Brothers and sisters, aloha. I’m so grateful to see you all here for devotional. It is a fitting way for us to gather on President Nelson’s 101st birthday. We love him and wish him a happy birthday.
On Saturday, January 6, 1990, I was baptized by my dad, Keith Mortenson. The next day, during sacrament meeting, I was confirmed a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Those two days are very special to me.
I don’t remember every detail, but I remember how I felt when my dad laid his hands on my head and gave me the gift of the Holy Ghost. I felt full of warmth, peace, and love — something I knew came from God.
That moment was the most significant point in my life. I had made the decision to follow Jesus Christ, to take His name upon me, and to strive to keep His commandments. And in return, He gave me the gift of the Holy Ghost to guide and comfort me.
Like all of you, that day started me on the covenant path. It has been a wonderful 35 years with great blessings and joy, even in the hardest times.
President Russell M. Nelson has urged us repeatedly to stay on the covenant path. He said:
“First: Get on the covenant path and stay there. … we enter the covenant path by being baptized and making our first covenant with God. Each time we partake of the sacrament, we promise again to take the name of the Savior upon us, to remember Him, and to keep His commandments. In return, God assures us that we may always have the Spirit of the Lord to be with us. … Ordinances and covenants give us access to godly power. The covenant path is the only path that leads to exaltation and eternal life”. [1]
God’s promise that we may always have His Spirit to be with us is also a challenge. It’s not automatic. It requires effort, consistency, and faith.
President Nelson spoke directly about this, saying,
“When we make and keep covenants with God, we can have confidence that is born of the Spirit. The Lord told the Prophet Joseph Smith that our confidence can ‘wax strong in the presence of God.’ … Now, how do we gain such confidence? The Lord answers this question with these words: ‘Let thy bowels … be full of charity towards all men, … and let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly; then shall thy confidence wax strong in the presence of God.’ There’s the key! In the Lord’s own words, charity and virtue open the way to having confidence before God!” [2]
So how do we always have His Spirit with us? By striving to live with charity and virtue.
The habits my parents taught me growing up, like partaking of the sacrament each week and faithfully accepting and fulfilling callings, have strengthened my ability to feel and follow the Spirit and taught me to live with charity and virtue.
Many of you are returned missionaries. It is very important that you keep the spiritual momentum going from that spiritual time in your life. My dear friend, Andee, described beautifully how we can keep the Spirit in our lives after a mission, she said:
“As a missionary, I was surrounded all day long with the gospel and the Spirit. Everything we did was centered on Jesus Christ. It is impossible to fully replicate that environment once we come home — but we can get closer by how we use our time and who we choose to surround ourselves with. When I returned from my mission and attended university, I could have chosen to be in places and with people that would have distanced me from the Spirit. But I made the decision to surround myself with those who kept me close to the Spirit — with friends, with Institute, with the temple. That choice mattered. I also view my relationship with the Savior as a real relationship. If we want to have a close relationship with Him — and subsequently feel the Spirit — then we have to spend time with Him, learn about Him, talk to Him, think about Him, and listen to Him. That is how we build relationships with people, and that is how we do it with Him.”
I love her perspective. It reminds me that the Spirit is not something we stumble into accidentally — we must use our moral agency to choose to be in the presence of the Holy Ghost.
So, how can we choose to have His Spirit with us?
Here are five choices that have made the difference for me:
First, choose to attend and participate in both hours of church each Sunday and worthily partake of the sacrament. The sacrament is a sacred ordinance, and full participation in our church meetings is a fundamental part of keeping the sabbath day holy.
Second, choose to accept and fulfill callings. Serving as part of my ward family has been a great blessing in my life. When I have felt inadequate, I’ve done my best, and I’ve learned that the Lord qualifies those He calls.
Third, choose to attend Tuesday devotional. BYU–Hawaii devotionals have been a great blessing in my life these last five years, and I know they will be a blessing to you.
Fourth, choose to read the Book of Mormon every day. Prophets have urged us to do this for generations. The blessings are real and noticeable on a daily basis.
And finally, choose to stand in holy places. Use the guidance of the Spirit to ensure that the places you go, the friends you choose, and the things you put into your mind and body are holy and uplifting.
Regarding these righteous choices, President Nelson said, “As you act on these pursuits, I promise you the ability to move forward on the covenant path with increased momentum, despite whatever obstacles you face. And I promise you greater strength to resist temptation, more peace of mind, freedom from fear, and greater unity in your families”. [3]
The righteous choices I outlined for you are part of your covenants with God and the commitments that qualify you to be a student at BYU–Hawaii. I invite each of us to make these righteous choices each day and enjoy the promised blessings.
I testify that the covenant path leads to peace, strength, and power through the Spirit. I am grateful for my baptism. I am grateful for the gift of the Holy Ghost. And I am grateful for a living prophet who leads and guides us.
I know Jesus Christ lives. He is the Son of God, the Prince of Peace. He comforts, guides, and strengthens us. And if we will strive to follow Christ and live with charity and virtue, His promise is sure: we may always have His Spirit to be with us.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes:
[1] Russell M. Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” Ensign or Liahona, April 2022, 98
[2] Russell M. Nelson, “Confidence in the Presence of God,” Ensign or Liahona, April 2025
[3] Rusell M. Nelson, “The Power of Spiritual Momentum,” Ensign or Liahona, April 2022, 100