August 19, 2018: Lesson Recap

Precious Gifts From God

-President M. Russell Ballard

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/precious-gifts-from-god?lang=eng

Life can be filled with faith, joy, happiness and love 

when we exercise the smallest amount of real

faith in Christ. 

My brothers and sisters, we have just participated in a solemn assembly, a practice that can be traced back to the Bible when ancient Israel gathered to feel the Lord’s presence and celebrate His blessings.1 We are privileged to live in a time when this ancient practice has been restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith.2 I urge you to record in your personal journal what you felt regarding this most sacred occasion in which you have taken part.

Recently, we said goodbye to our dear friend and prophet, President Thomas S. Monson. Although we all miss him, we are deeply grateful the Lord has called a new prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, to preside over His Church. In an orderly way we have now begun a new chapter in our Church history. This is a precious gift from God.

As we each sustained President Nelson by our uplifted hands, we stood as witnesses before God and acknowledged that he is President Monson’s rightful successor. With our raised hands, we promised to hearken unto his voice as he receives direction from the Lord.

The Lord has said:

“Thou shalt give heed unto all his [meaning the President of the Church] words and commandments which he shall give unto you as he receiveth them … ;

“For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.”3

I have known our new prophet-president for over 60 years. I have served with him in the Quorum of the Twelve for 33 years, and I am a witness that the hand of the Lord has been preparing him to become our presiding apostle and prophet to administer all the keys of the holy priesthood on the earth. May each one of us completely sustain him and his counselors and follow their direction. We also warmly welcome Elder Gong and Elder Soares as members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.

After Jesus’s Resurrection, an event we celebrate this glorious Easter weekend, He appeared to His disciples and said, “Peace be unto you: as my Father hath sent me, even so send I you.”4 Notice a twofold action—God sends His Son. The Son sends His servants—mortal men and women—to accomplish Their work.

We should not be surprised to know that those individuals called to do the Lord’s work are not humanly perfect. Stories in the scriptures detail incidents about men and women who were called of God to accomplish a great work—good sons and daughters of our Heavenly Father called to serve in their assignments in the Church, striving to do their best, but none of them yet perfect. The same is true of us today.

Given the reality of our human weaknesses and shortcomings, how do we move forward in supporting and sustaining each other? It begins with faith—real, sincere faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. Faith in the Savior is the first principle of the doctrine and gospel of Christ.

Several years ago I was visiting the Holy Land. As we drove by a mustard plant, the director of the BYU Jerusalem Center asked if I had ever seen a mustard seed. I hadn’t so we stopped. He showed me the seeds from the mustard plant. They were surprisingly small.

I then remembered Jesus’s teachings: “For verily I say unto you, If ye have faith as a grain of mustard seed, ye shall say unto this mountain, Remove hence to yonder place; and it shall remove; and nothing shall be impossible unto you.”5

If we have faith as small as a mustard seed, the Lord can help us remove the mountains of discouragement and doubt in the tasks ahead of us as we serve with God’s children, including family members, Church members, and those who are not yet members of the Church.

Brothers and sisters, life can be filled with faith, joy, happiness, hope, and love when we exercise the smallest amount of real faith in Christ—even a mustard seed of faith.

Elder George A. Smith remembered some advice the Prophet Joseph Smith gave to him: “He told me I should never get discouraged, whatever difficulties might surround me. If I was sunk in the lowest pit of Nova Scotia and all the Rocky Mountains piled on top of me, I ought not to be discouraged but hang on, exercise faith, and keep up good courage and I should come out on the top of the heap at last.”6

We should remember Paul’s declaration: “I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me.”7 Knowing this is another precious gift from God.

In addition to the gifts I have mentioned, there are many, many more. I speak now of just a few—the gift of the Sabbath day, the sacrament, service to others, and the matchless gift from God of our Savior.

The power of the Sabbath day is to experience in church and at home the delight, the joy, and the warmth of feeling the Spirit of the Lord without any kind of distraction.

Too many allow themselves to almost live online with their smart devices—screens illuminating their faces day and night and earbuds in their ears blocking out the still, small voice of the Spirit. If we do not find time to unplug, we may miss opportunities to hear the voice of Him who said, “Be still, and know that I am God.”8 Now, there is nothing wrong with taking advantage of the advances in the technologies inspired by the Lord, but we must be wise in their use. Remember the gift of the Sabbath day.

The blessing of receiving the sacrament in sacrament meeting must never become routine or just something we do. It is only 70 minutes in a whole week when we can pause and find more peace, joy, and happiness in our lives.

Partaking of the sacrament and renewing our covenants is a sign by us to the Lord that we do always remember Him. His Atonement is a gracious gift from God.

The privilege of service to Heavenly Father’s children is another opportunity to follow the example of His Beloved Son by serving one another.

Some service opportunities are formal—in our family, our Church callings, and our participation in community service organizations.

Church members—both men and women—should not hesitate, if they desire, to run for public office at any level of government wherever they live. Our voices are essential today and important in our schools, our cities, and our countries. Where democracy exists, it is our duty as members to vote for honorable men and women who are willing to serve.

Many opportunities to serve are informal—without assignment—and come as we reach out to others we meet in life’s journey. Remember Jesus taught the lawyer that we should love God and our neighbor as ourselves using the good Samaritan as an example.9

Service opens a window by which we understand the life and ministry of Christ. He came to serve, as the scriptures teach, “even as the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.”10

Peter may have given the best description of the Savior’s mortal ministry in five words when he referred to Jesus, “who went about doing good.”11

The Lord Jesus Christ is our most precious of all gifts from God. Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”12

Nephi captured the importance of our Savior when he declared, “We talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ, we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ, and we write according to our prophecies, that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.”13 We must keep Christ as the center of our lives at all times and in all places.

We should remember that it is His name that appears on our places of worship; we are baptized in His name; and we are confirmed, ordained, endowed, and sealed in marriage in His name. We partake of the sacrament and promise to take upon ourselves His name—and become true Christians. Finally, we are asked in the sacrament prayer to “always remember him.”14

As we prepare for Easter Sunday tomorrow, let us remember that Christ is supreme. He is the righteous Judge, our faithful Advocate, our blessed Redeemer, the Good Shepherd, the promised Messiah, a true Friend, and much, much more. He is indeed a very precious gift to us from our Father.

In our discipleship, we have many demands, concerns, and assignments. However, some activities must always be at the heart of our Church membership. “Wherefore,” the Lord commands, “be faithful; stand in the office which I have appointed unto you; succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.”15

This is the Church in action! This is pure religion! This is the gospel in its true sense as we succor, lift, and strengthen those in spiritual and temporal need! Doing so requires us to visit them and to assist them,16 that their testimonies of faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and His Atonement will be anchored in their hearts.

May the Lord help and bless us to treasure our many precious gifts from God, including our membership in His restored Church. I pray we will be filled with love for our Heavenly Father’s children and be able to see their needs and be willing to answer their questions and concerns about the gospel in clear and kind ways that will increase understanding and appreciation for one another.

I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior. What we will be taught at this general conference comes to us by inspiration from apostles and prophets, from General Authorities, and sister leaders who are General Officers of the Church. May the joy and peace of the Lord abide with each one is my humble prayer in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

August 5: First Sunday Council Meeting

What is the first-Sunday meeting?

• Elder Hallstrom: Its a council meeting for the quorum, group, or Relief Society, led by their individual leadership. It addresses the needs of the quorum or organization and how we can better prepare ourselves, then organize to meet those individual needs.
• It is not a lesson. We have lessons or discussions on the other Sundays in the month, but the first Sunday is meant to be a true council, led by leadership, but involving everyone. 

• Brother Heaton: Prior to any given first-Sunday council meeting, the presidency may in preparation prayerfully identify a need. Then, at the council meeting, they will present that and ask, "What are your thoughts on this subject? How will we address this need?
• We do not know how this will happen in anyone group, but as the presidency comes to understand the needs of their group through ministering, they'll begin to have a sense of what the general needs may be. 
• Under the the gift of revelation, they'll select one of those needs and seek more information nohow to meet that need generally.

• Sister Bingham: The idea is that it's truly a council in which everyone has a chance to contribute, and its much more rich when many people participate.
• One of the beautiful things about this council meeting is that you actually come up at the end of the meeting with an action plan. You choose an action individually, and possibly as a group. Then in the next week, they have an opportunity to briefly report: What as the effect of what you chose last week? Did it really make a difference.

Is it fair to say that this council meeting, being more generally focused, does not supplant the ward council meeting?

• Brother Magleby: Yes. You're Talking more about the principles to help many people than the the specific needs of one individual person, although the individual needs of a person could trigger a general discussion about principles.

• Elder Hallstrom: In the setting of a first-Sunday council meeting, were certainly not going to talk about very sensitive, confidential matters as a quorum or Relief Society. So its really more a matter of "This is a general need that we have; how can we better accomplish it?" or "We need to provide more service in this way; lets organize ourselves to do better at that." So were not changing the function of the ward council, if anything it's totally supportive to what the ward council would be doing and helping in a more general way than person by person or family by family.

Depending on the circumstances in the ward, these council meetings could be rather sizable. How does one encourage involvement by everyone?

• Sister Bingham: Facilitate a spiritual discussion! Respond positively to comments and keep the focus on doctrines.
• It is recommended that, if the group size allows, we make a circle with our chairs so that each person feels like they have an equal voice. Those who are facilitating the council should watch for those who have not made comments or who look like they would like to make a comment but are too shy to have done so, include everyone. 
• The leader of the discussion could come prepared with a few scriptures, a couple of quotes from Church leaders, or a brief example of illustration of doctrine concepts being discussed as prompts to be shared if needed. 
• For example the topic might be "How can we increase unity in our Relief Society?" Some questions might be: Why is unity important? What are some of your favorite scriptures on unity? What tends to decrease unity among us? What are some specific things we can do to increase our unity? Is there one of these actions we'd like to do as a group? Which one would you like to do as an individual? Next week please come prepared to share what you did and how it has increased the unity in our Relief Society. 

Lesson Recap: July 22, 2018

Christ Ministers One by One

Think about how much the scriptures have been edited. We should pay close attention to all everything that has been left in the scriptures, and that has NOT been edited out. It is of the utmost importance for our salvation, for us to study and abide by the words in the scriptures. The concept and examples of Christ ministering One by One, are repeated frequently within the scriptures. Because of the frequent and repeated examples of ministering One by One we need to take these examples seriously and emulate them.

3 Nephi 11: 15
 
15 And it came to pass that the multitude went forth, and thrust their hands into his side, and did feel the prints of the nails in his hands and in his feet; and this they did do, going forth one by one until they had all gone forth, and did see with their eyes and did feel with their hands, and did know of a surety and did bear record, that it was he, of whom it was written by the prophets, that should come.


3 Nephi 17:9,21

9 And it came to pass that when he had thus spoken, all the multitude, with one accord, did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.

21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them.

Our families are our first unit from which we receive ministering, and the first unit that we are to minister to. One of the ways that Satan tries and brings us down, is to make us feel unimportant, or unloved and not special to the Lord and to others around us. The Lord knows us individually, he knows everything about us, our fears, joys and sorrows. He knows everything in our hearts and minds. He knows how to heal us individually, and how to comfort us in the ways that we individually need it. Heavenly Father is keenly away of each of us, and knows us individually. 

How should we reach out and treat others that are in the "sphere of our influence?" Should we not treat those within our sphere of influence with the same love and attention that the Savior and our Heavenly Father shows us? 

We can pray to allow Heavenly Father to use us as His hands in his work. We can pray to act with love, kindness and patience when dealing with others whom we can help. As we are patient with one another we can begin to foster love with one another. 

Lesson Recap: July 15, 2018

Meek and Lowly of Heart

By Elder David A. Bednar

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/meek-and-lowly-of-heart?lang=eng

Meekness is a defining attribute of the Redeemer

and is distinguished by righteousness, responsiveness, willing submissiveness, and 

strong self-restraint. 

I rejoice in the sacred opportunity to sustain our Church leaders, and I wholeheartedly welcome Elder Gong and Elder Soares to the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. The ministries of these faithful men will bless individuals and families all over the world, and I am eager to serve with and learn from them. I pray the Holy Ghost will teach and enlighten us as we learn together about a vital aspect of the Savior’s divine nature1 that each of us should strive to emulate. I will present several examples that highlight this Christlike quality before identifying the specific attribute later in my message. Please listen carefully to each example and consider with me possible answers to the questions I will pose.

Example #1. The Rich Young Man and Amulek

In the New Testament, we learn about a rich young man who asked Jesus, “Good Master, what good thing shall I do, that I may have eternal life?”2 The Savior first admonished him to keep the commandments. The Master next gave the young man an additional requirement customized to his specific needs and circumstances. “Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me.

“But when the young man heard that saying, he went away sorrowful: for he had great possessions.”3 Compare the response of the rich young man with the experience of Amulek, as described in the Book of Mormon. Amulek was an industrious and prosperous man with many kindreds and friends.4He described himself as a man who was called many times but would not hear, a man who knew the things of God but would not know.5 A basically good man, Amulek was distracted by worldly concerns much like the rich young man described in the New Testament.

Even though he had previously hardened his heart, Amulek obeyed the voice of an angel, received the prophet Alma in his home, and provided nourishment to him. He was spiritually awakened during Alma’s visit and was called to preach the gospel. Amulek then forsook “all his gold, and silver, and his precious things … for the word of God, [and was] rejected by those who were once his friends and also by his father and his kindred.”6 What do you think explains the difference between the responses of the rich young man and Amulek?

Example #2. Pahoran

During a perilous period of war described in the Book of Mormon, an exchange of epistles occurred between Moroni, the captain of the Nephite armies, and Pahoran, the chief judge and governor of the land. Moroni, whose army was suffering because of inadequate support from the government, wrote to Pahoran “by the way of condemnation”7 and accused him and his fellow leaders of thoughtlessness, slothfulness, neglect, and even being traitors.8

Pahoran easily might have resented Moroni and his inaccurate allegations, but he did not. He responded compassionately and described a rebellion against the government about which Moroni was not aware. And then Pahoran declared: “Behold, I say unto you, Moroni, that I do not joy in your great afflictions, yea, it grieves my soul. … “… In your epistle you have censured me, but it mattereth not; I am not angry, but do rejoice in the greatness of your heart.”9 What do you think explains Pahoran’s measured reply to Moroni’s accusations?

Example #3. President Russell M. Nelson and President Henry B. Eyring

In general conference six months ago, President Russell M. Nelson described his response to President Thomas S. Monson’s invitation to study, ponder, and apply the truths contained in the Book of Mormon. He said: “I have tried to follow his counsel. Among other things, I’ve made lists of what the Book of Mormon is, what it affirms,what it refutes, what it fulfills, what it clarifies, and what it reveals.Looking at the Book of Mormon through these lenses has been an insightful and inspiring exercise! I recommend it to each of you.”10

President Henry B. Eyring likewise emphasized the importance in his life of President Monson’s request. He observed:

“I have read the Book of Mormon every day for more than 50 years. So perhaps I could have reasonably thought that President Monson’s words were for someone else. Yet, like many of you, I felt the prophet’s encouragement and his promise invite me to make a greater effort. …

“The happy result for me, and for many of you, has been what the prophet promised.”11 What do you think explains the immediate and heartfelt responses to President Monson’s invitation by these two leaders of the Lord’s Church? I am not suggesting that the spiritually strong responses of Amulek, Pahoran, President Nelson, and President Eyring are explained by only one Christlike quality. Certainly, many interrelated attributes and experiences led to the spiritual maturity reflected in the lives of these four noble servants. But the Savior and His prophets have highlighted an essential quality that all of us need to more fully understand and strive to incorporate into our lives.

Meekness

Please notice the characteristic the Lord used to describe Himself in the following scripture: “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.”12Instructively, the Savior chose to emphasize meekness from among all the attributes and virtues He potentially could have selected. A similar pattern is evident in a revelation received by the Prophet Joseph Smith in 1829. The Lord declared, “Learn of me, and listen to my words; walk in the meekness of my Spirit, and you shall have peace in me.”13

Meekness is a defining attribute of the Redeemer and is distinguished by righteous responsiveness, willing submissiveness, and strong self-restraint. This quality helps us to understand more completely the respective reactions of Amulek, Pahoran, President Nelson, and President Eyring.

For example, President Nelson and President Eyring righteously and rapidly responded to President Monson’s encouragement to read and study the Book of Mormon. Though both men were serving in important and visible Church positions and had studied the scriptures extensively for decades, they demonstrated in their responses no hesitation or sense of self-importance. Amulek willingly submitted to God’s will, accepted a call to preach the gospel, and left behind his comfortable circumstances and familiar relationships. And Pahoran was blessed with perspective and strong self-restraint to act rather than react as he explained to Moroni the challenges arising from a rebellion against the government.

The Christlike quality of meekness often is misunderstood in our contemporary world. Meekness is strong, not weak; active, not passive; courageous, not timid; restrained, not excessive; modest, not self-aggrandizing; and gracious, not brash. A meek person is not easily provoked, pretentious, or overbearing and readily acknowledges the accomplishments of others.

Whereas humility generally denotes dependence upon God and the constant need for His guidance and support, a distinguishing characteristic of meekness is a particular spiritual receptivity to learning both from the Holy Ghost and from people who may seem less capable, experienced, or educated, who may not hold important positions, or who otherwise may not appear to have much to contribute. Recall how Naaman, captain of the king’s army in Syria, overcame his pride and meekly accepted the advice of his servants to obey Elisha the prophet and wash in the river Jordan seven times.14Meekness is the principal protection from the prideful blindness that often arises from prominence, position, power, wealth, and adulation.

Meekness—a Christlike Attribute and a Spiritual Gift 

Meekness is an attribute developed through desire, the righteous exercise of moral agency, and striving always to retain a remission of our sins.15 It also is a spiritual gift for which we appropriately can seek.16 We should remember, however, the purposes for which such a blessing is given, even to benefit and serve the children of God.17As we come unto and follow the Savior, we increasingly and incrementally are enabled to become more like Him. We are empowered by the Spirit with disciplined self-restraint and a settled and calm demeanor. Thus, meek is what we become as disciples of the Master and not just something we do. “Moses was learned in all the wisdom of the Egyptians, and was mighty in words and in deeds.”18 Yet he “was very meek, above all the men which were upon the face of the earth.”19 His knowledge and competence could have caused him to be prideful. Instead, the attribute and spiritual gift of meekness with which he was blessed attenuated arrogance in his life and magnified Moses as an instrument to accomplish God’s purposes.

The Master as an Example of Meekness

The most majestic and meaningful examples of meekness are found in the life of the Savior Himself.

The Great Redeemer, who “descended below all things”20 and suffered, bled, and died “to cleanse us from all unrighteousness,”21tenderly washed the dusty feet of His disciples.22 Such meekness is a hallmark characteristic of the Lord as a servant and leader. Jesus provides the ultimate example of righteous responsiveness and willing submission as He suffered intense agony in Gethsemane. “And when he was at the place, he said unto [His disciples], Pray that ye enter not into temptation. “And he … kneeled down, and prayed, “Saying, Father, if thou be willing, remove this cup from me: nevertheless not my will, but thine, be done.”23 The Savior’s meekness in this eternally essential and excruciating experience demonstrates for each of us the importance of putting the wisdom of God above our own wisdom.

The consistency of the Lord’s willing submission and strong self-restraint is both awe-inspiring and instructive for us all. As an armed company of temple guardsmen and Roman soldiers arrived at Gethsemane to seize and arrest Jesus, Peter drew his sword and cut off the right ear of the high priest’s servant.24 The Savior then touched the servant’s ear and healed him.25 Please note that He reached out and blessed His potential captor using the same heavenly power that could have prevented Him from being captured and crucified.

Consider also how the Master was accused and condemned before Pilate to be crucified.26 Jesus had declared during His betrayal, “Thinkest thou that I cannot now pray to my Father, and he shall presently give me more than twelve legions of angels?”27 Yet the “Eternal Judge of both quick and dead”28 paradoxically was judged before a temporary political appointee. “And [Jesus] answered him to never a word; insomuch that the governor marvelled greatly.”29 The Savior’s meekness is evidenced in His disciplined response, strong restraint, and unwillingness to exert His infinite power for personal benefit.

Promise and Testimony

Mormon identifies meekness as the foundation from which all spiritual capacities and gifts arise. “Wherefore, if a man have faith he must needs have hope; for without faith there cannot be any hope. “And again, behold I say unto you that he cannot have faith and hope, save he shall be meek, and lowly of heart.

“If so, his faith and hope is vain, for none is acceptable before God, save the meek and lowly in heart; and if a man be meek and lowly in heart, and confesses by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ, he must needs have charity; for if he have not charity he is nothing; wherefore he must needs have charity.”30

The Savior declared, “Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth.”31 Meekness is an essential aspect of the divine nature and can be received and developed in our lives because of and through the Savior’s Atonement.

I testify that Jesus Christ is our resurrected and living Redeemer. And I promise that He will guide, protect, and strengthen us as we walk in the meekness of His Spirit. I declare my sure witness of these truths and promises in the sacred name of the Lord Jesus Christ, amen.

Message from our Relief Society President; Helen Kerwin:

Helen asked us last Sunday, what we could do to improve ourselves this week. What can we do this week to help improve us all as a group? Please prepare to share your experiences this week with Helen's challenge. =)

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This Week's Reminders

Sunday, July 8, 2018: Lesson Recap

It Is All About People

By Bishop Gerald Causse

Presiding Bishop

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2018/04/it-is-all-about-people?lang=eng

The Church is all about you, the Lord's disciples- those who love 

and follow Him and who have taken His name upon them. 

While preparing for the construction of the magnificent Paris France Temple, I had an experience I will never forget. In 2010, when property for the temple was found, the city mayor asked to meet with us to know more about our Church. This meeting was a critical step in obtaining a building permit. We meticulously prepared a presentation that included several impressive pictures of Latter-day Saint temples. My most fervent hope was that their architectural beauty would persuade the mayor to support our project.

To my surprise, the mayor indicated that rather than reviewing our presentation, he and his team preferred to conduct their own investigation to find out what kind of church we were. The following month, we were invited back to hear a report given by a city councilor who also happened to be a professor of religious history. She said, “Above all else, we wanted to understand who the members of your church are. First, we attended one of your sacrament meetings. We sat at the back of the chapel and carefully observed the people in the congregation and what they were doing. Then we met with your neighbors—those who live around your stake center—and we asked them what kind of people you Mormons are.”“So what are your conclusions?” I asked, feeling a little bit of anxiety. She replied, “We discovered that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is the closest to Jesus Christ’s original Church than any other church we know of.” I almost objected by saying, “That’s not completely accurate! It’s not the church that is closest; it is the Church of Jesus Christ—the same Church, the true Church!” But I restrained myself and instead offered a silent prayer of gratitude. The mayor then advised us that, based on their findings, he and his team had no objections to the construction of a temple in their community.

Today, when I think about that miraculous experience, I feel grateful for the mayor’s wisdom and spirit of discernment. He knew that the key to understanding the Church is not to see it through the outward appearance of its buildings or even as a well-organized institution but through its millions of faithful members, who strive each day to follow the example of Jesus Christ.The definition of the Church might be derived from a passage in the Book of Mormon that states, “And they [meaning the Lord’s disciples] who were baptized in the name of Jesus were called the church of Christ.”1In other words, the Church is all about people. It is all about you, the Lord’s disciples—those who love and follow Him and who have taken His name upon them by covenant.

President Russell M. Nelson once likened the Church to a nice automobile. We all love it when our vehicle is clean and shiny. But the car’s purpose is not to stand out as an attractive machine; it is to move the people in the car.2 In the same manner, we, as members of the Church, appreciate having beautiful places of worship that are clean and well maintained, and we also enjoy having well-functioning programs. But these are merely support systems. Our sole aim is to invite each son and daughter of God to come unto Christ and to guide him or her along the covenant path. Nothing is more important. Our work is all about people and covenants.

Isn’t it wonderful that the name given by revelation to the restored Church binds together the two most important elements in each gospel covenant? First is the name Jesus Christ. This Church belongs to Him, and His sanctifying Atonement and covenants are the only pathway to salvation and exaltation. The second name refers to us:the Saints, or in other words, His witnesses and His disciples.

I learned the importance of focusing on people when I served as a stake president in France. At the beginning of my service, I had in mind some very ambitious goals for the stake: the creation of new wards, the building of new meetinghouses, and even the construction of a temple in our area. When I was released six years later, not one of these objectives had been achieved. This could have felt like a complete failure except that, during the course of those six years, my objectives had become quite different. As I sat on the stand on the day of my release, I was overwhelmed by a profound sense of gratitude and accomplishment. I looked at the faces of the hundreds of members in attendance. I could recall a spiritual experience connected with each one of them.

There were those brothers and sisters who had entered the waters of baptism, those for whom I had signed their first recommends so they could receive the sacred ordinances of the temple, and those young people and couples I had set apart or released as full-time missionaries. There were many others to whom I had ministered as they were going through trials and adversity in their lives. I felt intense brotherly love for each of them. I had found pure joy in serving them and rejoiced in their increased loyalty to and faith in the Savior.

President M. Russell Ballard taught, “What is most important in our Church responsibilities is not the statistics that are reported or the meetings that are held but whether or not individual people—ministered to one at a time just as the Savior did—have been lifted and encouraged and ultimately changed.”3

My dear brothers and sisters, are we active in the gospel, or are we merely busy in the Church? The key is to follow the example of the Savior in all things. If we do that, we will naturally focus on saving individuals rather than performing tasks and implementing programs.

Have you ever asked yourself what it would be like if the Savior visited your ward or branch next Sunday? What would He do? Would He be worried to know if the visual aids were good enough or if the chairs were positioned properly in the classroom? Or would He find someone He could love, teach, and bless? Perhaps He would seek out a new member or a friend to welcome, a sick brother or sister in need of comfort, or a wavering young person who needed to be lifted and encouraged.

What classes would Jesus visit? I wouldn’t be surprised if He visited the Primary children first. He would probably kneel down and speak to them eye to eye. He would express His love to them, tell them stories, congratulate them on their drawings, and testify of His Father in Heaven. His attitude would be simple, genuine, and without affectation. Can we do likewise?

I promise you that as you strive to be on the Lord’s agenda, nothing will become more important than finding those people you can help and bless. At church you will focus on teaching individuals and touching their hearts. Your concern will be to foster a spiritual experience rather than organize a perfect activity, to minister to your fellow members rather than check a box for the number of visits you have made. It will not be about you but about them whom we call our brothers and our sisters.

Sometimes we talk about going to church. But the Church is more than a building or a particular place. It is just as real and alive in the humblest of dwellings in the most remote areas of the world as it is here at Church headquarters in Salt Lake City. The Lord Himself said, “For where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them.”4We take the Church with us wherever we go: to work, to school, on vacation, and especially in our homes. Our very presence and influence can be enough to make wherever we find ourselves a holy place.

I remember a conversation I had with a friend who is not a member of our faith. He was surprised to learn that any worthy man in our Church could receive the priesthood. He asked, “But how many priesthood holders do you have in your ward?”I answered, “Between 30 and 40.”Perplexed, he continued, “In my congregation, we have only one priest. Why do you need so many priests on Sunday morning?”Intrigued by his question, I felt inspired to reply, “I agree with you. I don’t think we need that many priesthood holders at church on Sunday. But we do need a priesthood holder in every home. And when there is no priesthood holder in a home, other priesthood holders are called upon to watch over and minister to that family.”

Ours is not just a Sunday church. Our worship continues each day of the week, wherever we are and in whatever we do. Our homes in particular are “the primary sanctuaries of our faith.”5 It is most often in our homes that we pray, we bless, we study, we teach the word of God, and we serve with pure love. I can testify from personal experience that our homes are sacred places where the Spirit can abound—as much as, and sometimes even more than, in our formal places of worship.

I bear witness that this Church is the Church of Jesus Christ. Its strength and vitality come from the daily actions of millions of His disciples who strive each day to follow His supreme example by caring for others. Christ lives and He directs this Church. President Russell M. Nelson is the prophet whom He has chosen to lead and guide us in our days. Of these things I testify in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

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