiritual foundation is solid and immovable.
31:33
Sarah Jane Weaver: During his four decades as an Apostle of Jesus Christ, President Nelson bore frequent and powerful testimonies of his Savior, including this classic address titled “The Atonement,” offered in October of 1996.
President Russell M. Nelson: That brings us to the Atonement. Let us now ponder the deep meaning of the word “atonement.” In the English language, components are at-one-ment, suggesting that a person is at one with another. Other languages employ words that connote either expiation or reconciliation. Expiation means “to atone for.” Reconciliation comes from Latin roots re, meaning “again”; con, meaning “with”; and sella, meaning “seat.” Reconciliation, therefore, literally means “to sit again with.”
Rich meaning is found in study of the word atonement in the Semitic languages of Old Testament times. In Hebrew, the basic word for atonement is kaphar, a verb that means “to cover” or “to forgive.” Closely related is the Aramaic and Arabic word kafat, meaning “a close embrace” — no doubt related to the Egyptian ritual embrace. References to that embrace are evident in the Book of Mormon. One states that “the Lord hath redeemed my soul …; I have beheld his glory, and I am encircled about eternally in the arms of his love” (2 Nephi 1:15). Another proffers the glorious hope of our being “clasped in the arms of Jesus” (Mormon 5:11).
I weep for joy when I contemplate the significance of it all. To be redeemed is to be atoned — received in the close embrace of God with an expression not only of His forgiveness but of our oneness of heart and mind. What a privilege!
33:33
Sarah Jane Weaver: In another beautiful address testifying of Jesus Christ, offered in December of 2018, President Nelson gave a talk titled “Four Gifts That Jesus Christ Offers to You.”
President Russell M. Nelson: Jesus Christ is God’s transcendent gift — the gift of the Father to all of His children. That birth we joyfully celebrate each Christmas season.
With our thoughts and feelings so focused on the Savior of the world, what, then, do we need to do to receive these gifts offered to us so willingly by Jesus Christ? What is the key to loving as He loves, forgiving as He forgives, repenting to become more like Him, and ultimately living with Him and our Heavenly Father?
The key is to make and keep sacred covenants. We choose to live and progress on the Lord’s covenant path and to stay on it. It is not a complicated way. It is the way to true joy in this life and eternal life beyond.
My dear brothers and sisters, my deepest desires are for all of Heavenly Father’s children to have the opportunity to hear the gospel of Jesus Christ and to heed His teachings and for Israel to be gathered as promised in these latter days. And I desire that we will believe and receive the love the Savior has for each of us. His infinite and perfect love moved Him to atone for you and me. That gift — His Atonement — allows all of His other gifts to become ours.
35:47
Sarah Jane Weaver: One thing that President Nelson will be remembered for is his invitation to every Latter-day Saint to use the full and correct name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Here he talks about it in October 2018 general conference.
President Russell M. Nelson: Today, I feel compelled to discuss with you a matter of great importance. Some weeks ago, I released a statement regarding a course correction for the name of the Church. I did this because the Lord impressed upon my mind the importance of the name He decreed for His Church, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
As you would expect, responses to this statement and to the revised style guide have been mixed. Many members immediately corrected the name of the Church on their blogs and social media pages. Others wondered why, with all that is going on in the world, it was necessary to emphasize something so “inconsequential.” And some said it could not be done, so why even try?
Let me explain why we care so deeply about this issue. But first let me state what this effort is not: It is not a name change. It is not rebranding. It is not cosmetic. It is not a whim. And it is not inconsequential.
Instead, it is a correction. It is the command of the Lord. Joseph Smith did not name the Church restored through him; neither did Mormon. It was the Savior Himself who said, “For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints” (Doctrine and Covenants 115:4).
Even earlier, in AD 34, our resurrected Lord gave similar instruction to members of His Church when He visited them in the Americas. At that time He said: “Ye shall call the church in my name. … And how be it my church save it be called in my name? For if a church be called in Moses’ name then it be Moses’ church; or if it be called in the name of a man then it be the church of a man; but if it be called in my name then it is my church” (3 Nephi 27:7-8).
Thus, the name of the Church is not negotiable. When the Savior clearly states what the name of His Church should be and even precedes His declaration with, “Thus shall my church be called,” He is serious.
My dear brothers and sisters, I promise you that if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord’s Church, He whose Church this is will pour down His power and blessings upon the heads of the Latter-day Saints, the likes of which we have never seen. We will have the knowledge and power of God to help us take the blessings of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ to every nation, kindred, tongue and people and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord.
So, what is in a name? When it comes to the name of the Lord’s Church, the answer is “Everything!” Jesus Christ directed us to call the Church by His name because it is His Church, filled with His power.
40:17
Sarah Jane Weaver: In September of 2019, President Nelson celebrated his 95th birthday by expressing gratitude to loved ones and inviting all to come unto the Savior.
President Russell M. Nelson: My dear, precious family and friends, I am totally overcome with feelings of love and gratitude.
Every day of my life, I thank my Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for the gift of life and the privilege of serving His children. On occasions past when my mortal life was in grave danger, They intervened with help that only They could have delivered. Jesus the Christ is literally my Savior, my Redeemer, my Exemplar and Friend.
In this celebration tonight, efforts have been made to depict the influence of the Lord in my life. From my earliest childhood to my most recent miraculous experience, I acknowledge timely and generous help from heaven. In retrospect, I can see things now that I could not see at the time. I not only know that God lives, I know that He loves His children. He wants us to have joy, choose to return to His holy presence and receive the blessings, all the blessings, that He has in store for His faithful children.
If I have learned anything certain in my 95 years of life, it is that Jesus the Christ is the Son of God. His Church has been restored in these latter days to prepare the world for the Second Coming of our Redeemer. He provides the doctrine, covenants and ordinances that enable families to be perpetuated beyond the grave. He is the Light and the Life of the World. Only through Him can we reach our divine destiny and eventual exaltation.
My message to the world is simple and sincere. I invite all of God’s children on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior, to receive the blessings of the temple, have enduring joy and qualify for eternal life. Most humbly and gratefully, I thank you for this sublime celebration tonight. To each of you, I express my love, my gratitude and my testimony.
43:03
Sarah Jane Weaver: And in October of 2022 general conference, he helped each of us know how to overcome the world and find the Savior’s rest.
President Russell M. Nelson: Nonetheless, we are presently living in what surely is a most complicated time in the history of the world. The complexities and challenges leave many people feeling overwhelmed and exhausted. However, consider a recent experience that might shed light on how you and I can find rest.
During the recent open house of the Washington D.C. Temple, a member of the open house committee witnessed an insightful interchange as he escorted several prominent journalists through the temple. Somehow a young family became attached to this media tour. One reporter kept asking about the “journey” of temple patrons as he or she moves through the temple. He wanted to know if the temple journey is symbolic of the challenges in a person’s journey through life.
A young boy in the family picked up on the conversation. When the tour group entered an endowment room, the boy pointed to the altar, where people kneel to make covenants with God, and said, “Oh, that’s nice. Here is a place for people to rest on their temple journey.”
I doubt that the boy knew just how profound his observation was. He likely had no idea about the direct connection between making a covenant with God in the temple and the Savior’s stunning promise:
“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; … and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light” (Matthew 11:28-30).
Dear brothers and sisters, I grieve for those who leave the Church because they feel membership requires too much of them. They have not yet discovered that making and keeping covenants actually makes life easier!
Because the Savior, through His infinite Atonement, redeemed each of us from weakness, mistakes and sin, and because He experienced every pain, worry and burden you have ever had, then as you truly repent and seek His help, you can rise above this present precarious world.
You can overcome the spiritually and emotionally exhausting plagues of the world, including arrogance, pride, anger, immorality, hatred, greed, jealousy and fear. Despite the distractions and distortions that swirl around us, you can find true rest — meaning relief and peace — even amid your most vexing problems.
46:52
Sarah Jane Weaver: In April of 2023, President Nelson spoke asking all of us to be peacemakers.
President Russell M. Nelson: Even now, decades later, I find myself wondering if the contaminated scalpel that landed in my arm was any more toxic than the venomous contention that infects our civic dialogue and too many personal relationships today. Civility and decency seem to have disappeared during this era of polarization and passionate disagreements.
Vulgarity, faultfinding and evil speaking of others are all too common. Too many pundits, politicians, entertainers and other influencers throw insults constantly. I am greatly concerned that so many people seem to believe that it is completely acceptable to condemn, malign and vilify anyone who does not agree with them. Many seem eager to damage another’s reputation with pathetic and pithy barbs!
Anger never persuades. Hostility builds no one. Contention never leads to inspired solutions. Regrettably, we sometimes see contentious behavior even within our own ranks. We hear of those who belittle their spouses and children, of those who use angry outbursts to control others and of those who punish family members with the “silent treatment.” We hear of youth and children who bully and of employees who defame their colleagues.
My dear brothers and sisters, this should not be. As disciples of Jesus Christ, we are to be examples of how to interact with others — especially when we have differences of opinion. One of the easiest ways to identify a true follower of Jesus Christ is how compassionately that person treats other people.
The Savior made this clear in His sermons to followers in both hemispheres. “Blessed are the peacemakers” (Matthew 5:9), He said. “Whosoever shall smite thee on thy right cheek, turn to him the other also” (Matthew 5:39). And then, of course, He gave the admonition that challenges each of us: “Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you, and persecute you” (Matthew 5:44).
Before His death, the Savior commanded His Twelve Apostles to love one another as He had loved them. And then He added, “By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another” (John 13:35).
The Savior’s message is clear: His true disciples build, lift, encourage, persuade and inspire — no matter how difficult the situation. True disciples of Jesus Christ are peacemakers.
My dear brothers and sisters, how we treat each other really matters! How we speak to and about others at home, at church, at work and online really matters. Today, I am asking us to interact with others in a higher, holier way.
Let us as a people become a true light on the hill — a light that “cannot be hid” (3 Nephi 12:14). Let us show that there is a peaceful, respectful way to resolve complex issues and an enlightened way to work out disagreements. As you demonstrate the charity that true followers of Jesus Christ manifest, the Lord will magnify your efforts beyond your loftiest imagination.
52:11
Sarah Jane Weaver: President Nelson’s words offered during the October 2024 general conference were given just weeks before he dedicated the Church’s 200th temple. President Nelson asked each of us to prepare for the Second Coming of the Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and shared his testimony of the Savior and how that has defined his life.
President Russell M. Nelson: Brothers and sisters, now is the time for you and for me to prepare for the Second Coming of our Lord and Savior, Jesus the Christ. Now is the time for us to make our discipleship our highest priority. In a coming day, Jesus Christ will return to the earth as the millennial Messiah. So today I call upon you to rededicate your lives to Jesus Christ. I call upon you to help gather scattered Israel and to prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. I call upon you to talk of Christ, testify of Christ, have faith in Christ and rejoice in Christ!
53:28
Sarah Jane Weaver: In June of 2018, President Nelson looked back on the 1978 revelation on the priesthood 40 years later.
President Russell M. Nelson: Centuries ago, an exacting lawyer asked the Savior: “Master, which is the great commandment in the law? Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets” (Matthew 22:36-40).
Again in 1831, this instruction was revealed to the Prophet Joseph Smith, when the Lord said, “And let every man esteem his brother as himself, and practice virtue and holiness before me” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:24). Then, by way of emphasis, He added, “And again I say unto you, let every man esteem his brother as himself” (Doctrine and Covenants 38:25).
In the meridian of time, and again in the latter days, the Lord has stressed this essential doctrine of equal opportunity for His children. And tonight, President Oaks has reminded us, “[The Lord] denieth none that come unto him, black and white, bond and free, male and female; … all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33).
On every continent and across the isles of the sea, faithful people are being gathered into The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Differences in culture, language, gender, race and nationality fade into insignificance as the faithful enter the covenant path and come unto our beloved Redeemer, the Lord Jesus Christ.
Ultimately, we realize that only the comprehension of the true Fatherhood of God can bring full appreciation of the true brotherhood of men and the true sisterhood of women. That understanding inspires us with passionate desire to build bridges of cooperation instead of walls of segregation.
It is my prayer and blessing that I leave upon all who are listening that we may overcome any burdens of prejudice and walk uprightly with God — and with one another — in perfect peace and harmony.
56:42
Sarah Jane Weaver: And in April of 2024, he asked Latter-day Saints across the globe to “Rejoice in the Gift of Priesthood Keys.”
President Russell M. Nelson: The power of these priesthood keys is infinite and breathtaking. Consider how your life would be different if priesthood keys had not been restored to the earth. Without priesthood keys, you could not be endowed with the power of God. Without priesthood keys, the Church could serve only as a significant teaching and humanitarian organization but not much more. Without priesthood keys, none of us would have access to essential ordinances and covenants that bind us to our loved ones eternally and allow us eventually to live with God.
Priesthood keys distinguish The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints from any other organization on earth. Many other organizations can and do make your life better here in mortality. But no other organization can and will influence your life after death. Priesthood keys give us the authority to extend all of the blessings promised to Abraham to every covenant-keeping man and woman.
58:33
Sarah Jane Weaver: On Sept. 9, 2024, Latter-day Saints gathered in the Conference Center to celebrate the life and teachings of President Nelson on his 100th birthday.
President Russell M. Nelson: My dear brothers and sisters, the length of your life is not as important as the kind of life that you live. Even for a 100-year-old man, life passes quickly. My prayer is that you will let God prevail in your life. Make covenants with Him. Stay on the covenant path. Prepare to return to live with Him again.
A mortal birthday is not an endpoint; it is a step in our eternal progression. Central to Heavenly Father’s plan is the atoning sacrifice of His Beloved Son, our Savior, Jesus Christ. How grateful I am for His unfailing love and His generous guidance to me as He leads His Church.
59:43
Sarah Jane Weaver: We conclude this special memorial episode of the Church News podcast with President Nelson’s invitation offered in October of 2023 for each of us to “Think Celestial!”
President Russell M. Nelson: Today, to assist you to qualify for the rich blessings Heavenly Father has for you, I invite you to adopt the practice of “thinking celestial”! Thinking celestial means being spiritually minded. We learn from the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob that “to be spiritually-minded is life eternal” (2 Nephi 9:39). Mortality is a master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import.
When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view — an eternal view. Put Jesus Christ first because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement. It is also dependent upon your obedience to His laws.
When you are confronted with a dilemma, think celestial! When tested by temptation, think celestial! When life or loved ones let you down, think celestial! When someone dies prematurely, think celestial. When someone lingers with a devastating illness, think celestial. When the pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial! As you recover from an accident or injury, as I am doing now, think celestial!
As you think celestial, your heart will gradually change. Your faith will increase. Spending more time in the temple builds faith. And your service and worship in the temple will help you to think celestial.
God lives. Jesus is the Christ. His Church has been restored to bless all of God’s children. I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.
1:02:31
Sarah Jane Weaver: You have been listening to a special memorial edition of the Church News podcast with Sarah Jane Weaver, Deseret News editor and Church News executive editor. A special thanks to producer KellieAnn Halvorsen and others who make this podcast possible. For more episodes, visit your favorite podcasting channels or look for the Church News podcast with other news and updates on the Church on TheChurchNews.com.
