“Let Every Thing That Hath Breath Praise the Lord”

By President Camille N. Johnson

Relief Society General President

With faith in Jesus Christ and hope in what they had heard of His miracles, the caregivers of a man with palsy brought him to Jesus. They were innovative in getting him there—uncovering the roof and lowering the man, on his bed, to the place where Jesus was teaching. When Jesus “saw their faith, he said [to the man with palsy], thy sins are forgiven thee.” And then, “Arise, and take up thy bed, and go thy way into thine house.” And immediately the man with palsy arose and took his bed and departed for home, “glorifying God.”

What more do we know of the friends who provided care for the man with palsy? We know that the Savior recognized their faith. And having seen and heard the Savior and being a witness to His miracles, they were “amazed” and “glorified God.”

Jesus Christ had provided the hoped-for healing—physical relief from pain and the crippling consequences of chronic disease. Significantly, the Savior also provided spiritual relief in cleansing the man from sin.

And the friends—in their efforts to care for one in need, they found the source of relief; they found Jesus Christ.

I testify that Jesus Christ is relief. Through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, we may be relieved of the burden and consequences of sin and be succored in our infirmities.

And because we love God and have covenanted to serve Him, we can partner with the Savior to help provide temporal and spiritual relief for those in need—and in the process find our own relief in Jesus Christ.

Our beloved prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, invited us to overcome the world and find rest. He defined “true rest” as “relief and peace.” President Nelson said, “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.” That is the relief Jesus Christ offers us!

Each of us is carrying a metaphorical backpack. It may be a basket balanced on your head or a satchel or a bundle of things wrapped in cloth and thrown over your shoulder. But for our thinking, let’s call it a backpack.

This metaphorical backpack is where we carry the burdens of living in a fallen world. Our burdens are like rocks in the backpack. Generally, there are three kinds:

Rocks there of our own doing because of sin.

Rocks in our backpack because of the poor decisions, misconduct, and unkindness of others.

And rocks we carry because we are living in a fallen condition. These include the rocks of disease, pain, chronic illness, grief, disappointment, loneliness, and the effects of natural disasters.

I joyfully declare that our mortal burdens, these rocks in our figurative backpack, need not feel heavy.

Jesus Christ can lighten our load.

Jesus Christ can lift our burdens.

Jesus Christ provides a way for us to be relieved of the weight of sin.

Jesus Christ is our relief.

He said:

“Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest [that is, relief and peace].

“Take my yoke upon you, and learn of me; for I am meek and lowly in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls.

“For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.”

That the yoke is easy and the burden is light presumes we get in the yoke with the Savior, that we share our burdens with Him, that we let Him lift our load. That means entering into a covenant relationship with God and keeping that covenant, which, as President Nelson has explained, “makes everything about life easier.” He said, “Yoking yourself with the Savior means you have access to His strength and redeeming power.”

So why are we stingy with our rocks? Why would a weary baseball pitcher refuse to leave the mound when a reliever is there ready to complete the game? Why would I insist on maintaining my post alone when the Reliever stands ready to keep it with me?

President Nelson has taught, “Jesus Christ … stands with open arms, hoping and willing to heal, forgive, cleanse, strengthen, purify, and sanctify us.”

So why do we insist on carrying our rocks alone?

It is intended as a personal question for each of you to consider.

For me, it is the age-old vice of pride. “I’ve got this,” I say. “No worries; I’ll get it done.” It’s the great deceiver who wants me to hide from God, to turn away from Him, to go at it alone.

Brothers and sisters, I can’t go at it alone, and I don’t need to, and I won’t. Choosing to be bound to my Savior, Jesus Christ, through the covenants I have made with God, “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”

Covenant keepers are blessed with the Savior’s relief.

Consider this example in the Book of Mormon: The people of Alma were persecuted with “tasks upon them, and … task-masters over them.” Forbidden to pray vocally, they “did pour out their hearts to [God]; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts.”

And “the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage.

“And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs.”

And their burdens “were made light,” and “the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.”

Those covenant keepers received relief in the form of comfort, increased patience and cheerfulness, an ease in their burdens so that they felt light, and ultimately deliverance.

Now let’s return to our own metaphorical backpack.

Repentance, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, is what relieves us of the weight of the rocks of sin. And by this exquisite gift, God’s mercy relieves us from the heavy and otherwise insurmountable demands of justice.

The Atonement of Jesus Christ also makes it possible for us to receive strength to forgive, which allows us to unload the weight we carry because of mistreatment by others.

So how does the Savior relieve us of the burdens of living in a fallen world with mortal bodies subject to grief and pain?

Often, He performs that kind of relief through us! As covenant members of His Church, we promise “to mourn with those that mourn” and “comfort those that stand in need of comfort.” Because we are “come into the fold of God” and are “called his people,” we “are willing to bear one another’s burdens, that they may be light.”

Our covenantal blessing is to partner with Jesus Christ in providing relief, both temporal and spiritual, to all of God’s children. We are a conduit through which He provides relief.

And so, like the friends of the man with palsy, we “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.” We “bear … one another’s burdens, and so fulfil the law of Christ.” As we do, we come to know Him, become like Him, and find His relief.

What is relief?

It is the removal or lightening of something painful, troubling, or burdensome, or the strength to endure it. It refers to a person who takes the place of another. It is the legal correction of a wrong. The Anglo-French word comes from Old French, the word relever, or “to raise up,” and from the Latin relevare, or “raise again.”

Brothers and sisters, Jesus Christ is relief. I testify that He did rise again on the third day and, having fulfilled the loving and infinite Atonement, stands with open arms, offering to us the opportunity to rise again, be saved, and be exalted and become like Him. The relief He offers us is everlasting.

Like the women visited by the angel on that first Easter morning, I wish to “go quickly” and with “great joy” to bring the word that He is risen. In the name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

Luke 5:20.

Mark 2:11.

Luke 5:25.

Luke 5:26.

See D. Todd Christofferson, “The First Commandment First” (Brigham Young University devotional, Mar. 22, 2022), 2, speeches.byu.edu: “Our love of God elevates our ability to love others more fully and perfectly because we in essence partner with God in the care of His children” (emphasis added).

See Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” Liahona, Nov. 2022, 95–98.

Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” 96.

Matthew 11:28–30.

Russell M. Nelson, “Overcome the World and Find Rest,” 97.

Russell M. Nelson, “We Can Do Better and Be Better,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2019, 67.

Philippians 4:13.

Mosiah 24:9.

Mosiah 24:12.

Mosiah 24:13–14; emphasis added.

Mosiah 24:15.

See Mosiah 24:13–14.

See Alma 34:14–16; see also Mosiah 15:8–9.

See Russell M. Nelson, “Four Gifts That Jesus Christ Offers to You” (First Presidency Christmas devotional, Dec. 2, 2018), broadcasts.ChurchofJesusChrist.org: “A second gift the Savior offers you is the ability to forgive. Through His infinite Atonement, you can forgive those who have hurt you and who may never accept responsibility for their cruelty to you.

“It is usually easy to forgive one who sincerely and humbly seeks your forgiveness. But the Savior will grant you the ability to forgive anyone who has mistreated you in any way. Then their hurtful acts can no longer canker your soul.”

Mosiah 18:9.

Mosiah 18:8.

Relief Society, the women’s organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, was organized by the Prophet Joseph Smith on March 17, 1842, as “a divinely established appendage to the priesthood” (Dallin H. Oaks, “The Keys and Authority of the Priesthood,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2014, 51). In selecting a name for the new organization, the word benevolent was considered, but relief was favored by the women. Emma Smith, the organization’s first president, and Eliza R. Snow, its secretary who later served as the second president of the Relief Society, explained that benevolent was a popular word—popular with the institutions of the day—but that popular “should not be our guide.” Emma expounded that the word relief better described their mission. “We are going to do something extraordinary … we expect extraordinary occasions and pressing calls” (Emma Smith, in Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, Mar. 17, 1842, 12, josephsmithpapers.org). Indeed, the mandate of Relief Society has always been to provide temporal and spiritual relief. Joseph Smith taught, “The Society is not only to relieve the poor, but to save souls” (in Nauvoo Relief Society Minute Book, June 9, 1842, 63, josephsmithpapers.org). And so the Relief Society continues to provide relief: “Relief of poverty, relief of illness; relief of doubt, relief of ignorance—relief of all that hinders the joy and progress of woman” (John A. Widtsoe, Evidences and Reconciliations, arr. G. Homer Durham, 3 vols. in 1 [1960], 308).

Doctrine and Covenants 81:5; see also Hebrews 12:12.

Galatians 6:2.

In one of the early meetings of the newly organized Relief Society, Lucy Mack Smith, the mother of the Prophet Joseph Smith, said, “We must cherish one another, watch over one another, comfort one another and gain instruction, that we may all sit down in heaven together.” Historian Jennifer Reeder wrote of this, “In a united cause to provide relief, the women partnered with Christ, and in so doing, they found His relief” (First: The Life and Faith of Emma Smith [2021], 130).

See Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, “relief.”

See Dictionary.com, “relief.”

See Matthew 28:1–8.

By Elder Russell M. Nelson

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Recently Sister Nelson and I were in Denmark during the commemoration of the 150th anniversary of the Church in Scandinavia. Between meetings, we took a few hours to search for villages where two of my father’s grandparents were born. They were among the early converts to the Church in Denmark. Father’s paternal grandmother’s family lived in the western part of the country. His paternal grandfather’s family lived in northern Denmark. Thanks to a good driver and a superb map, we found each town on our list and obtained treasured information. During the entire journey, my hands were riveted to that valuable map so essential to achieve our goals.

In contrast, many people travel through life without good guidance, lacking knowledge of a desired destination or how to get there. But if rapt attention is paid to a road map for a day’s journey, isn’t it also wise to pay attention to authoritative guidance on our journey through life? To this end I would like to speak—on why we need guidance, where we obtain it, and how we can achieve it.

The question why focuses on the purpose of life. The ultimate objective in our mortal journey has been revealed by our Creator, who said, “If you keep my commandments and endure to the end you shall have eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.”

His gift of eternal life is subject to conditions established by Him. Those conditions constitute a plan or, to use my analogy, a spiritual road map. And when trouble comes, guidance is needed most. In our journey in Denmark, we met an unexpected detour that led us astray. In order to get back on course, we stopped the car. We studied the map with great care. Then we made the necessary course correction.

What if you are lost and have no map? Suppose you are alone. You do not know where you are. What can you do? You call for help! You call home! Call the Church! Pray! When connected with your help line, you learn that you need to make a climb here or a turn there to get back on course. Or you may have to go back to the beginning in order to be certain that you can get where you want to go.

That brings us to the question of where do we obtain the guidance we need. We turn to Him who knows us best—our Creator. He allowed us to come to earth with freedom to choose our own course. In His great love, He did not leave us alone. He provided a guide—a spiritual road map—to help us achieve success in our journey. We call that guide the standard works, so named because they—the Holy Bible, the Book of Mormon, the Doctrine and Covenants, and the Pearl of Great Price—constitute the standard by which we should live. They serve as a standard of reference, as are standards of time, weights, and measures that are kept in national bureaus of standards.

To reach our objective of eternal life, we need to follow teachings in the standard works and other revelations received from prophets of God. Our loving Lord foresaw our need for guidance: “For strait is the gate,” He said, “and narrow the way that leadeth unto the exaltation and continuation of the lives, and few there be that find it.”

Few find the way, because they ignore the divine road map provided by the Lord. An even more serious mistake is to ignore the Maker of the map. God declared in the first of His Ten Commandments, “Thou shalt have no other gods before me.” Yet carnal man tends to let his loyalty drift toward idols.

For example, we marvel at computers and the Internet that enable transmission of data with remarkable speed. We are truly grateful for these electronic servants. But if we let them take over our time, pervert our potential, or poison our minds with pornography, they cease being servants and become instead false gods.

The Master warned of those who “seek not the Lord to establish his righteousness, but every man walketh in his own way, and after the image of his own god, whose image is in the likeness of the world, and whose substance is that of an idol.”

False gods can only lead to dead ends. If our journey through life is to be successful, we need to follow divine direction. The Lord said, “Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not.” And the Psalmist wrote, “Thy word is a lamp unto my feet, and a light unto my path.”

Following such counsel demands not only conviction but conversion and often repentance. That would please the Lord, who said, “Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn … from all your abominations.”

In your journey through life, you meet many obstacles and make some mistakes. Scriptural guidance helps you to recognize error and make the necessary correction. You stop going in the wrong direction. You carefully study the scriptural road map. Then you proceed with repentance and restitution required to get on the “strait and narrow path which leads to eternal life.”

Brothers and sisters, our busy lives force us to focus on things we do from day to day. But the development of character comes only as we focus on who we really are. To establish and accomplish those greater goals, we do need heavenly help.

Once we understand why we need guidance and where we obtain it, we then ask, how can we achieve it? How can we truly live, not “by bread alone, but by every word that proceedeth out of the mouth of God”?

We begin with a determination to “liken all scriptures unto us … for our profit and learning.” If we “press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, … [we] shall have eternal life.”

To feast means more than to taste. To feast means to savor. We savor the scriptures by studying them in a spirit of delightful discovery and faithful obedience. When we feast upon the words of Christ, they are embedded “in fleshy tables of the heart.” They become an integral part of our nature.

Many years ago a medical colleague chastised me for failing to separate my professional knowledge from my religious convictions. That startled me because I did not feel that truth should be fractionalized. Truth is indivisible.

Danger lurks when we divide ourselves with expressions such as “my private life,” “my professional life,” or even “my best behavior.” Living life in separate compartments can lead to internal conflict and exhausting tension. To escape that tension, many people unwisely resort to addicting substances, pleasure seeking, or self-indulgence, which in turn produce more tension, thus creating a vicious cycle.

Inner peace comes only as we maintain the integrity of truth in all aspects of our lives. When we covenant to follow the Lord and obey His commandments, we accept His standards in every thought, action, and deed.

Living the Lord’s standards requires that we cultivate the gift of the Holy Ghost. That gift helps us understand doctrine and apply it personally. Because truth given by revelation can only be understood by revelation, our studies need to be prayerful. Scriptures attest to the efficacy of prayer in daily life. One is in Proverbs: “In all thy ways acknowledge [God], and he shall direct thy paths.” Another comes from the Book of Mormon: “Counsel with the Lord in all thy doings, and he will direct thee for good.”

As you ponder and pray about doctrinal principles, the Holy Ghost will speak to your mind and your heart. From events portrayed in the scriptures, new insights will come and principles relevant to your situation will distill upon your heart.

You cultivate such revelatory experiences by living according to the light already given you and by searching the scriptures with pure motives—with real intent to “come unto Christ.” As you do so, your confidence will “wax strong in the presence of God,” and the Holy Ghost will be your constant companion.

Achieving scriptural guidance is aided by posing pertinent questions. You might ask, “What principle can be learned from these teachings of the Lord?” For example, scriptures teach that the Creation was accomplished in six periods of time. Principles learned from that study show that any great attainment requires proper planning, timing, patience, labor, and no shortcuts.

Next, I suggest that you shape the style of your study to fit you. One way is to read a book of scripture from the first page to the last. This method gives good overall perspective. But other approaches also have merit. Attention to a particular topic or a specific theme, supplemented by use of cross-referencing footnotes and study guides, can help to switch on the light of doctrinal understanding.

Guidance can come when grappling with a serious challenge in life. Years ago, in the days of my early scientific research in a field that was then new to medical practice, a scriptural standard of truth gave me the courage needed to persevere. I leaned heavily upon these verses in the Doctrine and Covenants:

“All kingdoms have a law given;

“And there are many kingdoms; for there is no space in the which there is no kingdom; and there is no kingdom in which there is no space. …

“And unto every kingdom is given a law; and unto every law there are certain bounds also and conditions.” We learned laws that pertained to the “kingdom” of our concern and mastered control that had previously been relegated by ignorance to chance alone.

Motivation for scriptural guidance comes when important choices must be made—even between options that are equally right. The Brethren are often faced with these kinds of decisions. On such an occasion, we turn to the scriptures. We may read all of the standard works afresh, looking for insights relative to a specific issue.

Time for scripture study requires a schedule that will be honored. Otherwise, blessings that matter most will be at the mercy of things that matter least. Time for family scripture study may be difficult to establish. Years ago when our children were at home, they attended different grades in several schools. Their daddy had to be at the hospital no later than 7:00 in the morning. In family council we determined that our best time for scripture study was 6:00 a.m. At that hour our little ones were very sleepy but supportive. Occasionally we had to awaken one when a turn came to read. I would be less than honest with you if I conveyed the impression that our family scripture time was a howling success. Occasionally it was more howling than successful. But we did not give up.

Now, a generation later, our children are all married with families of their own. Sister Nelson and I have watched them enjoy family scripture study in their own homes. Their efforts are much more successful than were ours. We shudder to think what might have happened if we had quit trying.

We all need guidance through life. We obtain it best from the standard works and teachings of the prophets of God. With diligent effort, we can achieve that guidance and thus qualify for all of the blessings that God has in store for His faithful children. I so testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Gørding, Vejrup, and Vester Nebel, in Ribe County.

Mølholm, Støre Brøndum, in Ålborg County.

D&C 14:7.

See D&C 130:21.

See D&C 1:38.

D&C 132:22.

Ex. 20:3.

D&C 1:16.

D&C 6:36.

Ps. 119:105.

Ezek. 14:6.

2 Ne. 31:18; see also Matt. 7:14; Jacob 6:11; 3 Ne. 14:14; 27:33; D&C 132:22.

Matt. 4:4.

1 Ne. 19:23.

2 Ne. 31:20.

Scriptures give encouragement to live in accord with the will of our Maker, who said, “If thou turn away … from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, … and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, … then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord” (Isa. 58:13–14). Self-esteem is also earned by obedience to God’s commandments regarding chastity (see Ex. 20:14; Lev. 18:22; Matt. 5:28; 1 Cor. 6:9; 3 Ne. 12:28; D&C 42:24; 59:6).

2 Cor. 3:3.

See 1 Cor. 2:11–14.

Prov. 3:6.

Alma 37:37.

See D&C 8:2.

Jacob 1:7; Omni 1:26; Moro. 10:30, 32.

D&C 121:45; see also v. 46.

As any good thing can be misused, a word of warning may be appropriate. The scriptures don’t have the answers to every question. Many important truths have yet to be revealed. Preoccupation with the so-called “mysteries” should be avoided. Beware also of private interpretation. Look to the living prophets and official policies for interpretation. Don’t judge others whose circumstances are not yours to judge. We are reassured, however, that they who “diligently [seek] shall find; and the mysteries of God shall be unfolded unto them, by the power of the Holy Ghost” (1 Ne. 10:19). Keep in mind, too, that many revelations have been given in response to prophetic inquiry.

It is interesting to note that the first and last books of the Old Testament pose important questions: “Am I my brother’s keeper?” (Gen. 4:9), and “Will a man rob God?” (Mal. 3:8).

See Ex. 20:11; 31:17; Mosiah 13:19; D&C 77:12; Abr. 4:31.

In your personal scripture study, you may wish to correlate your reading with a Church-outlined course of study, such as the Gospel Doctrine curriculum. Some like to prepare memorization cards that they can use while waiting for appointments or meetings.

D&C 88:36–38.

Personal and family scripture study can employ books, recordings, or other material. Those who will establish a time for scripture study and endure in that endeavor will maintain a positive spirit throughout their days.

By Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

It has been called by some the greatest short story ever told. Since it has been translated into thousands of languages across the world, it is quite possible that during the past two millennia, the sun has not set without the story being referenced somewhere in the world.

It was told by Jesus Christ, our Savior and Redeemer, who came to earth “to save that which was lost.” He begins with these simple words: “A certain man had two sons.”

Immediately we learn of a heartbreaking conflict. One son tells his father he is through with life at home. He wants his freedom. He wants to leave behind the culture and teachings of his parents. He asks for his share of the inheritance—now.

Can you imagine what the father felt when he heard this? When he realized that what his son wanted more than anything else was to leave the family and perhaps never return?

The son must have felt a thrill of adventure and excitement. At long last, he was on his own. Free from the principles and rules of the culture of his youth, he could finally make his own choices without being influenced by his parents. No more guilt. He could bask in the acceptance of a like-minded community and live life on his own terms.

Arriving in a faraway country, he quickly made new friends and began living the life he had always dreamed of. He must have been a favorite of many, for he spent money freely. His new friends—beneficiaries of his prodigality—did not judge him. They celebrated, applauded, and championed his choices.

Had there been social media in that time, surely he would have filled pages with animated photos of laughing friends: #Livingmybestlife! #Neverhappier! #Shouldhavedonethislongago!

But the party did not last—it rarely does. Two things happened: first, he ran out of money, and second, a famine swept through the land.

As the problems worsened, he panicked. The once unstoppable, jubilant high roller now could not afford a single meal, let alone a place to stay. How would he survive?

He had been generous to his friends—would they help him now? I can see him asking for a little support—just for now—until he got back on his feet.

The scriptures tell us, “No man gave unto him.”

Desperate to remain alive, he found a local farmer who hired him to feed swine.

Extremely hungry now, abandoned and alone, the young man must have wondered how things could have gone so terribly, dreadfully wrong.

It wasn’t just an empty stomach that troubled him. It was an empty soul. He had been so sure that giving in to his worldly desires would make him happy, that moral laws were obstacles to that happiness. Now he knew better. And oh, what a price he had to pay for that knowledge!

As the physical and spiritual hunger grew, his thoughts returned to his father. Would he help him after all that had happened? Even the humblest of his father’s servants had food to eat and shelter from the storms.

But return to his father?

Never.

Confess to his village that he had squandered his inheritance?

Impossible.

Face the neighbors who surely had warned him that he was disgracing his family and breaking his parents’ hearts? Return to his old friends after boasting of how he was breaking free?

Unbearable.

But the hunger, loneliness, and remorse simply wouldn’t go away—until “he came to himself.”

He knew what he needed to do.

Now let us go back to the father, the brokenhearted master of the house. How many hundreds, perhaps thousands, of hours had he spent worrying about his son?

How many times had he looked down the very road his son had taken and relived the penetrating loss he had felt as his son walked away? How many prayers had he offered in the deep of night, pleading with God that his son would be safe, that he would discover truth, that he would return?

And then one day, the father looks out on that lonely road—the road that leads home—and sees a distant figure walking toward him.

Is it possible?

Though the individual is a great way off, the father knows in an instant it is his son.

He runs to him, throws his arms around him, and kisses him.

“Father,” the son cries out, in words he must have rehearsed a thousand times, “I have sinned against both heaven and you. I am no longer worthy to be called your son. All I ask is that you take me in as a hired servant.”

But the father scarcely lets him finish. Tears in his eyes, he commands his servants: “Bring the finest robe in the house and place it on my son’s shoulders. Put a ring on his finger and sandals on his feet. Make a feast to celebrate. My son has returned!”

In my office hangs a painting by the German artist Richard Burde. Harriet and I love this painting. It depicts one tender scene from the Savior’s parable in a deeper perspective.

While almost everyone is overjoyed at the son’s return, one is not—his older brother.

He is carrying some emotional baggage.

He was there when his brother demanded his inheritance. He witnessed firsthand the massive weight of grief on his father.

Ever since his brother left, he has tried to lift his father’s burden. Every day, he has worked to restore his father’s broken heart.

And now the reckless child is back, and people can’t stop lavishing attention on his rebellious brother.

“All these years,” he tells his father, “never once have I refused to do a single thing you asked. Yet in all that time, you never celebrated me.”

The loving father responds, “Dear son, all that I have is yours! This is not about comparing rewards or celebrations. This is about healing. This is the moment we have been hoping for all these years. Your brother was dead and is alive again! He was lost but now he is found!”

My beloved brothers and sisters, dear friends, like all of the Savior’s parables, this one is not just about people living long ago. It’s about you and me, today.

Who among us has not departed from the path of holiness, foolishly thinking we could find more happiness going our own self-centered way?

Who among us has not felt humbled, brokenhearted, and desperate for forgiveness and mercy?

Perhaps some may even have wondered, “Is it even possible to go back? Will I be labeled forever, rejected, and avoided by my former friends? Is it better to just stay lost? How will God react if I try to return?”

This parable gives us the answer.

Our Heavenly Father will run to us, His heart overflowing with love and compassion. He will embrace us; place a robe around our shoulders, a ring on our finger, and sandals on our feet; and proclaim, “Today we celebrate! For my child, who once was dead, has come back to life!”

Heaven will rejoice at our return.

May I take a moment now and speak to you individually?

No matter what may have happened in your life, I echo and proclaim the words of my beloved friend and fellow Apostle Elder Jeffrey R. Holland: “It is not possible for you to sink lower than the infinite light of Christ’s [atoning sacrifice] shines.”

Though choices may have taken you far away from the Savior and His Church, the Master Healer stands at the road that leads home, welcoming you. And we as members of the Church of Jesus Christ seek to follow His example and embrace you as our brothers and sisters, as our friends. We rejoice and celebrate with you.

Your return will not diminish the blessings of others. For the Father’s bounty is infinite, and what is given to one does not in the slightest diminish the birthright of others.

I do not pretend that coming back is an easy thing to do. I can testify of that. It may, in fact, be the toughest choice you will ever make.

But I bear witness that the moment you decide to return and walk in the way of our Savior and Redeemer, His power will enter your life and transform it.

Angels in heaven will rejoice.

And so will we, your family in Christ. After all, we know what it’s like to be a prodigal. We all rely daily on the same atoning power of Christ. We know this path, and we will walk with you.

No, our path will not be free from grief, sorrow, or sadness. But we came this far “by the word of Christ with unshaken faith in him, relying wholly upon the merits of him who is mighty to save.” And together we will “press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all [people].” Together we will “rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory,” for Jesus Christ is our strength!

It is my prayer that each one of us may hear, in this profound parable, the Father’s voice calling us to enter the road that leads home—that we may have the courage to repent, receive forgiveness, and follow the path that leads back to our compassionate and merciful God. Of this I bear witness and leave you my blessing in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Found in Luke 15, the parable is one of three (the lost sheep, the lost coin, and the lost son) that illustrate the value of lost things and the celebration that occurs when that which was lost is found.

Luke 19:10.

Luke 15:11.

This son was probably young. He was unmarried, which may be an indication of his youth, but not so young that he wasn’t able to demand his inheritance and leave home once he had obtained it.

By Jewish law and tradition, the older of two sons was entitled to a two-thirds portion of the father’s inheritance. The younger son, therefore, was entitled to a one-third portion. (See Deuteronomy 21:17.)

See Luke 15:13.

See Luke 15:14.

Luke 15:16.

To the Jews, pigs were considered “unclean” (see Deuteronomy 14:8) and were offensive. Practicing Jews would not have raised swine, which indicates the overseer was a Gentile. It could also suggest how far the young son had traveled to be away from practicing Jews.

Elder Neal A. Maxwell taught: “Of course, it is better if we are humbled ‘because of the word’ rather than being [humbled] by circumstances, yet the latter may do! (see Alma 32:13–14). Famine can induce spiritual hunger” (“The Tugs and Pulls of the World,” Ensign, Nov. 2000, 36; Liahona, Jan. 2001, 45).

Luke 15:17.

See Luke 15:20.

See Luke 15:18–19, 21.

See Luke 15:22–24.

Remember, the younger son had already received his inheritance. For the older one, that meant that everything else belonged to him. Giving anything to the younger son would mean to take it away from the son who stayed.

See Luke 15:29.

See Luke 15:31–32.

Jeffrey R. Holland, “The Laborers in the Vineyard,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2012, 33.

What is given to one does not in the slightest diminish the birthright of others. The Savior taught this doctrine when He offered the parable of the laborers in Matthew 20:1–16.

See Alma 34:31.

2 Nephi 31:19–20.

1 Peter 1:8.

See Psalm 28:7.

Words and music by Stephen P. Schank

1. Jesus walked in wisdom; Jesus grew in truth.

He showed love to God and man while in His youth.

Jesus wants to guide me. Jesus shows the way,

Calling me to come and walk with Him each day.

2. I can grow like Jesus. I will try each day—

Promising to walk His path and there to stay.

Standing by my Savior, safe within His care,

Step by step I’ll follow, and His love I’ll share.

3. I will trust in Jesus. I will hear His call.

He will never leave me, even when I fall.

Jesus gives me power, lifts and comforts me,

Helping me to live and grow eternally.

Chorus: As I walk with Jesus to my home above,

He will bless me with His Spirit and fill me with His love,

Change my heart forever and help me clearly see.

I will walk with Jesus, and He will walk with me.

Watch a sing-along video for this song at children.ChurchofJesusChrist.org. Click on “Videos.”

© 2019 by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved. This song may be copied for incidental, noncommercial church or home use. This notice must appear on each copy made.

By Elder Clement M. Matswagothata

Of the Seventy

Years ago, as I nervously walked up to speak at a stake conference, my daughter, trying to calm my nerves, said, “Dad, don’t worry about making a mistake. No one here will remember our long surname anyway.”

My surname, Matswagothata, is from Botswana. In my home language, it means “getting out of a difficult situation” or “someone who can do hard things.” And while I haven’t always felt like I can do hard things, my surname is a reminder to me that the Savior can and will guide us through every season of life—especially through difficult times.

We all need reminders like that throughout our mortal journey. Perhaps this is why our loving Father in Heaven gives us the opportunity every week to make a covenant with Him as part of the ordinance of the sacrament. He invites us to take upon ourselves the name of His Son, always remember Him, and keep His commandments. He gives us power to rise above mortality’s challenges.

As much as my surname has brought hope and resilience to my family, I rejoice even more in the name of Jesus Christ, for in and through His name all who come unto Him can be saved. Even as Jesus Christ invites us to always remember Him and take upon ourselves His name, He also remembers us and knows each of us by name.

In the Old Testament, the Lord taught Moses this assuring truth: “I know thee by name.”

In Eden’s garden, He called Adam.

At the empty tomb, He called Mary.

On the road to Damascus, He called Saul.

And in the Sacred Grove, He called Joseph.

All by name.

And He knows you and calls you by name too—from crowded cities to quiet villages, in whatever language you speak. He hears, sees, and knows you.

He knows your joys, and He rejoices with you. He knows your sorrows, and He can succor and lift you. Because of His Atonement, He knows your burdens, pain, and silent tears. The prophet Alma taught that through His Atonement, Jesus Christ would “take upon him the sins of his people.”

Alma also taught, “He shall go forth, suffering pains and afflictions and temptations of every kind; and … he will take upon him the pains and the sicknesses of his people … , that he may know … how to succor his people according to their infirmities.”

Brothers and sisters, many carry quiet burdens—grief, illness, loneliness, anxiety, or prayers that seem unanswered. Others face conflict or isolation that few of us fully understand.

When life feels unfair and confusing, in those dark moments when you are tempted to ask, “O God, where art thou?” please remember this powerful truth: He knows you. He who “descended below all things” knows how to heal your broken heart and make you whole again. Trust His promise that the sun will rise again for you and tomorrow will be better than today.

I learned this more deeply during a difficult season of my life. Early in my service as a young stake president, as my wife, Busi, and I were raising our family, it felt as though one challenge followed another. We had just buried my mother. Two weeks later, we stood again at a graveside—this time with my counselor, mourning his teenage son. Work pressures felt overwhelming, and I began to wonder if I was measuring up—at home, at work, and before the Lord.

My prayers were best expressed in the Primary song: “Heavenly Father, are you really there? And do you hear and answer ev’ry child’s prayer?”

My answer came in an unexpected way.

One Sunday, while driving to a ward conference, I poured my heart out to the Lord. When I arrived at the meetinghouse, a bright-eyed Primary boy stopped me and said, “We need to talk.” With a very serious look on his face, he asked—almost in a scolding voice—“When are you going to stop being a naughty boy?” I knew I was in some kind of trouble. Before I could respond, he added, “Every morning and every night, my parents ask us to pray for you.”

I will never be able to fully describe what I felt as I stood there. I felt seen. I felt loved. I felt known. I felt that I was not alone. And as I looked into that child’s eyes, I felt the warmth of the Savior’s love.

To the Savior, we are never lost in the crowd. He knows how to reach us—through a hymn, a smile, a kind word, and sometimes through people we least expect. Just as that family prayed for me, there is someone praying for you.

Please remember: Your pain is not a sign that God does not love you. He truly does. So, as President D. Todd Christofferson taught, “In the midst of [the] refiner’s fire, rather than get angry with God, get close to God.”

You see, not only does the Savior know you, but He also wants you to come to know Him and His Father. In His great Intercessory Prayer, He declared, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”

He is the Good Shepherd, who leads us to green pastures and still waters. He is the Light of the World, who lights our path so that we need not walk in darkness.

The question should never be “Will the Savior walk with me?” He will. The real question is “Will I walk with Him?”

As we choose to walk with Jesus Christ, everything begins to change. He is no longer a casual acquaintance but a trusted heavenly friend. May I invite you to choose to remember Him and follow Him—not casually or occasionally but deliberately and always. May we become the kind of disciples who notice, reach out, and lift as the Savior did.

I bear witness that as we listen to His voice in the scriptures, follow the teachings of living prophets and apostles, repent daily, and heed His invitation to “Come, follow me,” we will find peace in this ever-tumultuous world.

We will feel of His Spirit and experience joy even in our most trying moments. We will find strength to trust in Him and His promises of a better tomorrow.

“Getting out of a difficult situation” is more than a family name to me. It is a witness of an eternal reality: that through faith in Jesus Christ and by taking upon us His name through the covenants made at baptism, during the sacrament, and in His holy house, we gain access to His enabling power—power that can and will change our lives. I know that in His time and in His way, there is always a way forward. Because He not only knows the way; He is the way.

Whether your name represents the first generation in the Church or a multigenerational heritage of faith, the most eternity-shaping name we can receive is the sacred name of Jesus Christ. We honor those who came before us, but above all we honor Him, for in His name we are bound through covenant identity.

I testify that Jesus Christ restored His Church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. It bears His name and contains the fulness of His gospel, with ordinances and covenants that bind us to Him. I testify that Jesus is the Christ, the Prince of Peace. He will renew our strength and bring us joy, for He comes “with healing in his wings.” He reaches for us again and again because He desires to lead us home—one by one, by name. In the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Exodus 33:17.

See Genesis 3:9.

See John 20:16.

See Acts 9:4.

See Joseph Smith—History 1:17.

Alma 7:13.

Alma 7:11–12.

Doctrine and Covenants 121:1.

Doctrine and Covenants 88:6.

“A Child’s Prayer,” Children’s Songbook, 12.

D. Todd Christofferson, “Our Relationship with God,” Liahona, May 2022, 79.

John 17:3.

See Psalm 23:2; John 10:11.

See John 8:12.

Luke 18:22.

“They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint” (Isaiah 40:31).

See John 14:6.

3 Nephi 25:2.

By President Russell M. Nelson

President of the Church

This has been an inspirational and historic conference. We look to the future with enthusiasm. We have been motivated to do better and to be better. The marvelous messages delivered from this pulpit by our General Authorities and General Officers and the music have been sublime! I urge you to study these messages, commencing this week. They express the mind and the will of the Lord for His people, today.

The new home-centered, Church-supported integrated curriculum has the potential to unleash the power of families, as each family follows through conscientiously and carefully to transform their home into a sanctuary of faith. I promise that as you diligently work to remodel your home into a center of gospel learning, over time your Sabbath days will truly be a delight. Your children will be excited to learn and to live the Savior’s teachings, and the influence of the adversary in your life and in your home will decrease. Changes in your family will be dramatic and sustaining.

During this conference we have strengthened our resolve to execute the essential effort to honor the Lord Jesus Christ every time we refer to His Church. I promise you that our rigorous attention to use the correct name of the Savior’s Church and its members will lead to increased faith and access to greater spiritual power for members of His Church.

Now let’s turn to the topic of temples. We know that our time in the temple is crucial to our salvation and exaltation and to that of our families.

After we receive our own temple ordinances and make sacred covenants with God, each one of us needs the ongoing spiritual strengthening and tutoring that is possible only in the house of the Lord. And our ancestors need us to serve as proxy for them.

Consider the great mercy and fairness of God, who, before the foundation of the world, provided a way to give temple blessings to those who died without a knowledge of the gospel. These sacred temple rites are ancient. To me that antiquity is thrilling and another evidence of their authenticity.

My dear brothers and sisters, the assaults of the adversary are increasing exponentially, in intensity and in variety. Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater. I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how you spend your time. Invest time in your future and in that of your family. If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment regularly with the Lord—to be in His holy house—then keep that appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples.

Currently we have 159 dedicated temples. The proper care and maintenance of those temples is very important to us. With the passage of time, temples are inevitably in need of refreshing and renewal. To that end, plans are now being made to renovate and update the Salt Lake Temple and other pioneer-generation temples. Details on these projects will be shared as they are developed.

Today we are pleased to announce plans to construct 12 more temples. Those temples will be built in the following locations: Mendoza, Argentina; Salvador, Brazil; Yuba City, California; Phnom Penh, Cambodia; Praia, Cape Verde; Yigo, Guam; Puebla, Mexico; Auckland, New Zealand; Lagos, Nigeria; Davao, Philippines; San Juan, Puerto Rico; and Washington County, Utah.

Building and maintaining temples may not change your life, but spending your time in the temple surely will. To those who have long been absent from the temple, I encourage you to prepare and return as soon as possible. Then I invite you to worship in the temple and pray to feel deeply the Savior’s infinite love for you, that each of you may gain your own testimony that He directs this sacred and ageless work.

Brothers and sisters, I thank you for your faith and sustaining efforts. I leave my love and blessing upon you, that you may feast upon the word of the Lord and apply His teachings in your personal lives. I assure you that revelation continues in the Church and will continue until “the purposes of God shall be accomplished, and the Great Jehovah shall say the work is done.”

I bless you with increased faith in Him and in His holy work, with faith and patience to endure your personal challenges in life. I bless you to become exemplary Latter-day Saints. I so bless you and bear my testimony that God lives! Jesus is the Christ! This is His Church. We are His people, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

See general conference messages online at LDS.org and on the Gospel Library app. They will be printed in the Ensign and Liahona. The Church magazines, including the New Era and the Friend, delivered through the mail or downloaded online, are an important part of your home-centered gospel curriculum.

See, for example, Exodus 28; 29; Leviticus 8.

See Mosiah 4:29.

See Wilford Woodruff, “The Law of Adoption,” discourse delivered at the general conference of the Church, Apr. 8, 1894. President Woodruff said: “We have not got through [with] revelation. We have not got through [with] the work of God. … There will be no end to this work until it is perfected” (Deseret Evening News, Apr. 14, 1894, 9).

Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith (2007), 142.