Confidence in the Presence of God
Russell M. Nelson, President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints
President Nelson counsels that charity and virtue increase our confidence in God's presence.
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
Topics
Cultivate Confidence Through Covenants
President Nelson explains how making and keeping covenants with God can instill a powerful sense of confidence, allowing us to approach Him with assurance and faith.
When we make and keep covenants with God, we can have confidence that is born of the Spirit.
Our confidence can truly wax strong in the presence of God, right now!Key Points:
- Covenants provide a spiritual confidence.
- This confidence allows us to approach God with assurance.
- Confidence is built through charity and virtue.
- Reflect on a time when keeping a covenant strengthened your confidence.
- Share an experience where you felt assured in prayer due to your covenant relationship with God.
- Consider how temple attendance has impacted your spiritual confidence.
Embrace Charity as a Peacemaker
Charity is essential to our spiritual progress and is the hallmark of peacemakers. President Nelson urges members to cultivate charity in all interactions, both public and private.
True charity towards all men is the hallmark of peacemakers!
As charity becomes part of our nature, we will lose the impulse to demean others.Key Points:
- Charity is foundational to godly character.
- Charity helps us become peacemakers.
- Charity should be extended to all, especially those difficult to love.
- Think of a situation where showing charity changed the outcome.
- Describe a time when being a peacemaker brought peace to a conflict.
- Reflect on how extending charity has strengthened your relationships.
Garnish Thoughts with Virtue
Virtue is crucial in maintaining pure thoughts and actions. President Nelson emphasizes the need for constant virtuous thoughts to drive away negativity and impurity.
Let virtue garnish thy thoughts unceasingly.
Virtue makes everything better and happier!Key Points:
- Virtue enhances positive thoughts and drives away negative ones.
- Constant virtuous thoughts are essential as the world grows more wicked.
- Virtue leads to spiritual freedom and purity.
- Recall a time when focusing on virtue helped you overcome a challenge.
- Share an experience where virtuous thoughts led to a positive outcome.
- Consider how striving for virtue has influenced your daily decisions.
Increase Confidence Through Temple Worship
Regular attendance at the temple enhances our capacity for charity and virtue, thereby increasing our confidence before the Lord.
Regular worship in the house of the Lord increases our capacity for both virtue and charity.
Increased time in the temple will help us prepare for the Second Coming of our Savior, Jesus Christ.Key Points:
- Temple worship strengthens spiritual attributes.
- It prepares us for the Second Coming of Christ.
- Temple attendance is a vital part of spiritual readiness.
- Reflect on how temple attendance has enriched your spiritual life.
- Share a testimony of a specific blessing received from temple worship.
- Consider how preparing for temple attendance has affected your daily life.
Prepare for the Second Coming
President Nelson calls for members to take intentional steps to prepare for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ, highlighting the role of personal growth in charity and virtue.
We do not know the day or the hour of His coming. But I do know that the Lord is prompting me to urge us to get ready for that "great and dreadful day."
As we go to our Heavenly Father with increasing confidence, we will be filled with more joy.Key Points:
- Preparation involves growing in charity and virtue.
- The Lord is prompting us to be ready for His return.
- Spiritual readiness brings joy and increased faith.
- Think about what steps you are taking to prepare for the Second Coming.
- Share how focusing on charity and virtue has prepared you spiritually.
- Reflect on how your faith has grown as you prepare for Christ's return.
