324! I’ve counted 324 invitations that Russell M. Nelson has given since being sustained as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on January 14th 2018.
Recently I had a friend who told me that while he believed Joseph Smith was a true prophet, he did not believe that Russell M. Nelson is the prophet, seer, and revelator and the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys today. To him, the The Church was good thing and that God uses the President of the Church just to do good things. But he did not believe that the Church is the Lord’s kingdom on the earth nor that he needed to heed every counsel given by the church as if it was spoken by the Lord.
I bore my own witness of The Church being lead by Jesus Christ Himself and that I do fully sustain Russell M Nelson as His prophet and President of the Church today. But our visit left me unsettled. I wished my words and testimony had even more conviction and power behind them. So I made a resolve to deepen my testimony and understanding by studying everything I could find that Russell M. Nelson has stated since being sustained as President of the Church.
I kept tract of every invitation he’s given and did my best to live every single one of them. As I’ve reviewed my notes, I have recorded XXX invitations. I’ve included my personal list in this blog post. Several invitations could fall into couple of categories, so I’ve just done the best I could. It’s also possible I may have missed a few invitations in my studies and I intend to continue to add them here as I find them and as the Prophet makes more invitations.
Some invitations reappeared more than once. The themes and insights are outstanding. But even more importantly, as I’ve reviewed my own life, I am a changed man forever.
I can say with great conviction and certainty that I know Russell M Nelson is the prophet, seer, and revelator and the only person on the earth authorized to exercise all priesthood keys on the earth. I know that Jesus is The Christ. I know He Lives and directs His True Church – The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I know whether it is spoken by His own voice or the voice of His servants, it is the same.
To my friends who are struggling with their testimonies of the Prophet. I invite you to do this challenge. I have tried it for myself. I have seen the fruits and that they are good. I am certain and know these things by the power of the Holy Ghost. You will also come to know that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is being led by our Savior and that it is true.
Hear Him
31 Invitations
- I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation.
– Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives - Find a quiet place where you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and for comfort.
– Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives - Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses—yes, the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will “grow into the principle of revelation.”
– Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives - I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation,
– Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives - If we will truly receive the Holy Ghost and learn to discern and understand His promptings, we will be guided in matters large and small.
– Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives - Nothing opens the heavens quite like the combination of increased purity, exact obedience, earnest seeking, daily feasting on the words of Christ in the Book of Mormon,14 and regular time committed to temple and family history work.
– Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives - But I promise that as you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, you will be given the knowledge and understanding you seek. Every blessing the Lord has for you—even miracles—will follow. That is what personal revelation will do for you.
– Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives - Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.
– Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives - With Moroni, I exhort you on this Easter Sabbath to “come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift,”15 beginning with the gift of the Holy Ghost, which gift can and will change your life.
– Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives - Now I plead with each of you to do as the teenaged Joseph did. Take your questions directly to your Heavenly Father in prayer. Ask Him, in the name of Jesus Christ, to guide you.
– Hope of Israel - If you will sincerely and persistently do the spiritual work needed to develop the crucial, spiritual skill of learning how to hear the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, you will have all the direction you will ever need in your life.
– Hope of Israel - Ask the Lord to teach you how to open the heavens to bless your life and the lives of those you love and serve.
– Hear Him - 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.
– Hear Him - I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation.
– Hear Him - We have prayed, and invite you to pray, that the Spirit of the Lord will be with us in such rich abundance that you can hear the messages that the Savior has especially for you—messages that will bring peace to your soul.
– Opening Message - Allow the Lord to lead you on your journey of spiritual discovery.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - Ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, for help.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - Seek revelation from the Lord.
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget - Ask!
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget - Listen!
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget - Open your heart to God in prayer.
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget - I plead with you today to counter the lure of the world by making time for the Lord in your life—each and every day.
– Make Time for the Lord - I plead with you to make time for the Lord!
– Make Time for the Lord - If you have not yet sought for the ministering of the Holy Ghost to help you hear what the Lord would have you hear during these two days, I invite you to do so now. Please make this conference a time of feasting on messages from the Lord through His servants. Learn how to apply them in your life.
– Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation - Learn of your divine purpose and then live up to it. This will come to you as you seek for it. Ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, how He feels about you and your mission here on earth. If you ask with real intent, over time the Spirit will whisper this life-changing truth to you. Record those impressions, review them often, and follow through with exactness.
– Facebook February 18, 2018 - Take your questions directly to your Heavenly Father in prayer. Ask Him, in the name of Jesus Christ, to guide you.
– Facebook June 27, 2018 - Open your heart to God in prayer.
– Facebook April 3, 2021 - My dear friends, today I wish to share with you a special invitation… Today, this most-important invitation from our loving Heavenly Father to listen to the voice of the Lord and to follow His teachings is extended to us. In this special year as we commemorate the 200th anniversary of the First Vision, I invite you to think deeply and often about this key question: How do you hear Him?
– Facebook 26, 2020 - Pour out your hearts to God. Remember to pray to Him every morning and night. Pray with your families. Pray in private. Pray to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost. In doing so, He will direct you for good in everything you do.
– Facebook August 29th, 2019 - We can have that communication instantly. And then, as we pray, a suggestion: we take a little time to listen.
– Facebook May 17th, 2019 - I pray that you and your family are preparing to hear the words the Lord will speak to you through His servants. General conference is a magnificent opportunity to feel the depth of the Lord’s love for you
– Facebook September 20, 2020 - Let Him know through your prayers and your actions that you are serious about overcoming the world. Ask Him to enlighten your mind and send the help you need. Each day, record the thoughts that come to you as you pray; then follow through diligently.
– Facebook October 2, 2022 - From this pulpit today and tomorrow, you will continue to hear truth. Please make notes of thoughts that catch your attention and those that come into your mind and stay in your heart. Prayerfully ask the Lord to confirm that what you have heard is true.
– What is True?
Study
32 Invitations
- I exhort you to study the messages of this conference frequently—even repeatedly—during the next six months.
– Let Us all Press On - Conscientiously look for ways to incorporate these messages in your family home evenings, your gospel teaching, your conversations with family and friends, and even your discussions with those not of our faith. Many good people will respond to the truths taught in this conference when offered in love. And your desire to obey will be enhanced as you remember and reflect upon what you have felt these past two days.
–Let Us all Press On - I urge you to study these messages, commencing this week. They express the mind and the will of the Lord for His people, today.
– Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints - feast upon the word of the Lord and apply His teachings in your personal lives.
Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints - I invite you to read the Book of Mormon between now and the end of the year.
– Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel - I would encourage you to mark each verse that speaks of or refers to the Savior. Then, be intentional about talking of Christ, rejoicing in Christ, and preaching of Christ with your families and friends.2 You and they will be drawn closer to the Savior through this process. And changes, even miracles, will begin to happen.
– Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel - I invite you to study prayerfully about temples in the scriptures and in the words of living prophets. Seek to know more, to understand more, to feel more about temples than you ever have before.
– Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel - I urge you to study the current Relief Society purpose statement. It is inspiring. It may guide you in developing your own purpose statement for your own life.
– Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel - I also entreat you to savor the truths in the Relief Society declaration published almost 20 years ago.
– Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel] - continue to read daily from the Book of Mormon
– Hope of Israel - Now, as His humble servant, I plead with you to study this booklet again. Prayerfully read it like you’ve never read it before. Mark it up. Talk about it. Discuss the standards with your friends. Decide how you can live these standards, your standards, with even more exactness.
– Hope of Israel - So, I invite you to study prayerfully section 25 of the Doctrine and Covenants and discover what the Holy Ghost will teach you. Your personal spiritual endeavor will bring you joy as you gain, understand, and use the power with which you have been endowed.
– Spiritual Treasures - I entreat you to study prayerfully all the truths you can find about priesthood power. You might begin with Doctrine and Covenants sections 84 and 107.
– Spiritual Treasures - Study and pray to learn more about the power and knowledge with which you have been endowed—or with which you will yet be endowed.
– Go Forward in Faith - go to the scriptures… Daily immersion in the word of God is crucial for spiritual survival, especially in these days of increasing upheaval. As we feast on the words of Christ daily, the words of Christ will tell us how to respond to difficulties we never thought we would face.
– Hear Him - As you study your scriptures during the next six months, I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I think you will be astounded! Ponder these promises. Talk about them with your family and friends. Then live and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in your own life.
– Let God Prevail - I pray that you will choose to lay hold upon the word of God as it is declared during this general conference.
– Moving Forward - First, study.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - Become an engaged learner.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - Immerse yourself in the scriptures to understand better Christ’s mission and ministry.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - Know the doctrine of Christ so that you understand its power for your life.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - Internalize the truth that the Atonement of Jesus Christ applies to you.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - Study with the desire to believe rather than with the hope that you can find a flaw in the fabric of a prophet’s life or a discrepancy in the scriptures.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - In that spirit, I invite you to listen for three things during this conference: pure truth, the pure doctrine of Christ, and pure revelation.
– Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation - Take time to immerse yourself in the scriptures and worship in the temple.
– Facebook April 3, 2021 - As you study your scriptures during the next six months, I encourage you to make a list of all that the Lord has promised He will do for covenant Israel. I think you will be astounded! Ponder these promises. Talk about them with your family and friends. Then live and watch for these promises to be fulfilled in your own life.
– Facebook October 4, 2020 - As we study the Old Testament this year, be on the lookout for a certain word that appears over 25 times. That word is “lovingkindness.”
– Facebook February 14, 2022 - I invited our young friends in Vietnam to study about the Savior and His Atonement in the scriptures. I invite you to do the same.
– Facebook November 18, 2019 - General conference next April will be different from any previous conference. In the next six months, I hope that every member and every family will prepare for a unique conference that will commemorate the very foundations of the restored gospel.
You may wish to begin your preparation by reading afresh Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price. Select your own questions. Design your own plan. Immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration. As you do, general conference next April will not only be memorable; it will be unforgettable.
– Facebook October 6, 2019 - The Book of Mormon is filled with truth. If you read it daily, you will have more truth and power in your life. It teaches us about the premortal world and the purpose of life. It gives more understanding about the Atonement of Jesus Christ than any other book of scripture and teaches us about the reality of God the Father, His Son Jesus Christ, and the holy priesthood. Studying daily from its pages will affect your life in a way no other book can.
If you will feast on the words of Christ found throughout the Book of Mormon, I promise that you will have greater power to resist temptation, increased ability to receive revelation, and greater capacity to deal with the challenges of life.
– Facebook August 4th 2019 - I am including a link to the article here and invite you to read it if you would like. As you do, I encourage you to consider sharing how making God the center of your lives has filled your own heart with hope.
– Article: Why Have Faith Now?
– Facebook February 10th, 2019 - If we will feast upon the words of Jesus Christ and apply His teachings in our lives, we will feel his love surround us.
Facebook May 22nd, 2019 - Read the Book of Mormon by the end of 2018
December 30th, 2018 - For decades now, the Church has taken extensive measures to protect—in particular—children from abuse. There are many aids on the Church website. I invite you to study them. These guidelines are in place to protect the innocent.
– Facebook October 1 2022
– What is True?
Ministering with Power and Authority of God
4 Invitations
We have made the decision to retire home teaching and visiting teaching as we have known them. Instead, we will implement a newer, holier approach to caring for and ministering to others. We will refer to these efforts simply as “ministering.”
–Ministering- I invite you to inspire members to keep their covenants, fast and pray, study the scriptures, worship in the temple, and serve with faith as men and women of God. We can help all to see with the eye of faith that obedience and righteousness will draw them closer to Jesus Christ, allow them to enjoy the companionship of the Holy Ghost, and experience joy in life!
– Ministering with the Power and Authority of God - Minister to others
– A New Normal - Minister to others… Magnify your callings.
– Facebook October 4, 2020
Home Centered Church and Family
6 Invitations
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
. Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints
– Facebook October 7th, 2018- I invite you, my dear sisters, to create a home that is a place of security.
– Embrace the Future with Faith - Please, keep going! Your vigilance in safeguarding your homes and instilling faith in the hearts of your loved ones will reap rewards for generations to come.
– Embrace the Future with Faith - I urge you to continue to make your home a truly holy place “and be not moved”8 from that essential goal.
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget - Discipline yourself to have time alone and with your loved ones.
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget
– Facebook April 3, 2021 - Please, study the scriptures as families. Pray together. Renew your baptismal covenants by regularly participating in the sacrament. Pay your tithes with grateful hearts. Attend the temple as often as your circumstances allow. You will be blessed as you seek to follow the Savior as individuals as well as within your families.
– Facebook August 27th, 2019
COVID Related Invitations
5 Invitations
- As cases of COVID-19 increase in many areas, we want to do everything possible to allow temples to remain open. Therefore, effective immediately, all temple patrons and workers are asked to wear face masks at all times while in the temple. These safety protocols are temporary, based on COVID-19 conditions, and will be rescinded as soon as circumstances permit
Our urging Church members to be vaccinated and to protect themselves and others from the spread of disease has precedent. Prior First Presidencies shared similar messages in 1900 about smallpox and in 1957 regarding polio. Please do all you can to protect yourself and others so the work of the Lord on both sides of the veil can move forward.
Temporary Modifications to Temple Operations - Just think of the good each of us can do during this time of global upheaval.
– Hear Him - I pray that we as a people are using this unique time to grow spiritually.
– Moving Forward - There are many things the Lord wants us to learn from our experiences during this pandemic. I invite you to make your own list, consider it carefully, and share it with those you love.
– Facebook April 3, 2021 - As we look forward to a recovery from this worldwide pandemic, I pray that we will find a stronger relationship with our Savior, Jesus Christ.
– Facebook April 17, 2020
Gather Israel
17 Invitations
- We are deeply grateful for the faithful service of senior missionaries around the world and for the significant contributions they make in building the kingdom of God. We continue to encourage members to serve either full-time missions away from home as their circumstances permit or senior service missions if they are unable to leave home
– Senior Service Missionaries Around the World - Please teach those whom you love what you are learning from the scriptures. Teach them how to turn to the Savior for His healing and cleansing power when they sin. And teach them how to draw upon His strengthening power every day of their lives.
– Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel - I hope you are asking yourself, “What can I, as a teenager, do to help gather Israel?”
– Hope of Israel - “Are you willing to enlist in the youth battalion of the Lord to help gather Israel?” Please think about it.
– Hope of Israel - Think of this, my dear young brothers and sisters, right now I am preparing for the day when I will be required to give an accounting to the Prophet Joseph Smith, to President Brigham Young, and others—and ultimately to the Lord—about my stewardship as God’s prophet upon the earth today. I do not want to be asked, “Brother Nelson, why were you not more clear with the youth about their part in gathering Israel? Why were you not more bold in enlisting them to participate?”
– Hope of Israel - So, now I am inviting every young woman and every young man between the ages of 12 and 18 in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to enlist in the youth battalion of the Lord to help gather Israel.
– Hope of Israel - Make a weekly sacrifice of time to the Lord, for three weeks in a row, to let Him know that you want to be part of His youth battalion—more than you want anything else. For three weeks give up something you like to do and use that time to help gather Israel.
– Hope of Israel - Pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
– Hope of Israel - Please take a copy of For the Strength of Youth and give this new copy to a friend who may not know your standards or who may not live them.
- Pray about who needs this booklet. You will be guided. And it will be exciting.
– Hope of Israel - I invite you to stand with the youth from all around the world and experience the thrill of being a member of the Lord’s youth battalion in “Zion’s army” by singing our closing hymn, “Hope of Israel,” because this hymn is all about you!
– Hope of Israel - 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,”12 we have been charged to assist the Lord with this pivotal work.13
– Let God Prevail - If we will allow it, there are many ways this Hebraic interpretation of Israel can help us. Imagine how our prayers for our missionaries—and for our own efforts to gather Israel—could change with this concept in mind.
– Let God Prevail - Invite all of God’s children on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior and enjoy the blessings of the temple, have enduring joy, and qualify for eternal life….
Facebook April 13 2018 - Pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
– Facebook June 4, 2018 - I also hope that you will prayerfully consider inviting friends and family, including those of other faiths, to watch general conference so that they too may feel the Lord’s embrace.
– Facebook September 20, 2020 - I encourage you to look for ways to share your testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ. Despite our current circumstances, we can still share the joyful news that He lives!
– Facebook April 12,2020
The Correct Name of the Church
6 Invitations
- 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.
– Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints
– Facebook October 7th, 2018 - In the first reference, the full name of the Church is preferred: ‘The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.’ When a shortened [second] reference is needed, the terms ‘the Church’ or the ‘Church of Jesus Christ’ are encouraged. The ‘restored Church of Jesus Christ’ is also accurate and encouraged.
– The Correct Name of the Church - If someone should ask, Are you a Mormon?” you could reply, “If you are asking if I am a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, yes, I am!”
If someone asks, “Are you a Latter-day Saint?”16 you might respond, “Yes, I am. I believe in Jesus Christ and am a member of His restored Church.”
– The Correct Name of the Church - Needed course correction in the way we refer to the name of the Church.3
– Opening the Heavens for Help - I promise 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.
– Facebook October 7th, 2018 - We encourage all to be patient and courteous as we work together to use and share the proper name of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints throughout the world. Jesus Christ is at the center of His Church and we will be blessed as we strive to make Him the center of our lives.
First Presidency letter, 5 March 2019: Using the Correct Name of the Church
Think and Ponder Invitations
13 Invitations
- Great power lies in learning who you really are. Please take time to think prayerfully about these facts:
– You are an elect son or daughter of God.
– You were created in His image.
– You were taught in the spirit world to prepare you for anything and everything you would encounter during this latter part of these latter days. That teaching endures within you!
–Facebook September 10th, 2019 - Learn for yourselves who you really are.
–Facebook September 10th, 2019 - Ask your Heavenly Father, in the name of Jesus Christ, how He feels about you and your mission here on earth. If you ask with real intent, over time the Spirit will whisper the life-changing truth to you. Record those impressions and review them often, and follow through with exactness.I promise you that when you begin to catch even a glimpse of how your Heavenly Father sees you and what He is counting on you to do for Him, your life will never be the same!
–Facebook September 10th, 2019 - Imagine the miracle of it! Whatever our Church calling, we can pray to our Heavenly Father and receive guidance and direction, be warned about dangers and distractions, and be enabled to accomplish things we simply could not do on our own.
– Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives - Think back on the past two years. How have you grown? What have you learned?
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget - What have you learned in the past two years that you always want to remember?
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget - How do you think it affected your family members to see you—their father, grandfather, husband, son, or brother—administer this holy ordinance? What will you do to retain that sacred feeling in your family?
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget - My dear brethren, there are many things the Lord wants us to learn from our experiences during this pandemic. I have listed only four. I invite you to make your own list, consider it carefully, and share it with those you love.
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget - Ponder these three truths:
1. The Restoration is a process, not an event, and will continue until the Lord comes again.
2. The ultimate objective of the gathering of Israel15 is to bring the blessings of the temple to God’s faithful children.
3. As we seek how to accomplish that objective more effectively, the Lord reveals more insights. The ongoing Restoration needs ongoing revelation.
– The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation - Imagine how quickly the devastating conflicts throughout the world—and those in our individual lives—would be resolved if we all chose to follow Jesus Christ and heed His teachings.
– Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation - Imagine how quickly the devastating conflicts throughout the world—and those in our individual lives—would be resolved if all chose to follow Jesus Christ and heed His teachings.
– Facebook October 2, 2021 - Remember, each new morning is a gift from God. Even the air we breathe is a loving loan from Him. He preserves us from day to day and supports us from one moment to another. Therefore, our first noble deed of the morning should be a humble prayer of gratitude.
– Facebook November 19th, 2019 - I invite you to consider how your thoughts and prayers can be a catalyst for God to inspire and direct you toward acts of kindness, compassion, and generosity. Imagine how much good you could do in the world—and in your own family, school, and workplace. As we seek to be His healing and helping hands, we surely will exalt the Lord.
– Facebook May 5th, 2022 - Each person who makes covenants in baptismal fonts and in temples—and keeps them—has increased access to the power of Jesus Christ. Please ponder that stunning truth!
– Overcome the World and Find Rest
Fast Invitations
10 Invitations
- We invite everyone to continue to fast and pray for all the people being hurt by this calamity.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - I have been to Ukraine and Russia many times. I love those lands, the people, and their languages. I weep and pray for all who are affected by this conflict. The Church is doing all we can to help those who are suffering and struggling to survive. We invite everyone to continue to fast and pray for all the people being hurt by this calamity.
– Facebook April 3rd, 2022 - First, I invite you to participate in a 10-day fast from social media and from any other media that bring negative and impure thoughts to your mind. Pray to know which influences to remove during your fast. The effect of your 10-day fast may surprise you. What do you notice after taking a break from perspectives of the world that have been wounding your spirit? Is there a change in where you now want to spend your time and energy? Have any of your priorities shifted—even just a little? I urge you to record and follow through with each impression.
– Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel - Disengage from a constant reliance on social media by holding a seven-day fast from social media.
– Hope of Israel - I am calling for another worldwide fast. For all whose health may permit, let us fast, pray, and unite our faith once again. Let us prayerfully plead for relief from this global pandemic.
I invite all, including those not of our faith, to fast and pray on Good Friday, April 10, that the present pandemic may be controlled, caregivers protected, the economy strengthened, and life normalized.
– Opening the Heavens for Help - As I mentioned in general conference a few days ago, I am calling for another worldwide fast. For all whose health may permit, let us fast, pray, and unite our faith once again. Let us prayerfully plead for relief from this global pandemic.I invite all, including those not of our faith, to fast and pray in two days on Good Friday, April 10, that the present pandemic may be controlled, caregivers protected, the economy strengthened, and life normalized.
– Facebook April 8, 2020 - As we begin this special week, I invite you to participate in a global day of fasting and prayer, that the present pandemic may be controlled, caregivers protected, the economy strengthened, and life normalized. This fast will be held on Good Friday, April 10th.
– Facebook April 5th, 2020 - I invite you to join with me in a worldwide fast—for all whose health permits—to pray for relief from the physical, emotional, and economic effects of this global pandemic. I invite members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints everywhere, along with our many friends, to fast and pray this Sunday, March 29. Let us unite our faith to plead for physical, spiritual, and other healing throughout the entire world.
– Facebook March 26, 2020 - Hold a seven-day fast from social media.
– Facebook June 4, 2018 - Participate in a 10-day fast from social media and any other media that bring negative and impure thoughts to your mind.
– December 30th, 2018
Repent and Let God Prevail
23 Invitations
- Discover the joy of daily repentance.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - Please do not fear or delay repenting. Satan delights in your misery. Cut it short. Cast his influence out of your life!
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - If you feel you have strayed off the covenant path too far or too long and have no way to return, that simply is not true. Please contact your bishop or branch president. He is the Lord’s agent and will help you experience the joy and relief of repenting.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - We have the sacred responsibility to share the power and peace of Jesus Christ with all who will listen and who will let God prevail in their lives.
– Facebook April 2nd, 2022 - Examine your life meticulously and regularly. As you do so, the Holy Ghost will prompt you about what is no longer needful, what is no longer worthy of your time and energy.
– Spiritual Treasures - Shift your focus away from worldly distractions, some things that seem important to you now will recede in priority. You will need to say no to some things, even though they may seem harmless. As you embark upon and continue this lifelong process of consecrating your life to the Lord, the changes in your perspective, feelings, and spiritual strength will amaze you!
– Spiritual Treasures - Repent and become a little more like Him each day.8
– Go Forward in Faith - Heed the words of prophets, seers, and revelators.
– Hear Him - Repent daily and receive His cleansing, healing, and strengthening power.
– Opening Message - I invite you to turn your heart, mind, and soul increasingly to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. Let that be your new normal.
– A New Normal - Embrace your new normal by repenting daily.
– A New Normal - Seek to be increasingly pure in thought, word, and deed.
– A New Normal - Keep an eternal perspective.
– A New Normal - Humble yourself!
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget - I invite you to pray to identify the debris you should remove from your life so you can become more worthy.
– Welcome Message - Keep on the covenant path. If you are off, repent and get back on the path.
– Facebook June 4, 2018 - As we listen to the messages that have been carefully prepared by our leaders under the direction of the Holy Ghost at this general conference, I invite you to pray to identify the debris you should remove from your life so you can become more worthy.
– Facebook April 3, 2021 - Tonight in Orlando, Florida, I shared seven vital truths that have the power to change your life and the lives of those you love. Living by these truths will help us to get on the covenant path or get back on the covenant path and stay there. These are truths that open the heavens and allow us to draw upon the power of God. These are truths that will lead to blessings and happiness here and to “never-ending happiness” in the world to come. These seven truths are:
1. God is our Father.
2. Jesus Christ is our Savior.
3. We are children of God.
4. The Book of Mormon is the word of God.
5. The priesthood has been restored and the heavens are open.
6. Every member has a role to play in the gathering of Israel.
7. Joy comes from keeping the commandments of the Lord.
I pray that each of us will internalize these truths.
I bless you to feast on the words of the Lord Jesus Christ and apply His teachings in your lives. As you spend time in the scriptures and in the temple, I bless you with increased capacity to receive revelation. I bless you with love at home.
–Facebook June 9th, 2019 - We are living in the most crucial era in the history of the world. As a Church, we need to be doing what the Savior wishes us to do. We care deeply for our friends and neighbors, the world over. We are eager to build bridges of cooperation rather than walls of segregation. And as the Lord’s people, we need to be looking and acting like true followers of Jesus Christ.
– Facebook September 19th, 2019 - I invite you to do a thorough life assessment with the Lord to ensure that your feet are firmly planted on the covenant path. If you have wandered off, or if there are some things you need to let go of to help your mind and heart be more pure, today is the perfect time to change!Please do not stay off the covenant path one more minute. Please come back through true repentance now. We need you with us.
– Facebook July 15th, 2018 - My dear brothers and sisters, with all the pleadings of my heart, I urge you to get on the covenant path and stay there.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - Experience the joy of repenting daily.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - Embrace your “new normal” by repenting daily.
– Facebook October 4, 2020
Priesthood Power and Covenants
11 Invitations
- In challenging times, disciples of Jesus Christ continue to follow Him by participating in His work of salvation and exaltation. He invites us to participate by progressing on the covenant path and helping others do the same however circumstances allow.
First Presidency letter, 11 September 2020: Safely Engaging in Church Meetings and Activities - Priesthood power has been restored to this earth, and yet far too many brothers and sisters go through terrible trials in life without ever receiving a true priesthood blessing. What a tragedy! That’s a tragedy that we can eliminate.
Just think of the remarkable assurance the Lord gave us when He said, “Whomsoever you bless I will bless.”4
Ministering with the Power and Authority of God - Stake presidents and bishops, please ensure that every member of the quorums within your stewardship understands how to give a priesthood blessing—including the personal worthiness and spiritual preparation required to call fully upon the power of God.5
Ministering with the Power and Authority of God - Tonight I invite you literally to rise up with me in our great eternal brotherhood. When I name your priesthood office, please stand and remain standing. Deacons, please arise! Teachers, arise! Priests! Bishops! Elders! High priests! Patriarchs! Seventies! Apostles!
Now, brethren, will you please remain standing and join with our chorus in singing all three verses of “Rise Up, O Men of God.”13
Ministering with the Power and Authority of God - While you sing, think of your duty as God’s mighty army to help prepare the world for the Second Coming of the Lord. This is our charge. This is our privilege.
Ministering with the Power and Authority of God - Do a thorough life assessment with the Lord, and perhaps with your parents and your bishop, to ensure that your feet are firmly planted on the covenant path.
– Hope of Israel - The heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God’s power flowing from their priesthood covenants as they are to men who bear the priesthood. I pray that truth will register upon each of your hearts because I believe it will change your life.
– Spiritual Treasures - his most important priesthood responsibility is to care for his wife.
– Spiritual Treasure - I renew my invitation for you to increase your understanding of priesthood power and of temple covenants and blessings.
– Embrace the Future with Faith - Partake of sacred ordinances worthily. Ordinances unlock the power of God for your life.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - I hope you understand that the heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God’s power flowing from their priesthood covenants as they are to men who bear the priesthood. I pray that truth will register upon each of your hearts because I believe it will change your life. Sisters, you have the right to draw liberally upon the Savior’s power to help your family and others you love.
– Facebook October 5, 2019 - My plea at #GeneralConference this morning was for you to find rest from the intensity, uncertainty, and anguish of this world by overcoming the world through your covenants with God.
– Facebook October 2, 2022 - Please do not misunderstand me: I did not say that making covenants makes life easy. In fact, expect opposition, because the adversary does not want you to discover the power of Jesus Christ. But yoking yourself with the Savior means you have access to His strength and redeeming power.
– Overcome the World and Find Rest
Temples and Family History
29 Invitations
- I plead with you to counter worldly ways by focusing on the eternal blessings of the temple. Your time there brings blessings for eternity.
– Now Is the Time - 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!
– Let Us All Press On - 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.
– Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints - 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.
– Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints - 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.
– Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints
– Facebook October 7th, 2018 - 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.
– Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints - Establish a pattern of regular temple attendance.
– Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel - If I announce a temple in a place that is special to you, may I suggest that you simply bow your head with a silent prayer of gratitude in your heart. We do not want any verbal outbursts to detract from the sacred nature of this conference and the Lord’s holy temples.
– Closing Remarks - May we dedicate and rededicate our lives to serving God and His children—on both sides of the veil.
– Closing Remarks - Please use this time when temples are closed to continue to live a temple-worthy life or to become temple worthy.
– Go Forward in Faith - Talk about the temple with your family and friends.
– Go Forward in Faith - Please schedule regular time to worship and serve in the temple. Every minute of that time will bless you and your family in ways nothing else can.
– Hear Him - Take time to ponder what you hear and feel when you are there.
– Hear Him - Ask the Lord to teach you how to open the heavens to bless your life and the lives of those you love and serve.
– Hear Him - I invite you to increase your participation in family history, including family history research and indexing. I promise that as you increase your time in temple and family history work, you will increase and improve your ability to hear Him.
– Hear Him - Build and maintain yourself so you can be worthy to enter the holy temple.
– A New Normal - I pray that your desire to worship and serve in the temple burns more brightly now than ever.
– COVID-19 and Temples - Keep your temple covenants and blessings foremost in your minds and hearts.
– COVID-19 and Temples - Stay true to the covenants you have made.
– COVID-19 and Temples - Take time to immerse yourself in the scriptures and worship in the temple.
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget - Please make time for the Lord in His holy house. Nothing will strengthen your spiritual foundation like temple service and temple worship.
– Make Time for the Lord - If you don’t yet love to attend the temple, go more often—not less. Let the Lord, through His Spirit, teach and inspire you there.
– The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation - If it were possible for me to speak one-on-one with every young adult, I would plead with you to seek a companion with whom you can be sealed in the temple.
– The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation - If I could speak with each husband and wife who have still not been sealed in the temple, I would plead with you to take the necessary steps to receive that crowning, life-changing ordinance.
– The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation - I plead with you to seek—prayerfully and consistently—to understand temple covenants and ordinances.18
– The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation - As opportunities present themselves for temple attendance in coming months, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment 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.
– Facebook December 7, 2020 - If you will go to the temple seeking strength and understanding, you will be taught by the Lord Himself about truths that matter to you most in your time of need.
Please remember that at the root of every temple ordinance and covenant—at the heart of God’s plan for His children—is the Atonement of Jesus Christ. Every activity, lesson, and advancement in the Church points to the Lord and His temple.
– Facebook March 10th, 2019 - Establish a pattern of regular temple attendance.
– December 30th, 2018 - Spend more time in the temple and seek to understand how the temple teaches you to rise above this fallen world.
– Facebook October 2, 2022 - I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can. May you focus on the temple in ways you never have before.
– Facebook October 2, 2022 - I invite you to enjoy this video and see inside one of our temples.
– Facebook March 7th, 2019
Be Prepared and Spiritual Foundation
9 Invitations
- 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.
– Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints
– Facebook October 7th, 2018 - Of course, we can store our own reserves of food, water, and savings. But equally crucial is our need to fill our personal spiritual storehouses with faith, truth, and testimony.
– Opening Message - And whatever your challenges, my dear brothers and sisters, live each day so that you are more prepared to meet your Maker.4
– A New Normal - For decades, the Lord’s prophets have urged us to store food, water, and financial reserves for a time of need. The current pandemic has reinforced the wisdom of that counsel. I urge you to take steps to be temporally prepared. But I am even more concerned about your spiritual and emotional preparation.
– Embrace the Future with Faith - Prepare Your Mind to Be Faithful to God
– Embrace the Future with Faith - Make your own spiritual foundation firm and able to stand the test of time by doing those things that allow the Holy Ghost to be with you always.
– Make Time for the Lord - 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.
– The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation - First, resolve to strengthen your spiritual foundation. This may involve setting a specific time and place to study the scriptures, praying more often, making temple worship a bigger priority, and letting God prevail in all aspects of your life.
– Facebook January 1st 2022 - Please believe me when I say that when your spiritual foundation is built solidly upon Jesus Christ, you have no need to fear
– Facebook October 3, 2021
Children and Youth
15 Invitations
- Please ensure that all leaders review and follow these guidelines as they plan and carry out activities in your stakes and wards.
– Safety in Church Activities - Don’t forget the counsel of your parents and Church leaders. They are also seeking revelation in your behalf.
– Hope of Israel - As we prepare for the worldwide youth devotional on June 3, I have a special invitation for you, my young friends.
We invite you to gather with your family and friends to watch the broadcast together.
-Facebook June 3, 2018 - Make a weekly sacrifice of time to the Lord for three weeks.
– Facebook June 4, 2018 - Stand out. Be different. Be a light. Give to a friend one copy of the booklet For the Strength of Youth.
– Facebook June 4, 2018 - Parents, teachers, and leaders, please help the children to understand this. They can help someone in need, learn the teachings of Jesus Christ and abide by them, and prepare now to go to the temple and be baptized for their ancestors.
– Facebook February 21, 2021 - I would love to hear from you about some of the “small and simple things” your children are doing to make a big difference in the world. Please share with me in the comments below.
– Facebook February 21, 2021 - I encourage you—to teach your priceless children. Teach them what it really means to be a child of God. They are created in His very image! Each precious little body is a gift from God. Those eyes that see, fingers that feel, and ears that hear the wonderful things about us—and much more—are all gifts from our Heavenly Father.
– Facebook November 20, 2019 - Help your children to understand that “God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life” (John 3:16).
– Facebook November 20, 2019 - If I had one request to make of you, it would be that you would read the scriptures aloud to your children on a daily basis. Let them take turns when they can when they are able to read. It will help them to have the doctrine of Christ embedded in their minds and in their memory banks at an early age. I have great hope for your families.
– Facebook November 20, 2019 - You will remember that I have invited the youth of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints to enlist in the Lord’s youth battalion to participate in the greatest cause on earth today—the gathering of Israel. I issued this invitation to our youth because they are unusually gifted in reaching out to others and sharing what they believe in a convincing fashion. The cause of the gathering is an essential part of helping to prepare the world and its people for the Second Coming of the Lord.
– Facebook October 5th, 2019 - In each ward, the Lord’s youth battalion is led by a bishop, a dedicated servant of God. His first and foremost responsibility is to care for the young men and young women of his ward. The bishop and his counselors direct the work of the Aaronic Priesthood quorums and the Young Women classes in the ward. I invite you to read the article below for additional information about adjustments that will help bishops fulfill their divinely appointed roles to lead youth.
– Facebook October 5th, 2019 - Our Heavenly Father loves His children. He desires us to be diligent in our efforts to help strengthen children and youth across the globe
– Facebook December 14th, 2018 - We are pleased to announce that in January 2019 children will complete Primary and begin attending Sunday School and Young Women or Aaronic Priesthood quorums as age groups at the beginning of January in the year they turn 12….
Though these adjustments lead to some significant logistical changes, I encourage you to focus first on the spiritual benefits
– Facebook December 14th, 2018 - Our youth and children are among the best the Lord has ever sent into this world. They have the capacity to be smarter and wiser and have more impact on the world than any previous generation! We must do our part to help them realize their potential.
– Facebook December 14th, 2018
Increase your Faith in Jesus Christ
14 Invitations
- May we renovate our lives through our faith and trust in Him
– Closing Remarks - Let us put our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ into action!
– Opening the Heavens for Help - Let us not just endure this current season. Let us embrace the future with faith!
– Embrace the Future with Faith - My dear brothers and sisters, my call to you this Easter morning is to start today to increase your faith.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - Choose to believe in Jesus Christ.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - If you have doubts about God the Father and His Beloved Son or the validity of the Restoration or the veracity of Joseph Smith’s divine calling as a prophet, choose to believe and stay faithful.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - Take your questions to the Lord and to other faithful sources.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - Stop increasing your doubts by rehearsing them with other doubters.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - Act in faith. What would you do if you had more faith? Think about it. Write about it. Then receive more faith by doing something that requires more faith.
– Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains - Talk of Christ, rejoice in Christ, feast upon the words of Christ, and press forward with steadfastness in Christ.3
– Make Time for the Lord - To anyone who finds themselves in unideal circumstances, to anyone who is struggling with doubts or fears, to anyone who has stepped off the path, I invite you, with all the hope in my heart, to stay on the path. Together, we can walk the covenant path. We must look forward to the future with complete faith in our Lord Jesus Christ, whose Church this is.
– Facebook January 17, 2018 - Choose to be one of His true followers now. Be one who truly loves Him, who truly wants to serve and lead as He did.
– Facebook March 11, 2018 - My call to you this Easter morning is to start today to increase your faith. Through your faith, Jesus Christ will increase your ability to move the mountains in your life, even though your personal challenges may loom as large as Mount Everest.
– Facebook April 4th 2021 - As you work on your own goals, please keep the Savior at the center of your plans. Always ask yourself—and prayerfully ask your Father in Heaven—“What can I do to become more like Jesus Christ?” As you do this each day, miracles will happen. Remember that our Heavenly Father loves you.
– Facebook November 17, 2019 - I plead with you to take charge of your testimony of Jesus Christ. Work for it. Own it. Care for it. Nurture it so that it will grow. Then watch for miracles to happen in your life.
– Facebook August 1, 2022 - Recently, I invited you to “take charge of your own testimony.” Please share with me what steps you are taking to accomplish this. I can’t wait to be inspired by you!
– Facebook August 10, 2022
Sabbath Worship and Callings
6 Invitations
- Participate fully in Relief Society.
– Sisters’ Participation in the Gathering of Israel
– Facebook December 30th, 2018 - Make your Sabbath a delight as you worship Him, partake of the sacrament, and keep His day holy.4
– Make Time for the Lord - In our meetings, the majority never rules! We listen prayerfully to one another and talk with each other until we are united.
– Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives - Magnify your callings. And, whatever your challenges, my dear brothers and sisters, live each day so that you are more prepared to meet your Maker.
– Facebook October 4, 2020 - If you are looking for a place to worship, please join with us on Easter Sunday for the worldwide general conference of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We will gather virtually to worship our Redeemer. Please join with us.
– Facebook March 28th 2021 - Magnify your callings.
– A New Normal
Serve and Love others
4 Invitations
- I plead with you to draw near to the Lord and follow His teachings. Emulate His example. Love as He loved. His love always included service to others with complete obedience to the will of His loving Heavenly Father.
– Facebook November 21, 2019 - Let us follow His example to “Light the World” by loving and serving others, one by one. #GiveThanks #LightTheWorld
– Facebook November 29, 2020 - Giving help to others—making a conscientious effort to care about others as much as or more than we care about ourselves—is our joy. Especially, I might add, when it is not convenient and when it takes us out of our comfort zone. Living that second great commandment is the key to becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ.
– The Second Great Commandment - If you know of anyone who is alone, reach out—even if you feel alone too! You do not need to have a reason or a message or business to transact. Just say hello and show your love.
– What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget
Eliminating Prejudice of all kinds
7 Invitations
- Today, in unity with such capable and impressive leaders as the national officials of the NAACP, we are impressed to call on people of this nation and, indeed, the entire world to demonstrate greater civility, racial and ethnic harmony, and mutual respect…. lifting our brothers and sisters who need our help, just as our Savior, Jesus Christ, would have us do. These are His words: “I say unto you, be one; and if ye are not one ye are not mine” (D&C 38:27).
Together we invite all people, organizations, and governments to work with greater civility, eliminating prejudice of all kinds, and focusing more on the many areas and interests that we all have in common. As we lead our people to work cooperatively, we will all achieve the respect, regard, and blessings that God seeks for all of His children.
– Facebook May 17 2018 - It is my prayer that we may overcome any burdens of prejudice and walk uprightly with God—and with one another—in perfect peace and harmony.
– Facebook June 1, 2018 - I reiterate what is taught in the Book of Mormon that “black and white, bond and free, male and female; … all are alike unto God” (2 Nephi 26:33). May God continue to bless us as we labor together to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice.
– Facebook January 17th 2022 - I reiterate my call to members of the Church everywhere to abandon attitudes and actions of prejudice and to promote respect for all of God’s children. This is a hallmark of all true followers of Jesus Christ.
Abandoning prejudice must go well beyond what we say at the pulpit. We also need to abandon hurtful and insensitive comments in our conversations, in our private messages to one another and on social media, and, most importantly, in our own hearts. This will happen as we fully embrace the teachings of the Savior Jesus Christ, who said, “Love one another; as I have loved you” (John 13:34).
May we strive to follow Him by living up to His lofty, loving, and inclusive example. Read more here: https://newsroom.churchofjesuschrist.org/…/first…
– Facebook June 14 2021 - Unitedly we declare that the answers to racism, prejudice, discrimination, and hate will not come from government or law enforcement alone. Solutions will come as we open our hearts to those whose lives are different than our own, as we work to build bonds of genuine friendship, and as we see each other as the brothers and sisters we are—for we are all children of a loving God.
I invite you to read the article in the link below and consider what you can do to help.
Locking Arms for Racial Harmony
– Facebook June 8, 2020 - The Creator of us all calls on each of us to abandon attitudes of prejudice against any group of God’s children. Any of us who has prejudice toward another race needs to repent!
– Facebook June 1, 2020 - Illegal acts such as looting, defacing, or destroying public or private property cannot be tolerated. Never has one wrong been corrected by a second wrong. Evil has never been resolved by more evil.
We need to foster our faith in the Fatherhood of God and the brotherhood of man.We need to foster a fundamental respect for the human dignity of every human soul, regardless of their color, creed, or cause.
And we need to work tirelessly to build bridges of understanding rather than creating walls of segregation.I plead with us to work together for peace, for mutual respect, and for an outpouring of love for all of God’s children.
– Facebook June 1, 2020
Zero Contention and Embrace Kindness
16 Invitations
- My call today, dear brothers and sisters, is to end conflicts that are raging in your heart, your home, and your life. Bury any and all inclinations to hurt others—whether those inclinations be a temper, a sharp tongue, or a resentment for someone who has hurt you. The Savior commanded us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, and to pray for those who despitefully use us.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - I plead with you to do all you can to end personal conflicts that are currently raging in your hearts and in your lives.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - End conflict in your personal life.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - Strive to end conflict in your life.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - I repeat my call to end the conflicts in your life.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - Two weeks from today we celebrate Easter. Between now and then, I invite you to seek an end to a personal conflict that has weighed you down.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - As followers of Jesus Christ, we plead with leaders of nations to find peaceful resolutions to their differences. We call upon people everywhere to pray for those in need, to do what they can to help the distressed, and to seek the Lord’s help in ending any major conflicts.
– Preaching the Gospel of Peace - None of us can control nations, or the actions of others, or even members of our own families. But we can each control ourselves.
My call today is to end the conflicts that are raging in your heart, your home, and your life.
– Facebook April 3rd, 2022 - Bury any and all inclinations to hurt others—whether those inclinations be a temper, a sharp tongue, or resentment for someone who has hurt you.
– Facebook April 3rd, 2022 - The Savior commanded us to turn the other cheek, to love our enemies, and to pray for those who despitefully use us. It can be painfully difficult to let go of anger that feels so justified. It can seem impossible to forgive those whose destructive actions hurt the innocent. And yet, the Savior admonished us to “forgive all men” (Doctrine and Covenants 64:10).
We are followers of the Prince of Peace. Now more than ever, we need the peace only He can bring. How can we expect peace to exist in the world when we are not individually seeking peace and harmony?
I know what I’m suggesting is not easy. But followers of Jesus Christ should set the example for all the world to follow. I plead with you to do all you can to end personal conflicts that are currently raging in your hearts and in your lives.
– Facebook April 3rd, 2022 - I invite you to prayerfully consider if there is someone whom you should forgive or someone from whom you should seek forgiveness.Will you free yourself from hard feelings you may be harboring? I promise that as you forgive or seek forgiveness, the Savior will relieve you of anger, resentment, and pain. The Prince of Peace will bring you peace.
– Facebook April 17th, 2022 - May we reflect personally on what we can do to eliminate contention from our own lives as we embrace the Olympic ideals of excellence, friendship, and respect.
– Facebook July 23 2021 - Resolve to be kind to others. When the Savior Jesus Christ visited the Americas, as recorded in the Book of Mormon, one of the first things He taught was the need to eliminate contention in our lives. So, please be compassionate, be understanding, be slow to judge, and be quick to forgive.
– Facebook January 1st 2022 - May the Lord continue to bless you as you “bear one another’s burdens,” “mourn with those that mourn,” and “comfort those that stand in need of comfort” (Mosiah 18:8–9)
– Facebook October 6th 2019 - I was pleased to be part of a ceremony today that celebrated the 150th anniversary of the joining together of two railroad lines—connecting people unlike ever before. The theme of the event was “As One.”
The railroad was built by people from diverse backgrounds, including immigrants from many countries, freed slaves, and members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.
These hardy laborers achieved a “oneness” that can guide us as a people to move forward to fulfill God’s plan for all of His children. I believe that we all are coming together “as one.” This coming together truly represents all that is good in the world.
I pray each of us can learn from the example of these laborers and work toward building peace and fostering understanding so that we all may be “as one.”
– Facebook May 10th, 2019 - 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.
– Let God Prevail
Christmas Invitations
7 Invitations
- This December I hope you will make time with family and friends to enjoy the glorious music of this season.
– Facebook December 15, 2019 - I pray 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. May you feel His influence in your life as you celebrate this Christmas.
– Facebook December 23rd, 2018 - During this season, I also invite you to consider your own desires. What are your deepest desires? What do you really want to experience and accomplish in this life? Do you really want to become more and more like Jesus Christ? Do you really want to live with Heavenly Father and with your family forever and live as He lives?
– Facebook December 2nd, 2018 - At this Christmas season our thoughts turn to this babe born in Bethlehem. I urge you to seek this Jesus. He truly is the Prince of Peace. I invite you to draw closer to Him and experience the joy that envelops all who are willing to follow the Lord Jesus Christ.
– Facebook December 24, 2019 - There is nothing more important we can do this Christmas than to rivet our focus on the Savior and on the gift of what His life really means to each of us.
– Facebook December 6, 2020 - This Christmas, let us accept God’s perfect and precious gift. Let us cast our burdens and sins at the Savior’s feet and experience the joy that comes from repentance and change. Let us follow Jesus Christ and emulate His life as we celebrate His birth.
– Facebook December 24th, 2021 - This Christmas, I invite you to share the light of the Savior Jesus Christ with those around you. It is HIS light and HIS love that will heal our hearts during this season—and during all of life’s challenges. #LightTheWorld
Facebook December 16th 2021
Gratitude Invitations
4 Invitations
- I urge you to make expressing gratitude to God a part of your daily life. An attitude of gratitude gives us better perspective and more peace of mind and heart.
– Facebook November 29, 2020 - First, I invite you—just for the next seven days—to turn social media into your own personal gratitude journal. At the end of seven days see if you feel happier and more at peace. Tag your friends in your social media posts and invite them to participate as well. We’ll use the hashtag #GiveThanks.
– Facebook November 20, 2020 - 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.
– Facebook November 20, 2020 - As we continue to face tumultuous times full of apparent reasons to lose hope, I instead invite you to look for ways to be grateful and to express that gratitude to others. As you do so, your attitude of gratitude will strengthen the hope in Christ you feel, no matter the trials you face.
– Facebook November 25, 2021
Other invitations
54 Invitations
- Learn about God and how He works.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - Seek and expect miracles.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - Do the spiritual work to seek miracles. Prayerfully ask God to help you exercise that kind of faith.
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - Cast Satan’s influence out of your life! Please do not follow him down to his “gulf of misery and endless wo.”
– The Power of Spiritual Momentum - I repeat my urging from this morning to do those things that will increase your positive spiritual momentum, that lift Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf was talking about, that will keep you moving forward through whatever challenges and opportunities come.
– Now Is the Time - We invite you to be a major part of sharing the message of the ongoing restoration of the Savior’s gospel… You can start today by acting on the invitations I extended to you at last general conference to immerse yourself in the glorious light of the Restoration. You may wish to begin your preparation by reading afresh Joseph Smith’s account of the First Vision as recorded in the Pearl of Great Price. Or ponder important questions such as, “How would my life be different if my knowledge gained from the Book of Mormon were suddenly taken away?” or “How have the events that followed the First Vision made a difference for me and my loved ones?” Select your own questions. Design your own plan. Act on any of these invitations to prepare yourself for sharing the important messages of the ongoing Restoration. It is your personal preparation that will help April’s general conference become for you not only memorable but also unforgettable.
– Facebook January 1, 2020 - Today I am happy to share with you my feelings about the Book of Mormon and the release of the new Book of Mormon Videos series. Wendy and I have watched these videos together and enjoyed them. We highly recommend you watch them with your own families and friends.
– Facebook September 20th, 2019 - Today I felt impressed to share five important truths with the young people of the Church at a BYU devotional. I would also like for you to hear this message. I invite you to watch this short video, which I hope can help provide clarity about the love and laws of God. Of course, you are also invited to watch the full devotional on
ChurchofJesusChrist.org.
– Facebook September 17th, 2019 - Dear friends, the road ahead may be bumpy, but our destination is serene and secure. So, fasten your seatbelt, hang on through the bumps, and do what’s right. Your reward will be eternal.
– Facebook August 5th, 2020 - Seek to be increasingly pure in thought, word, and deed.
– Facebook October 4, 2020 - Keep an eternal perspective.
– Facebook October 4, 2020 - Now I invite you to leave a comment for me if you wish. As we conclude this conference, what will you do to embrace a “new normal”—to turn your heart, mind, and soul to our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ?
– Facebook October 4, 2020 - My dear friends, as we near the end of a challenging year, one that may feel to many as a time of uncertainty and darkness, let us never forget that the light of hope still shines brightly.
– Facebook December 21, 2020 - On this Palm Sunday, I invite you to make this coming week truly holy by remembering—not just the palms that were waved to honor the entrance of Jesus into Jerusalem—but by remembering the palms of His hands.
– Facebook March 28th 2021 - After all that Jesus Christ did for you, I invite you to do something this week to follow His teachings. You might make your prayers more earnest. You could forgive someone or help a friend in need. You can start today on a new spiritual quest.
– Facebook March 28th 2021 - Resolve to be resolute. The Lord loves effort. The Lord loves consistency. The Lord loves steadfastness. While we surely will come up short from time to time, our persistent efforts to hear Him and follow the inspiration He gives us will help us to “wax strong in the Spirit” (Mosiah 18:26).
– Facebook January 1st 2022 - Never underestimate the profound truth that “the Spirit speaketh … of things as they really are, and of things as they really will be.”1 “It will show unto you all things what ye should do.”2
– Make Time for the Lord - Consider the fact that in these three instances just mentioned, just before the Father introduced the Son, the people involved were in a state of fear and, to some degree, desperation.
– Hear Him - I now invite you to stand and participate in the Hosanna Shout
– Hosanna Shout - Seek the participation of women in ward and stake councils.
– Spiritual Treasures - May each of us signify by our actions that we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
– Closing Remarks - May we access the power of His Atonement by our repentance each day.
– Closing Remarks - Stand out; be different from the world. You and I know that you are to be a light to the world.
– Hope of Israel - The booklet entitled For the Strength of Youth should be your standard. – Hope of Israel
- Disengage from a constant reliance on social media, in order to decrease its worldly influence upon you.
– Hope of Israel - Please know of our sincere love and appreciation for your devoted service
–Sunday Worship Service on December 26, 2021 - Those who conduct interviews with youth should prepare themselves spiritually to be guided by the Holy Ghost. As part of that preparation, we encourage them to carefully review the guidelines for interviews and counseling in chapter 7 of Handbook I. Section 7.1.7…To help ensure that youth and parents are aware of the topics and questions covered in these interviews, the bishop should share the enclosed guidelines with them before the first interview.”
–First Presidency letter, 20 June 2018: Guidelines for Interviewing Youth - 60-minute sacrament meeting each Sunday, and after a 10-minute transition, a 5O-minute class period. Sunday School classes will be held in this class period on the first and third Sundays, and priesthood quorums, Relief Society, and Young Women will be held on the second and fourth Sundays. Primary will be held weekly and will last 50 minutes.
In addition, we encourage individuals and families to hold home evening and to study the gospel at home on Sunday–or at other times as individuals and families choose. A new resource, Come, Follow Me-For Individuals and Families, provides ideas for personal scripture study, family scripture study, and home evening.
First Presidency letter, 6 October 2018: A New Balance between Gospel Instruction in the Home and in the Church - We affirm that the sealing of a man and woman in the temple offers eternal blessings to the couple and their posterity that can be gained in no other way. We encourage all such couples to qualify for sealing ordinances and blessings.
The policy requiring couples who have been married civilly to wait one year before being sealed is now discontinued. Couples who have been married civilly may be sealed in the temple when they receive their temple recommends.
Where possible, leaders should encourage couples to be both married and sealed in the temple. Where a licensed marriage is not permitted in the temple, or when a temple marriage would cause parents or immediate family members to feel excluded, a civil ceremony followed by a temple sealing is authorized.
First Presidency letter, 6 May 2019: Discontinuation of One-Year Waiting Period after Civil Marriage - Early in this dispensation, the Lord instructed that “in the mouth of two or three witnesses shall every word be established” (Doctrine and Covenants 6:28). Consistent with this direction, members of the Church are invited to serve as witnesses when sacred ordinances of salvation and exaltation are performed.
First Presidency letter, 4 October 2019: Witnessing Ordinances - We have tremendous confidence in our youth. It is our desire for them to fully participate in the work of the Lord, which will bless them with the strength they need to progress on the path back to their heavenly home.
First Presidency letter, 5 October 2019: Strengthening Aaronic Priesthood Quorums and Young Women Classes - To protect family members from the evils of pornography, we invite parents to have family discussions to develop guidelines about how to use media and technology in positive and safe ways. These conversations will provide opportunities for parents to teach that the powers associated with creating families are sacred and central to God’s plan.
First Presidency letter, 29 January 2020: Protecting Children from the Effects of Pornography - We invite individuals and families to visit AddressingPornography.ChurchofJesusChrist.org to find ways to prevent the use of pornography.
First Presidency letter, 29 January 2020: Protecting Children from the Effects of Pornography - In English, printed copies of Handbook I and Handbook 2 are obsolete and should be discarded. In other languages, Handbook I and Handbook 2 should continue to be used until the new General Handbook is available. The copies should be discarded at that time.
First Presidency letter, 19 February 2020: New General Handbook - In relation to weekly worship services, activities and other meetings, members should follow the guidance of their local leaders, who will receive direction in the usual manner.
First Presidency letter, 11 March 2020: Large Gatherings of Church Members - We hope they will take advantage of this unique training experience to prepare for a wonderful period of Christlike service.
First Presidency letter, 11 March 2020: Missionary Training Centers - Beginning immediately, all public gatherings of Church members are being temporarily suspended worldwide until further notice. This includes: •Stake conferences, leadership conferences and other large gatherings.•All public worship services, including sacrament meetings.•Branch, ward and stake activities.Where possible, leaders should conduct any essential leadership meetings via technology. Specific questions may be referred to local priesthood leaders. Further direction related to other matters will be provided. Bishops should counsel with their stake president to determine how to make the sacrament available to members at least once a month. We encourage members in their ministering efforts to care for one another. We should follow the Savior’s example to bless and lift others.
First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles letter, 12 March 2020: Public Gatherings of Church Members - We invite our members to participate in these and other relief projects in their areas and communities as opportunities arise and as local government directives and personal circumstances allow. May we be blessed in our efforts to care for others and provide hope and help to our Heavenly Father’s children everywhere.
First Presidency letter, 14 April 2020: Opportunities to Address COVID-19 Needs - The Church invites all people to come unto Jesus Christ and faithfully obey His commandments.
The Church teaches that its members should sustain and uphold the laws where they reside
The Church and its members are committed to being good citizens and good neighbors. The Church has a long history of reaching out and providing assistance to those in need.
Along with our commitment to be good global citizens, we respectfully assert that reasonable accommodations be extended to all people of faith as they strive to participate in rites, that are foundational to their faith.
In addition to the long-time counsel for members to have food storage in their homes, Church members are focused on observing the Sabbath Day, ministering to others, and strengthening Melchizedek Priesthood quorums and Relief Societies. Through His prophets, the Lord has increased focus on home-centered, Church-supported gospel learning and living. Members have been encouraged to make their homes true sanctuaries of faith where children and youth are taught the gospel. The Come, Follow Me curriculum provides a model where members everywhere learn the gospel in their homes and at Church. The Children and Youth program is also home-centered, allowing parents to nurture their children spiritually, intellectually, physically, and socially. Members have been encouraged to use technology to share gospel messages in normal and natural ways. Missionaries have been provided devices that permit them to find and teach even when in-person contact is not possible. Members can engage in family history work from their homes.
First Presidency letter, 16 April 2020: Administrative Principles in Challenging Times - We ask for your continued faith and prayers that this pandemic and its lingering effects may pass.
First Presidency letter, 7 May 2020: Phased Reopening of Temples - These Brethren have now authorized that meetings and activities may be resumed using a phased approach when local government regulations allow and Area Presidencies inform local leaders. When such permission is granted for your location, please proceed in a cautious, carefully planned and coordinated manner based on local government regulations.
Please consider the following additional principles and guidelines
Use an abundance of caution in protecting the health and safety of members. Pay particular attention to members whose health or age puts them at high risk.•Advise individuals who do not feel well, or who have been asked to self-quarantine, or who exhibit any of the following symptoms that they should not attend meetings:fever, cough, shortness of breath, headache, runny nose, or sore throat.•Follow social distancing, hand washing, and other practices described in“Preventative Measures for Members.”•Follow government regulations in each location regarding public gatherings, including meeting size, frequency, and duration. Please apply government regulations.•Please return to regular practices slowly, continuing to function remotely using technology while beginning in-person meetings in a phased approach as described below. Priority for in-person gatherings should be given to meetings where ordinances are performed, such as baptisms and sacrament meetings.
Social distancing. Consider ways to maintain appropriate distance during meetings and classes and when entering and exiting the chapel and classrooms
Bishops may consider adjustments in passing the sacrament
First Presidency letter, 19 May 2020: Safely Returning to Church Meetings and Activities - Church magazines are a valuable resource for learning about the gospel of Jesus Christ and feeling a sense of belonging in His Church. Our desire is that members everywhere will subscribe and welcome this faith-sustaining influence into their hearts and homes.
First Presidency letter, 14 August 2020: Three Worldwide Church Magazines - I encouraged the thousands of men, women, and children in attendance to protect their families from the deception that they will see in the future. The Church, when restored in its fulness, will prepare the world for the coming of the Lord, but as members, we will be persecuted for our beliefs. We must fortify ourselves against attacks of the adversary. Though we will have trials, please do not be discouraged.
Our Heavenly Father wants for us to be happy. He will provide us with the needed revelation, strength, and ability to judge right from wrong and to experience joy in our lives.
Facebook May 18th, 2019 - As we watch the renovation of the temple and Temple Square, I invite each of us to renew our dedication to the Lord and His holy work.
– Facebook April 19th, 2019 - Brethren, we need to do better and be better in how we honor the women in our lives, beginning with our wives and daughters, our mothers and sisters.
It is the foremost duty of each man to love and care for his wife. Become one with her. Be her partner. Make it easy for her to want to be yours. No other interest in life should take priority over building an eternal relationship with her.
Nothing on TV, a mobile device, or a computer is more important than her well-being. I invite you to do the following: - (1) Take an inventory of how you spend your time and where you devote your energy. That will tell you where your heart is.
- (2) Pray to have your heart attuned to your wife’s heart.
- (3) Seek to bring her joy.
- (4) Seek her counsel and listen.
- Her input will improve your output.
– Facebook April 8th, 2019 - All of us can do better and be better than ever before. We need to get up off the couch, put down the remote, and wake up from our spiritual slumber. It is time to put on the full armor of God so we can engage in the most important work on earth..
– Facebook April 6th, 2019 - Today, we are pleased to announce that beginning in 2020, the course of study for seminary will shift to an annual calendar and classes will study the same book of scripture used for the “Come, Follow Me” curriculum. This adjustment will enhance the home-centered, Church-supported approach to gospel study through a unified study at home, in Sunday School, and in seminary.
As you ponder this change, I invite you to consider the following: your ability to have more impact on the world than any previous generation is completely dependent upon the level of your devotion to Jesus Christ. Each of you is responsible to help teach the gospel in your home to those with whom you live. Seminary and institute will help you remodel your home to become a sanctuary of faith—a place where the gospel of Jesus Christ is taught, learned, lived, and loved.
I invite you to read my personal invitation to you to participate more fully in seminary and institute.
– Facebook March 22nd, 2019 - My dear friends, we are witnesses to the process of restoration. If you think the Church is fully restored, you’re just seeing the beginning. There’s much more to come. Wait until next year, and then the next year. Eat your vitamins, get your rest. It’s going to be exciting!
– Facebook November 1st, 2018 - I urge you, with all the hope of my heart, to pray to understand your spiritual gifts—to cultivate, use, and expand them, even more than you ever have. You will change the world as you do so.
– Facebook October 6, 2019 - I urge each of us to be alert to anyone who might be in danger of being abused and to act promptly to protect them. The Savior will not tolerate abuse, and as His disciples, neither can we.
– Facebook October 1 2022
– What is True? - No identifier should displace, replace, or take priority over these three enduring designations:
- Child of God
- Child of the covenant
- Disciple of Jesus Christ
Any identifier that is not compatible with those three basic designations will ultimately let you down. Make no mistake about it: Your potential is divine. With your diligent seeking, God will give you glimpses of who you may become.
-Facebook July 20, 2020
Concluding Thoughts by Russell M Nelson
“It is my testimony that when we follow through with whatever the prophet of God asks us to do, the way will be opened and lives will be changed.”- Hope of Israel
I hope that each of these invitations has brought you closer to the Savior. If you have struggled with any of them, please don’t be hard on yourself. You can start today. The Lord is happy with any effort we make to draw closer to Him
– December 30th, 2018
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Hope you will continue to add to this!