Talk Preparation Guide for "Choose Jesus Christ as Your Guide"

In this Easter message, Elder Edward B. Rowe teaches that Jesus Christ is the perfect, personal guide for every disciple. Using a powerful experience from a former war zone, he compares the dangers of hidden land mines to the spiritual dangers we face in mortality. He testifies that as we walk in the Savior’s footsteps on the covenant path, we receive protection, strength, joy, and a deeper relationship with Him. He also emphasizes that when we are wounded by sin, weakness, or life’s hardships, Jesus Christ not only guides us but heals us through His redeeming power.

Topics

Follow the Savior as your trusted guide

Elder Rowe uses his experience of following a guide through a mined border region to illustrate how desperately we need Jesus Christ to guide us safely through life’s spiritual dangers.

Carefully follow your guide. Winta knows this border area from personal experience. Walk in his footsteps a few paces behind him. Where he goes, you go. Where he steps, you step.

As much as I needed Winta to be my guide then, I’ve learned, more importantly, that I need Jesus Christ to be my guide through life’s journey amid its spiritual land mines.

All of us do.

Key Points:

Life contains hidden spiritual dangers similar to unseen land mines.
A knowledgeable and experienced guide can lead a person safely through danger.
The speaker’s trust in his guide grew as he followed him and remained safe.
Jesus Christ is the guide we all need in mortality.
Following Christ requires trust, closeness, and a willingness to walk where He walks.

Experiences:

When have you felt that life was uncertain or spiritually dangerous and you needed the Lord’s direction?
What experience has taught you to trust the Savior more deeply?
When have you been protected by following prophetic counsel or gospel standards?
How have you seen the Lord guide you one careful step at a time?
What personal experience could illustrate the blessing of following rather than wandering?

Accept Christ’s invitation to come and follow Him

The Savior’s invitation is extended constantly to every person. He invites all to come unto Him, walk with Him, and return to Him.

Christ’s invitation is constant and consistent: “Come, follow me.” “Walk with me.” “Return unto me.”

His invitation is to all—whoever we are, wherever we are.

For “he inviteth … all to come unto him and partake of his goodness; and he denieth none that come unto him.”

Jesus Christ denieth none! No one need walk alone!

Key Points:

Jesus Christ continually invites people to come to Him.
His invitation is universal and inclusive.
No one is excluded from His goodness or companionship.
Discipleship begins by accepting His invitation personally.
The Savior does not leave anyone to walk alone.

Experiences:

When have you felt the Savior inviting you to come closer to Him?
How have you seen that the gospel of Jesus Christ is truly for everyone?
What experience has shown you that the Lord does not give up on people?
When have you felt that you were not walking alone because of the Savior?
How could you share a moment when you responded to a spiritual prompting to follow Him?

Walk in the footsteps of Jesus Christ

Because Jesus Christ perfectly obeyed the Father and set the example, disciples are invited to do what they have seen Him do and follow His pattern of life.

The Son of God, the Father of heaven and earth, the Creator of all things from the beginning invites us—we who labour and are heavy laden with our weaknesses and imperfections—to walk with Him as our guide.

Jesus Christ was completely obedient to the Father and declared: “I have set an example for you.”

“That which ye have seen me do even that shall ye do.”

As we strive to follow His perfect example, He will strengthen us and protect us from Satan’s spiritual land mines.

Key Points:

Jesus Christ is the perfect example because of His complete obedience to the Father.
He invites imperfect people to walk with Him.
Discipleship means doing what He did.
Following His example brings strength and protection.
The Savior helps us resist the spiritual dangers Satan places in our path.

Experiences:

When have you tried to follow the Savior’s example in a specific situation?
What gospel habit has helped you walk more closely in His footsteps?
How has obedience brought spiritual protection in your life?
When have you felt strengthened by trying to do what Jesus would do?
What personal story could show the difference between following Christ’s example and following the world?

Trust the Savior as your personal guide

Elder Rowe teaches that the Savior’s Atonement is infinite but also deeply individual. Jesus Christ knows each person personally and guides each one according to unique needs and circumstances.

While the Savior’s Atonement is infinite, His invitation is individual.

He invites you and me to accept Him as our personal guide.

He suffered not just for humanity—He suffered for each of us individually.

Jesus Christ took upon Himself your sins, your pains, your heartaches, and your infirmities.

In short, He knows you personally and thus how to guide you based on your distinct strengths, weaknesses, and circumstances.

Key Points:

The Savior’s Atonement applies to each individual personally.
Jesus Christ understands every person’s sins, pains, heartaches, and infirmities.
Because He knows us personally, He can guide us personally.
His guidance is perfectly suited to our strengths, weaknesses, and circumstances.
Disciples can develop confidence that the Lord understands their path.

Experiences:

When have you felt that the Savior knew you personally?
How has the Lord guided you in a way that felt tailored to your circumstances?
What experience has helped you feel that Christ understands your pain or weakness?
When have personal revelation or priesthood blessings shown you the Savior’s individual care?
How could you share a story about the Lord helping you in a way no one else fully could?

Stay on the covenant path with Christ

Though each person’s life path is unique, all disciples are meant to walk within the covenant path by exercising faith, repenting, and making sacred covenants with Jesus Christ.

Though our paths in life are unique, each is to be within the covenant path.

For that is Christ’s path.

We enter that path and connect ourselves to Jesus Christ as our guide through exercising faith in Him, repenting, and making sacred promises, or covenants, with Him.

Key Points:

Every individual path should remain within the covenant path.
The covenant path is Christ’s path.
We enter and remain on that path through faith in Jesus Christ.
Repentance is essential to walking with Him.
Sacred covenants bind us to the Savior as our guide.

Experiences:

What experience helped you better understand the covenant path?
How have covenants brought direction and stability to your life?
When has repentance helped you get back on the path?
What could you share about making or renewing covenants through ordinances?
How have you seen that your unique life circumstances still fit within Christ’s path?

Draw close to Christ through holy practices

We follow the Savior in practical ways by being in holy places and engaging in sacred practices such as temple worship, the sacrament, prayer, scripture study, and ministering.

We follow in His footsteps within the covenant path by being in holy places, like the temple, and by having sacred experiences through partaking of the sacrament, praying, studying the scriptures, and ministering to others.

The more time we spend with our guide in this way—and strive to follow His example—the more we will develop a deep bond and special relationship with Him and our Heavenly Father.

Key Points:

Holy places and sacred practices help disciples stay close to Christ.
Temple worship is a key way to follow Him.
The sacrament renews and strengthens our connection to Him.
Prayer and scripture study invite His guidance.
Ministering helps us walk as He walked.
Consistent spiritual habits deepen our relationship with the Savior and Heavenly Father.

Experiences:

When have you felt especially close to the Savior in the temple?
How has the sacrament helped you feel guided or renewed?
What experience from prayer or scripture study could you share?
When has ministering to someone helped you feel you were walking with Christ?
Which holy habit has most strengthened your relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ?

Receive strength, joy, and change through following Him

As disciples spend time with the Savior and follow Him, they feel His love, gain strength, trust Him more, experience a change of nature, and receive greater joy.

We will feel the Savior’s love, be blessed with His strength, and have greater trust in Him.

Even our very natures will change to become more like Him.

We will feel more joy.

And our love and gratitude for Him will grow.

Key Points:

Following Jesus Christ brings a greater awareness of His love.
He gives strength to those who walk with Him.
Trust in Him grows through lived discipleship.
The gospel changes our nature to become more Christlike.
Joy, love, and gratitude increase as we follow Him.

Experiences:

How have you felt the Savior’s love as you tried to follow Him?
When have you noticed spiritual growth or a change in your nature?
What experience has brought you joy through discipleship?
How has your gratitude for the Savior deepened over time?
What story could show that following Christ changes us from the inside?

Return to Christ when you are wounded by sin

Because all people fall short, the Father provided Jesus Christ, who has power through His Atonement to heal those who repent and return to Him.

While the Savior is our perfect guide, we are imperfect followers.

Indeed, “all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”

Our loving Heavenly Father knew this would be so.

He therefore provided a Savior for us; and because Christ answered the ends of the law through His Atonement, the Father gave Him all power to heal us completely when we walk imperfectly.

Key Points:

The Savior is perfect, but His followers are imperfect.
All people sin and fall short.
Heavenly Father anticipated our need and provided a Savior.
Through the Atonement, Jesus Christ has full power to heal completely.
Repentance allows imperfect disciples to receive that healing.

Experiences:

When have you felt the mercy of the Lord after making a mistake?
How has repentance brought peace or healing into your life?
What experience has taught you that imperfection does not disqualify you from Christ’s help?
When have you seen someone changed by the Savior’s redeeming power?
How could you testify of the hope that comes from returning to Christ?

Let the Master Healer restore you

Elder Rowe bears personal witness that Jesus Christ heals spiritual injuries. He invites all to return, repent, be converted, and receive the Savior’s extended arm of mercy.

When injured by spiritual land mines, I have experienced Christ’s redeeming and healing power by exercising faith in Him and repenting with real intent.

I have been spiritually healed by Jesus Christ.

I promise you can be too!

Please accept His invitation: “Will [you] not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? … [My] arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive.”

Jesus Christ is thus not only a perfect and personal guide—He is also the resurrected Redeemer and Master Healer!

No matter how injured you are or how imperfect and inadequate you feel at following Him, He loves you.

His merciful hand is extended to you even now. Please take it!

Key Points:

Spiritual injuries are real, but so is Christ’s healing power.
Faith in Jesus Christ and sincere repentance open the way to healing.
The Savior personally receives those who return to Him.
He is both Redeemer and Master Healer.
No one is too injured, inadequate, or imperfect to receive His mercy.
The invitation to come to Him is immediate and urgent.

Experiences:

When have you felt healed spiritually by the Savior?
What experience has shown you the power of real-intent repentance?
How have you felt the Lord’s mercy when you felt inadequate?
What story could help others feel hope that Christ can heal them now?
When have you felt prompted to reach for the Savior’s extended hand?

Testify that Jesus Christ is the way

The talk closes with an Easter witness that Jesus Christ lives, is the resurrected Savior and Redeemer, and is the only true way for all disciples.

This Easter morning, may we all accept Christ’s invitation to be our guide and walk with Him.

And when we struggle or stray, let us return unto Him that He may heal us—that He may heal you.

As President Dallin H. Oaks declared, “Jesus Christ is the way!”

He lives! He is our Savior and Redeemer, the resurrected Christ, whom I love.

Key Points:

Easter centers faith on the living, resurrected Christ.
All are invited to walk with Him.
Those who stray can return and be healed.
Jesus Christ is the way.
A personal testimony of the living Christ strengthens a sacrament meeting message.

Experiences:

What personal witness do you have that Jesus Christ lives?
How has Easter or the sacrament deepened your testimony of the Resurrection?
When have you felt renewed hope because the Savior lives?
What experience could help you bear simple, personal testimony of Jesus Christ?
How has your love for the Savior grown through following Him?