Don't let the whirlwinds drag you down. These are your days - to stand strong as disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Neil L. AndersenPerfection does not come in this life, but we exercise faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and keep our covenants. President Monson has promised, "Your testimony, when constantly nourished, will keep you safe." We push our spiritual roots deep, feasting daily on the words of Christ in the scriptures. We trust in the words of living prophets, placed before us to show us the way. We pray and pray and listen to the quiet voice of the Holy Ghost that leads us along and speaks peace to our soul. Whatever challenges arise, we never, never leave Him.
Neil L. AndersenThe blessings of the priesthood are infinitely greater than the one who is asked to administer the gift.
Neil L. AndersenCounting the ways the Book of Mormon brings peace to the soul is like counting the sand on the seashore.
Neil L. AndersenMy young friends, ... not all the whirlwinds in life are of your own making. Some come because of the wrong choices of others, and some come just because this is mortality. You are His son or His daughter. He made your spirit strong and capable of being resilient to the whirlwinds of life. The whirlwinds in your youth, like the wind against a young tree, can increase your spiritual strength, preparing you for the years ahead.
Neil L. AndersenWe do not discard something we know to be true because of something we do not yet understand.
Neil L. AndersenWhen you are faced with a test of faith, stay within the safety and security of the household of God. There is always a place for you here. No trial is so large we can't overcome it together.
Neil L. AndersenThese fiery trials are designed to make you stronger, but they have the potential to diminish or even destroy your trust in the Son of God and to weaken your resolve to keep your promises to Him. These trials are often camouflaged, making them difficult to identify. They take root in our weaknesses, our vulnerabilities, our sensitivities, or in those things that matter most to us. A real but manageable test for one can be a fiery trial for another.
Neil L. AndersenThe scriptures speak of His arms being open, extended, stretched out, and encircling. They are described as mighty and holy, arms of mercy, arms of safety, arms of love, โlengthened out all the day long.
Neil L. AndersenChallenges will come to you, but as you trust in God, they will strengthen your faith.
Neil L. AndersenThe Savior taught us to love not only our friends but also those who disagree with us- and even those who repudiate us.
Neil L. AndersenIt is within the sanctuary of the Church that we protect our faith. Meeting together with others who believe, we pray and find answers to our prayers; we worship through music, share testimony of the Savior, serve one another, and feel the Spirit of the Lord. We partake of the sacrament, receive the blessings of the priesthood, and attend the temple. . . When you are faced with a test of faith, stay within the safety and security of the household of God. There is always a place for you here. No trial is so large we can't overcome it together.
Neil L. AndersenFaith in Jesus Christ is a gift from heaven that comes as we choose to believe and as we seek it and hold on to it.
Neil L. AndersenOur desire to share the gospel takes all of us to our knees, and it should, because we need the Lord's help.
Neil L. AndersenAs surely as the Lord has inspired more missionaries to serve, He is also awakening the minds and opening the hearts of more good and honest people to receive His missionaries.
Neil L. AndersenLike the intense fire that transforms iron into steel, as we remain faithful during the fiery trial of our faith, we are spiritually refined and strengthened.
Neil L. AndersenI witness that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He suffered and died for our sins and rose the third day. He is resurrected. In a future day, every knee will bow and every tongue confess that He is the Christ. On that day, our concern will not be, 'Do others consider me Christian?' At that time, our eyes will be fixed on Him, and our souls will be riveted on the question, 'What thinks Christ of me?'
Neil L. AndersenWith all the blessings our modern age has given to us, let us not give up the things that promote the workings of the Holy Ghost.
Neil L. AndersenWe can work, study, laugh and have fun, dance, sing, and enjoy many different experiences. These are a wonderful part of life, but they are not central to why we are here. The opportunity to choose good over evil is precisely why we are here. Not one of us would say, "I want to choose evil." We all want to choose the right. However, the choice of good over evil is not always easy, because evil frequently lurks behind smiling eyes.
Neil L. AndersenIf a child is not listening, don't despair. Time and truth are on your side. At the right moment, your words will return as if from heaven itself. Your testimony will never leave your children.
Neil L. AndersenWe each have moments of spiritual power, moments of inspiration and revelation. We must sink them deep into the chambers of our souls. As we do, we prepare our spiritual home storage for moments of personal difficulty.
Neil L. AndersenRepentance is a blessing to all of us. We each need to feel the Savior's arms of mercy through the forgiveness of our sins.
Neil L. AndersenWith the influences of evil that surround our children, can we even imagine sending them out in the morning without kneeling and humbly asking together for the Lord's protection? Or closing the day without kneeling together and acknowledging our accountability before Him and our thankfulness for His blessings? Brothers and sisters, we need to have family prayer.
Neil L. AndersenYou are His disciple; you are His friend. By His grace He will do for you what you cannot do for yourself.
Neil L. AndersenWe are all in this together. With fellow ward members and missionaries, we plan and pray and help one another. Please keep the full-time missionaries in your thoughts and prayers. Trust them with your family and friends. The Lord trusts them and has called them to teach and bless those who seek Him.
Neil L. AndersenAs we act in faith, we often find that the blessings from the Lord are different than we expected but much better than we imagined.
Neil L. AndersenRepentance is powerful spiritual medicine. There are few spiritual ills it will not cure. Each sin we leave behind through our faith in the living Christ-both those of commission and those of omission-opens spiritual doors. As we feel the potency of repentance, we better understand why Christ admonished the early missionaries of this dispensation to "say nothing but repentance unto this generation."
Neil L. AndersenThe Prophet Joseph Smith warned us to โbeware of self-righteousnessโ and to enlarge our hearts toward all men and women until we feel โto take them upon our shoulders.
Neil L. AndersenWhile many governments and well-meaning individuals have redefined marriage, the Lord has not.
Neil L. AndersenAs we are spiritually awake and alert we see His hand across the world and we see His hand in our own personal lives.
Neil L. AndersenThe wisdom of the world, while in many cases very valuable, is most valuable when it humbly bows to the wisdom of God.
Neil L. AndersenBut our trials need not be spiritually fatal. They need not take us from our covenants or from the household of God.
Neil L. AndersenAs you keep the commandments and pray in faith to see the Lord's hand in your life, I promise you that He will open your spiritual eyes even wider, and you will see more clearly that you are not alone.
Neil L. AndersenOur conversion comes step by step, line upon line. We first build a foundation of faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Neil L. AndersenHow do you remain - steadfast and immovable during a trial of faith? You immerse yourself in the very thing that helped your core of faith: you exercise faith in Christ, you pray, you ponder the scriptures, you repent, you keep the commandments, and you serve others.
Neil L. Andersen