It hasn’t even been a year since President Nelson became President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, but in this short time, we have seen numerous blessings and experienced massive changes in the Church.
Aside from all of the exciting changes and announcements, President Nelson has emphasized spiritual preparedness and the blessings we receive from living the teachings of the gospel. These blessings are ours to keep as long as we do the things God asks of us. Here are some of the profound invitations and promised blessings President Nelson has emphasized over the past year, and what we need to do to claim them.
April 2018 General Conference
In the April 2018 Priesthood Session, President Nelson invited the brethren to practice regular worship and service to the Lord. In return, he promised that we will bring others unto Christ and find pure joy in life.
Invitation: “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.”
Promise: “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 the joy in life!”
During the Sunday morning session of April general conference, President Nelson invited members to do many things to seek personal revelation, and the blessings that went along with these invitations were significant.
Invitation: “I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. Let this Easter Sunday be a defining moment in your life.”
Promise: “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.”
Invitation: “I exhort you on this Easter Sabbath to ‘come unto Christ, and lay hold upon every good gift, beginning with the gift of the Holy Ghost, . . ."
Promise: “Which gift can and will change your life.”
Invitation: “As you continue to be obedient, expressing gratitude for every blessing the Lord gives you, and as you patiently honor the Lord’s timetable, . . ."
Promise: “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.”
Invitation: “I urge you to stretch beyond your current spiritual ability to receive personal revelation, . . ."
Promise: “For the Lord has promised that ‘if thou shalt [seek], thou shalt receive revelation upon revelation, knowledge upon knowledge, that thou mayest know the mysteries and peaceable things —that which bringeth joy, that which bringeth life eternal.’”
After the exciting announcements in the April 2018 general conference, President Nelson left us feeling excited and hopeful for the future.
Invitation: “I exhort you to study the messages of this conference frequently -- even repeatedly -- during the next six months. 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.”
Promise: “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.”
Invitation and Promise: “We invite all of God’s children on both sides of the veil to come unto their Savior, receive the blessings of the holy temple, have enduring joy, and qualify for eternal life.”
Worldwide Devotional for Youth
In the Worldwide Devotional for Youth, President Nelson extended many invitations and challenges to the youth for them to help gather scattered Israel in these last days.
Invitation: “Now I plead with each of you to do as the teenaged Joseph did. Take your questions directly to your heavenly Father in prayer.”
Promise: “You can learn for yourself—right now at your age—how to receive personal revelation. And nothing will make a bigger difference in your life than that!”
Invitation: “I promise you—not the person sitting next to you, but you—that wherever you are in the world, wherever you are on the covenant path—even if, at this moment, you are not centered on the path—I promise you that 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, . . ."
Promise: “You will have all the direction you will ever need in your life. You will be given answers to your questions in the Lord’s own way and in His own time.”
Invitation: “My first invitation to you today is to disengage from a constant reliance on social media by holding a seven-day fast from social media.”
Promise: “This social media fast can be just between you and the Lord. It will be your sign to Him that you are willing to step away from the world in order to enlist in His youth battalion.”
Invitation: “My second invitation is to 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.”
Promise: “Anytime you do anything that helps anyone—on either side of the veil—take a step toward making covenants with God and receiving their essential baptismal and temple ordinances, you are helping to gather Israel. It is as simple as that.”
Invitation: “My third invitation is for you to 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.”
Promise: “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.”
Invitation: “My fourth invitation is for you to pray daily that all of God’s children might receive the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”
Promise: “You and I are living to see, and will continue to see, Israel gathered with great power. And you can be part of the power behind that gathering!”
Invitation: “My fifth invitation is for you to stand out; be different from the world.”
Promise: “With the Holy Ghost as your companion, you can see right through the celebrity culture that has smitten our society. You can be smarter than previous generations have ever been. And if you are sometimes called ‘weird,’ wear that distinction as a badge of honor and be happy that your light is shining brightly in this ever-darkening world!”
October 2018 General Conference
President Nelson gave a beautiful talk at the women’s session of the October 2018 general conference. He expressed his gratitude for the sisters in the Church and gave inspired invitations that have helped many.
Invitation: “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. . . . I urge you to record and follow through with each impression.”
Promise: “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?”
Invitation: “I invite you to read the Book of Mormon between now and the end of the year.”
Promise: “If you will accept this invitation with full purpose of heart, the Lord will help you find a way to achieve it. And, as you prayerfully study, I promise that the heavens will open for you. The Lord will bless you with increased inspiration and revelation.”
Invitation: “As you read, I would encourage you to mark each verse that speaks of or refers to the Savior. Then, be intentional about talking of Christ, and preaching of Christ with your families and friends.”
Promise: “You and they will be drawn closer to the Savior through this process. And changes, even miracles, will begin to happen.”
Invitation: “Establish a pattern of regular temple attendance.”
Promise: “More regular time in the temple will allow the Lord to teach you how to draw upon His priesthood power with which you have been endowed in His temple.”
Invitation: “Participate fully in Relief Society. I urge you to study the current Relief Society purpose statement. . . . I also entreat you to savor the truths in the Relief Society declaration published almost 20 years ago.”
Promise: “It describes who you are and who the Lord needs you to be at this precise time as you do your part to help gather scattered Israel.”
President Nelson announced earlier this year that the Church should be known by its proper name: The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. And in this conference talk, he explained the blessings that would come from embracing this correction.
Invitation: “I promise you that if we will do our best to restore the correct name of the Lord’s Church, . . ."
Promise: “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.”
In his closing remarks, President Nelson addressed Church members and reminded us of the invitations and promises made throughout the weekend.
Invitation: “I urge you to study these messages, commencing this week.”
Promise: “They express the mind and the will of the Lord for His people, today.”
Invitation: “I promise that as you diligently work to remodel your home into a center of gospel learning, . . ."
Promise: “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.”
Invitation: “I promise you that our rigorous attention to use the correct name of the Savior’s Church and its members, . . ."
Promise: “will lead to increased faith and access to greater spiritual power for members of His Church.”
Invitation: “I urge you to find a way to make an appointment regularly with the Lord -- to be in His holy house—then to keep that appointment with exactness and joy.”
Promise: “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.”
Invitation: “I invite you to worship in the temple and pray to feel deeply the Savior’s infinite love for you, . . ."
Promise: “that each of you may gain your own testimony that He directs this sacred and ageless work.”
First Presidency Christmas Devotional, December 2018
This beautiful talk was unique and promising. President Nelson stood at the pulpit and testified of four gifts that members of the Church can partake of if we have a desire to become more Christlike and live with Him again. All we have to do is choose to accept these gifts.
1. Jesus Christ gives the unlimited capacity to love.
“That includes the capacity to love the unlovable and those who not only do not love you but presently persecute and despitefully use you. . . . With the Savior’s help, we can learn to love as He loved.”
2. The Savior offers the ability to forgive.
“The Savior will grant you the ability to forgive anyone who has mistreated you in any way. Then their hurtful acts can no longer canker your soul.”
3. The Savior gives the gift of repentance.
“[Repentence] is a gift for us to receive with joy and to use—even embrace—day after day as we seek to become more like our savior.”
4. Jesus Christ offers the promise of life everlasting.
“Eternal life is the kind and quality of life that Heavenly Father and His Beloved Son live. When the Father offers us everlasting life, He is saying in essence, ‘If you choose to follow My Son -- if your desire is really to become more like Him—then in time you may live as We live, and preside over worlds and kingdoms as We do.’”
As you transition into a new year and embrace the next chapter of your life, take time to implement these invitations in your daily life. As you do, you’ll claim the blessings President Nelson has promised and you’ll become closer to the Savior.