Thank you for that magnificent number and you are a magnificent sight to behold.
Brethren and sisters, aloha!
It is with great humility, my friends that I stand before you this week as we all remember with gratitude the life and teachings of President Russell M. Nelson. Many of his words are in my devotional today. I know that as we implement them in our lives, and as we follow the Savior as he did, we will be blessed. The Lord stands at the head of this Church and He is guiding the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles and the General Authorities and General Officers at this time, and as we prepare for our sacred general conference this weekend.
Early in what was to be one of the greatest nights in history—a night when a Father, with infinite power, longed to be with His Son, and watched on knowing that, on that night, He would not intervene; a night which would eventually lead to complete isolation, where at some stage during His great atonement, all of Heaven would need to stand on the sidelines so that as He has said there were “...none with me”; a night when disciples would grow weary and later slumber even while their Master was all alone—Jesus uttered these words in a great prayer on behalf of His disciples: “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” [1]
What does it mean to know God? To know God and Jesus Christ is to come to understand Their goodness, Their mercy, and the grace of Christ’s Atonement. It is to plant and nourish His word in our lives that we may receive the fruit of His Atonement, even the fruit of eternal life. [2]
Recently, I had the blessing of accompanying Elder Taniela B. Wakolo to Oro Province in Papua New Guinea, to create the country’s fifth stake. [3] The members of the Church in Oro District were so excited. They greeted us at the airport with a traditional welcome and lined the highway throwing flowers in celebration. They called out their celebratory call of “Oro, Oro, Oro” in excitement.
On the main road in the town, a large banner spread out across the road. Elder Wakolo and I were not expecting this. It announced to the whole town the weekend event of the Oro Stake Creation. It had photos of the local and visiting leaders including Elder Wakolo and me. Thankfully, our eyes were able to fix on the large portrait of the Saviour on the banner. Elder Wakolo leaned over to me and with great relief remarked, “I’m so glad the picture of Jesus is much larger than us!”
Is Jesus large in our lives? It is He who should be the primary exemplar. That weekend in Oro, I witnessed miracles of faith. As I stood, on the banks of the Bangaho River on Saturday, where 107 people were baptised that day, I could not help but feel as if I was at the Waters of Mormon, transported in time to another place. Many had travelled great distances walking to their baptism. As we met with leaders that weekend, we learnt of some branch members who had travelled a day’s journey by foot and boat to be present at the conference. It was as if I was standing within the scriptures. I thought of the words of our beloved President Nelson: “I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this moment!” [4]
The Lord reminded me in that moment that miracles are constantly before those who exercise faith in Jesus Christ. The people of Oro had heard the call of the Good Shepherd, “…an high priest of good things to come,” [5] and they were acting in faith.
As the Saviour said: “I am the good shepherd, and know my sheep, and am known of mine.” [6]
He knows His sheep, and His sheep know Him. Do we know Him?
May I suggest to you today, five principles to help us to know Christ:
- Offer our hearts and receive His grace.
- Act in Faith and receive His miracles.
- Hear His voice and receive His plan.
- Covenant confidently and receive His love.
- Remember Him and receive Him.
Hearts and Grace
To truly come to know God, we must become reconciled to Him.
As Jacob teaches us so profoundly in the Book of Mormon:
“Wherefore, my beloved brethren, reconcile yourselves to the will of God, and not to the will of the devil and the flesh; and remember, after ye are reconciled unto God, that it is only in and through the grace of God that ye are saved.” [7]
We begin to reconcile ourselves to God, when we offer up to Him “a broken heart and a contrite spirit.” Only we can give our hearts to God. When the Saviour visited the Nephites, he invited them to offer up their broken hearts and contrite spirits. [8] To offer up our hearts involves more than a fleeting experience with deity. Our offering must be much deeper. It must propel change in our lives. It must be a turning to Christ. A subsuming of our will in His will. To know Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, is to have a connected relationship with Them.
As a young man, I attended a private religious school with a Christian faith tradition. It was a wonderful school with many Christlike examples. Every week we were required to attend a religious instruction class.
In my final year, to my surprise, the whole first term of that religious instruction class was spent on the topic of “Mormonism” (as the minister termed it). More particularly, it was focused on the perils of Mormonism and why he said it was wrong.
During the first class, the minister warned everyone about what they should do if they came across “Mormons.” Everyone in the class pointed at me and said, “But Jared’s a Mormon.” After the class, I spoke with the minister, and looking up at me with all sincerity, he told me, "I can get you help."
In that moment, brothers and sisters, I needed to know whether or not the restored gospel of Jesus Christ was true. Was The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints the Lord’s restored Church on the earth? A moment of reckoning had come in my life. It was a moment that required more than just “[trifling] with the words” of God. [9]
For the next few weeks, I devoured all the books I could in relation to the restored gospel. I read those in the school library. They weren't very positive. I read those from my father’s mission. Most importantly, I read the Book of Mormon; and as I read the Book of Mormon, I came to know that it was the word of God and Another Testament of Jesus Christ. As I prayed, I came to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and that this was the Lord’s Church on earth. From that moment, I invited His immeasurable grace, His power, into my life, and the blessings have been incalculable.
Act in Faith, Receive the Miracle
Reflecting on that moment, I realise that I was required to act in faith before the miracle was received.
As Elder Hartman J. Rector once put it, “…the blessings come in the second mile”. [10] In other words, they come after we act. When we act in faith, mighty miracles happen in our lives through His power. This pattern of acting in faith to receive His power and greater light and direction from God, is exemplified throughout the scriptures.
Commonly, we remember the example of the prophet Joshua as shared with us before by Elder David A. Bednar from Joshua 3. [11]
I paraphrase somewhat, but you will recall that Moses had led the people of Israel out of Egypt. He performed many miracles including the parting of the Red Sea with the people walking through on dry ground. [12]
However, it was not Moses’ job to lead the people into the promised land. Moses had passed on and the task of crossing the River Jordan would fall upon Joshua as God’s new prophet. And God effectively said to Joshua, I am going to show the people that you are a prophet just like Moses was a prophet. In fact, he said to Joshua, “…This day will I begin to magnify thee…”! [13] How would you like to be magnified by God? I certainly would like to be magnified by Him. We can do anything required of us when we are magnified by God.
Then God said to Joshua, have the priests take the ark of the covenant to the brink of the water of the River Jordan and have them stand still in the water and as soon as the soles of their feet rest in the waters: “…the Lord of all the earth, shall rest in the waters of Jordan,…and they shall stand upon an heap.” [14]
Joshua did just that and when the priests stood in the water, when they got their feet wet, then the waters rose up and stood up in a heap and “…all the Israelites passed over on dry ground…”. [15]
You see, brothers and sisters, that is the key. We have to act in faith. We have to get our feet wet. It is only when we get our feet wet that we receive the miracle.
Think of Elijah. He was being hunted by Jezebel who sought to take his life. He takes refuge in a cave in Mount Horeb. We are told that Mount Horeb was the mount of God. In other words, it was a temple for Elijah.
Often with this experience of Elijah in 1 Kings 19, we think of those classic verses on how to hear God’s voice. You know the ones: “…And, behold, the LORD passed by, and a great and strong wind rent the mountains…but the Lord was not in the wind: and after the wind an earthquake; but the LORD was not in the earthquake:
And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice.” [16]
But how often do we think about how Elijah received revelation from God in that moment. Elijah did not sit still. We are told that he arose within the cave. He wrapped his face in a mantle. He went out and stood in the entrance of the cave. And it was only after he did this. Only after he acted that he understood and heard the voice of the Lord, “…What doest thou here, Elijah?” and then he received revelation from God. [17]
Consider also the Nephites when the Saviour visited them in the Americas. Remember they heard a voice, but they did not understand it. Three times they heard the voice. How did they come to understand it? We are told that the third time, they opened their ears to hear it, and they turned their eyes towards the sound, and looked steadfastly towards Heaven. You see, it was only when they acted in faith and turned toward Heaven that they understood and heard the mighty words of their Father in Heaven saying to them, “Behold my Beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.” [18]
We could go on and look at many others: Esther; Joseph Smith; you name the prophet—faith preceded the miracle. Wherever there was faith to work miracles there was action in faith. Whenever there was a true miracle, it was wrought by His power. Faith is a principle of action and power. God will bless us as we act in faith and receive the miracle with gratitude and humility. The experience of Joshua and the people of Israel teaches us of the importance of gratitude and remembrance when we receive the power of God in our lives. After the people of Israel crossed the River Jordan, they erected a monument of twelve stones as a sign for their children to remember the goodness of God to them. [19]
Hear His voice and receive His plan
Once we act in faith, we are ready to hear His voice and receive His plan for us in our lives. Often, we will not receive the whole plan at once. Instead, the Lord will light our path with each step of faith. The more we act, the more we learn to speak the language of the Spirit.
Many years ago, when I was on my mission, my companion and I had resolved to talk to everyone about the gospel. To open our mouths as the scriptures command. [20] One day, on the outskirts of the small Japanese town of Komatsu, we rode past a man on his bicycle. Although we had said we would talk to everyone, I had not thought to ride parallel to this man and yell out to him in Japanese, “Hello, we are missionaries for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.” We passed by him without speaking to him. After completing a follow-up visit with a friend of the Church we continued down the same road to visit a member family that lived some distance away. We again passed by the same man on the bicycle without speaking to him. We were someway further down the road, and now in the middle of nowhere, with rice paddy fields everywhere when my companion, who was also my trainer, suddenly came to a complete stop. He said to me, did you see that man back there? I queried who he meant. By now we were so far ahead of the cyclist we could not even see him. He said we passed that man on the bicycle twice and I have felt that we need to speak to him. The Lord wants us to speak to him. I was nervous as we waited on the side of the road for this man, who had come into view on the long stretch of road, to approach us. But as he approached us, he had a smile on his face. We introduced ourselves as missionaries for the Church. He said, "Oh, I know who you are." He told us that many years earlier he had been taught as a young man and had wanted to join the Church but had lived with his parents who had not wanted him to do so. He wanted to be taught again. Only a short while later, he was baptised a member of the Church.
I learnt a great lesson that day from my missionary companion. He knew how to speak the language of the Spirit. He knew how to hear the voice of the Lord and be an instrument in the hands of God. When we learn how to speak the language of the Spirit, our lives are blessed, and God enables us to be instruments in His hands in blessing the lives of others.
Covenant Confidently and Receive His Love
President Nelson has taught:
“Once we make a covenant with God, we leave neutral ground forever. God will not abandon His relationship with those who have forged such a bond with Him. In fact, all those who have made a covenant with God have access to a special kind of love and mercy. In the Hebrew language, that covenantal love is called hesed.” [21]
In July 2011, I was called to serve as a stake president in Christchurch, New Zealand. Our stake had just experienced three major earthquakes. The last one had been just a few weeks before my call and didn’t know that there would be two more significant earthquakes during my time as a stake president. One in December 2011 and another in February 2016 along with thousands of aftershocks during those years.
As a stake presidency, we sought revelation and guidance. Many of our members houses were destroyed. The city was in a state of devastation. The central city was to remain closed to public access for almost two years following my call and even today signs of the damage remain. One of our meetinghouses was to be demolished as a result of the destruction and our stake centre would not reopen for over two years. We asked the Lord what He would have us do.
My wise first counselor suggested that we should say to the members: “Come with us to the temple”. We invited them as a stake presidency, to come with us to the House of the Lord. This was no easy feat. There was no temple on our island. Going by car was a 15-hour drive and a three-hour ferry ride. Going by air was expensive. We would have to find accommodations for many. However, the Lord had been clear in His direction to us. We invited the saints to come with us to the House of the Lord. In October 2012, over 400 of our saints attended the House of the Lord together. That decision blessed our stake for many years to come and even into the challenges, many years later, of the pandemic.
Our people had confidence that as they attended His house they would receive His power and His love.
We covenant confidently when we are ready and prepared to enter into a covenant relationship with God. After entering into this type of relationship, we receive His hesed love which carries with it the assurance of receiving His help and blessings. It gives us higher and holier confidence for our day-to-day lives. It gives us covenant confidence. [22]
Remember Him and Receive Him
For many of us, the next ordinance we will receive for ourselves is the sacrament.
As we partake of the sacrament, we promise to remember our Saviour Jesus Christ, to take His name upon us, and to keep His commandments. In return, God promises us that we will always have His Spirit to be with us. [23]
Now, if I were to take any one of you, and put a blindfold on you, and ask you to walk in a straight line from where I stand to the back of the Cannon Activities Center, you would probably go a little off course. However, if I was to say to you, every seven steps, you can peak under the blind fold and put yourself back on the line, then you would probably end up in pretty much the right place. This is the blessing of the sacrament in our lives. Every seven days, we get to come and partake of His power and His blessings. His covenant love, through the sacrament. We get to examine ourselves and get back on the covenant path every seven days. The longer we go without the sacrament, the more likely we are to stray from the path and the harder it is to find our way. The sacrament was not instituted by Christ for His benefit but rather for our benefit. What a blessing it is to receive it every week.
As we remember Him, partake of the sacrament weekly, and remember our covenants, we receive the Saviour in our lives. Remember in Alma 32—if we give place to the seed, it shall become a tree—a tree from which we can pluck the fruit of eternal life. [24] We receive the Tree of Life, even Jesus Christ, into our lives. Paul counsels us in Colossians, “As ye have therefore received Christ Jesus the Lord, so walk ye in him:
Rooted and built up in him, and stablished in the faith, as ye have been taught, abounding therein with thanksgiving.” [25]
As we receive Christ, we not only come to know Him, but we also come to know our true identity as children of God, children of the covenant, and disciples of Jesus Christ. As we come to know God, we come to know ourselves. We make better decisions every day. Our decisions bless our lives and the lives of those around us. They bring us lasting joy and happiness.
I share with you my witness that Jesus Christ lives, that he was resurrected and he has shown us the way. He is the way, the truth, and the life. He awaits our return to Him. May we all come to know God, and hence to know ourselves.
In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
Notes:
[1] John 17:3
[2] Alma 32:39-40
[3] A sixth stake, the Minj Papua New Guinea Stake was created in August 2025.
[4] Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Jesus Christ Will Come Again,” Ensign or Liahona, November 2024, 121
[5] Hebrews 9:11
[6] John 10:14
[7] 2 Nephi 10:24
[8] 3 Nephi 9:20
[9] Mosiah 2:9
[10] Hartman J. Rector Jr., “Following Christ to Victory,” Ensign, April 1979, 30
[11] David A. Bednar, “Seek Learning by Faith,” Ensign, September 2007, 63
[12] Exodus 14
[13] Joshua 3:7
[14] Joshua 3:13
[15] Joshua 3:17
[16] 1 Kings 19:11-12
[17] 1 Kings 19:13
[18] 3 Nephi 11:7
[19] Joshua 4:1-10
[20] Doctrine and Covenants 33:8-10
[21] Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant”, Liahona, October 2022
[22] Ulisses Soares, “Covenant Confidence through Jesus Christ,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2024, 17
[23] Doctrine and Covenants 20:76-79
[24] Alma 32:29-41
[25] Colossians 2:6-7