Conference Counsel: The power of words to access the powers of heaven
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- Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles shares a message of inspiration during the morning session of general conference at the Conference Center in Salt Lake City on Sunday, April 7, 2024.
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- Ryan Comer
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- Journals belonging to the author’s wife from when she was in elementary school and junior high.
A few years ago, I was sifting through some of my wife’s belongings that had been left at her mother’s house and I came across some diaries. The diaries were my wife’s from when she was in elementary school and junior high. As I read the various entries, my soul brightened. I could imagine her speaking the words on those pages. She wrote as if she was talking to a specific person, and that this person was deeply interested in hearing about every single detail. They say a picture is worth a thousand words, but a picture doesn’t necessarily show personality. A picture can’t show exactly what a person is thinking or feeling in a specific moment. A picture can show you what someone looks like, but it can’t show you who a person is. It’s interesting. I have many photos and precious things that either belonged to her or remind me of her, but those diaries mean more to me than anything else. They are priceless.
The importance of words was the subject discussed by Elder Ronald A. Rasband of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the April general conference of the church.
Speaking of words, Elder Rasband said:
“They are the bedrock of how we connect; they represent our beliefs, morals and perspectives. … Words set a tone. They voice our thoughts, feelings and experiences, for good or bad.
“Unfortunately, words can be thoughtless, hasty and hurtful. Once said, we cannot take them back. They can wound, punish, cut down and even lead to destructive actions. They can weigh heavily on us.
“On the other hand, words can celebrate victory, be hopeful and encouraging. They can prompt us to rethink, reboot and redirect our course. Words can open our minds to truth.”
Simply put, words have power.
Because of that, it matters whose words we pay attention to. Elder Rasband focused on the words of three people: 1) Jesus Christ, 2) the prophet and 3) ourselves.
“The ‘word of God’ surpasses all other expressions,” Elder Rasband said. “It has been so since the creation of the earth when the Lord spoke: ‘Let there be light: and there was light.’ (Genesis 1:3)
“From the savior came these assurances in the New Testament: ‘Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away.’ (Matthew 24:35)
“And this: ‘If a man love me, he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come unto him, and make our abode with him.’ (John 14:23)
“And from Mary, the mother of Jesus, came this humble testimony: ‘Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to thy word.’ (Luke 1:38)
“Believing and heeding the word of God will draw us closer to him. President Russell M. Nelson has promised, ‘If you will study his words, your ability to be more like him will increase.’
“Don’t we all want to be, as the hymn says, ‘more blessed and holy — more, savior, like thee’?
“I picture young Joseph Smith on his knees hearing the words of his Father in heaven: ‘(Joseph,) this is my beloved son. Hear him!’ (Joseph Smith–History 1:17)
“We ‘hear him’ in the words of scripture, but do we let them just sit on the page, or do we recognize he is speaking to us? Do we change?
“We ‘hear him’ in personal revelation and promptings from the Holy Ghost, in answers to prayer and in those moments when only Jesus Christ, through the power of his atonement, can lift our burdens, grant us forgiveness and peace and embrace us ‘in the arms of his love.'” (2 Nephi 1:15)
As I was listening to Elder Rasband talk about the importance of Christ’s words, my mind turned to a general conference talk given by President Dallin H. Oaks in the First Presidency of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in April 2023. The talk was titled “The Teachings of Jesus Christ,” and it included almost exclusively the words of Jesus in scripture. Said President Oaks:
“We are given the scriptures to direct our lives. As the prophet Nephi taught us, we should ‘feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.'” (2 Nephi 32:3)
I loved that talk for a few reasons, but one was because I think sometimes it can be easy for us to forget what Jesus actually said. Many people have imagined a kind of Jesus that is simply not consistent with what he said, but thankfully, as is common to say these days, we have the receipts.
A favorite quote of mine from Jesus is:
“I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.” (John 14:6)
If Jesus is truly the only way to the Father, which I know to be true, then there’s no person whose words should carry more weight.
My understanding of who Jesus is, what his mission on earth was, what he expects of me and the blessings I can receive by hearing and following him are what they are because of the words of Jesus.
Second on Elder Rasband’s list of people whose words we need to prioritize are the words of the prophets.
“Prophets testify of the divinity of Jesus Christ,” Elder Rasband said. “They teach his gospel and show his love for all. I bear my witness that our living prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, hears and speaks the word of the Lord.
“President Nelson has a way with words. He has said, ‘Keep on the covenant path,’ ‘Gather Israel,’ ‘Let God prevail,’ ‘Build bridges of understanding,’ ‘Give thanks,’ ‘Increase your faith in Jesus Christ,’ ‘Take charge of your testimony’ and ‘Become a peacemaker.’
“Most recently, he has asked us to ‘think celestial.’ ‘When you are confronted with a dilemma,’ he said, ‘think celestial! When tested by temptation, think celestial! When life or loved ones let you down, think celestial! When someone dies prematurely, think celestial. … When the pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial! … As you think celestial, your heart will gradually change, … you will view trials and opposition in a new light, … (and) your faith will increase.’
“When we think celestial, we see ‘things as they really are, and … really will be.’ (Jacob 4:13) In this world burdened with confusion and contention, we all need that perspective.
“Elder George Albert Smith, long before becoming president of the church, spoke of sustaining the prophet and heeding his words. He said: ‘The obligation that we make when we raise our hands … is a most sacred one. … It means … that we will stand behind him; we will pray for him; … and we will strive to carry out his instructions as the Lord shall direct.’ In other words, we will diligently act upon our prophet’s words.”
Elder Rasband then shared a story about how on the night before the dedication of the Bangkok Thailand Temple last October, he was moved by the spirit to add recent words of counsel by President Nelson to the dedicatory prayer he would be giving.
“Words of the prophet matter to the Lord and to us,” Elder Rasband said.
President Nelson’s counsel to “think celestial” resonated with me because it forced me to really think about the decisions that I am making in my life and whether or not I am truly preparing myself to live in the celestial kingdom.
“Because of Jesus Christ’s infinite atonement, our Heavenly Father’s plan is a perfect plan!” President Nelson said in the talk. “An understanding of God’s fabulous plan takes the mystery out of life and the uncertainty out of our future. It allows each of us to choose how we will live here on earth and where we will live forever. The baseless notion that we should ‘eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die; and it shall be well with us’ (2 Nephi 28:7) is one of the most absurd lies in the universe.”
Later on in the talk, President Nelson said:
“Mortality is a master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import. Far too many people live as though this life is all there is. However, your choices today will determine three things: where you will live throughout all eternity, the kind of body with which you will be resurrected and those with whom you will live forever. So, think celestial.”
Making it to the celestial kingdom is the goal of I think every active Latter-day Saint. But when I look at the types of people who I know will be there, can I honestly say that my decisions put me in a position where I would feel comfortable in that environment?
President Oaks said it well in his general conference talk titled “Kingdoms of Glory” in the October 2023 general conference:
“We know from modern revelation that ‘all kingdoms have a law given’ (Doctrine and Covenants 88:36) and that the kingdom of glory we receive in the final judgment is determined by the laws we choose to follow in our mortal journey. Under that loving plan, there are multiple kingdoms — many mansions — so that all of God’s children will inherit a kingdom of glory whose laws they can comfortably ‘abide.’
Am I making choices and living my life in a way where I will be able to “comfortably abide” the laws of the celestial kingdom?
Now, I don’t want to be too hard on myself. To be clear, I recognize the importance of following counsel once shared by Jeffrey R. Holland, acting president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He said:
“I also know that, as children of God, we should not demean or vilify ourselves, as if beating up on ourselves is somehow going to make us the person God wants us to become. No! With a willingness to repent and a desire for increased righteousness always in our hearts, I would hope we could pursue personal improvement in a way that doesn’t include getting ulcers or anorexia, feeling depressed or demolishing our self-esteem. That is not what the Lord wants for primary children or anyone else who honestly sings, ‘I’m trying to be like Jesus.'”
I know I’m going to make mistakes and fall short, but I also know that I have a very clear eternal goal, and if I want to ensure that goal becomes a reality, I need to improve in some areas. President Nelson’s counsel to “think celestial” inspired me.
Third, Elder Rasband spoke of our own words.
“Believe me, in our emoji-filled world, our words matter.
“Our words can be supportive or angry, joyful or mean, compassionate or tossed aside. In the heat of the moment, words can sting and sink painfully deep into the soul — and stay there. Our words on the internet, texting, social media or tweets take on a life of their own. So be careful what you say and how you say it. In our families, especially with husbands, wives and children, our words can bring us together or drive a wedge between us.
“Let me suggest three simple phrases that we can use to take the sting out of difficulties and differences, lift and reassure each other:
“‘Thank you.’
“‘I am sorry.’
“And ‘I love you.’
“Do not save these humble phrases for a special event or catastrophe. Use them often and sincerely, for they show regard for others. Talk is growing cheap; do not follow that pattern.
“We can say ‘thank you’ on the elevator, in the parking lot, at the market, in the office, in a queue or with our neighbors or friends. We can say ‘I am sorry’ when we make a mistake, miss a meeting, forget a birthday or see someone in pain. We can say ‘I love you,’ and those words carry the message ‘I am thinking about you,’ ‘I care about you,’ ‘I am here for you’ or ‘You are everything to me.'”
Elder Rasband shared about how prior to his full-time assignment with the church, he traveled across the world for his company, but no matter where he was, he called home at the end of his day and he and his wife said “I love you.”
“Every day, those words served as an anchor to my soul and my conduct; they were a protection to me from evil designs,” Elder Rasband said.
Opportunities abound to build people up through our words. If we are genuinely looking for those opportunities, we will surely find them.
Sometimes people will speak harshly to one another and then make an excuse like, “I just had a really bad day” or “I was really stressed out.” I really dislike these types of explanations because they are spoken as if they justify the harsh words. I feel like those kinds of words are used as a way to avoid accountability when the only appropriate words that should be said are, “I am sorry. I was wrong. I will try very hard not to do it again.”
I’m reminded of words of counsel given to me in my patriarchal blessing. Without speaking completely about the counsel, I was told to try not to use certain words in a specific situation because of how often those words are said in that situation. I feel like the patriarch was telling me to be more accountable for my words and not use words that anyone can use that most of the time are not even genuine. The patriarch also spoke of how I used words in another specific situation. It’s safe to say, words were a theme of my patriarchal blessing, and of all the patriarch told me on that evening, the counsel he gave regarding my words is what has remained most clearly in my mind throughout the years.
Wrapping up his talk, Elder Rasband said:
“I promise that if we ‘feast upon the words of Christ’ (2 Nephi 32:3) that lead to salvation, our prophet’s words that guide and encourage us and our own words that speak of who we are and what we hold dear, the powers of heaven will pour down upon us. ‘The words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.’ (2 Nephi 32:3) We are Heavenly Father’s children and he is our God, and he expects us to speak with ‘the tongue of angels’ (2 Nephi 32:2) by the power of the Holy Ghost.” (2 Nephi 33:1).
What a powerful promise. I know I could definitely use the powers of heaven poured down upon me. I know it can be so — for all of us — if we heed Elder Rasband’s counsel.
Contact Ryan Comer at rcomer@standard.net. Follow him on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
