Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults - President and Sister Nelson

"Becoming the Person You Were Born to Be" and 

"Becoming True Millennials"
(click on the titles above to watch the talk)

These are my notes from the Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults that was given Sunday, January 10, 2016. I tried to use their exact words, but may not have done it perfectly or consistently, so please quote them from an actual transcript and not this account. I organized their words into an outline that helps me to study better what they said and what their counsel is. It may not be in the same order that they gave it. The headings are my own and not theirs. Any comments in red are my own thoughts and feelings and may not have been their meaning or intent. 

Sister Nelson:

DESPERATION CAN ACTUALLY BE A GREAT MOTIVATOR

Things you can be desperate for the Savior to do that you can't do on your own:

• heal you
• help you
• cleanse you
• guide you
• protect you
• save you 
  
  

      Examples of times you may have felt desperate: I'm going to think about the following list as though they were "veiled" with a different meaning for those who have "eyes to see and ears to hear". Why? Because ever since Pres. Uchtdorf spoke to the women in March with only a parable, I'm looking for more and more parables in the words of those who are trying to prepare us for the Second Coming. These two talks, for me, are clearly trying to do that.

•      to complete an assignment with a due date quickly approaching or already passed. The assignment is "being prepared". It will soon be "too late" and for some (who may not have the resources) it may already be past time. The rest of the examples are to hide this FIRST reason to feel desperate, among other more "common" reasons. I feel Pres. Nelson is doing the same with his opening statement.
•     to have someone really understand you The Lord understands who you really are! (the rest of these, I'm just reaching...but it's fun to find a way to make them fit:) )
•     to have someone truly love you The Lord truly loves you and trusts you!
•     to be accepted into a University The temple could be considered the "Lord's University". Be worthy to enter and then attend class and go home and study.
•     to find a job what will be your "job" in His kingdom in the next few years? in the millenium?
•     to find a place to live where will the Lord have you live to be safe in the coming tribulations?
•     to make new friends you will surely make new friends in places of refuge
•     to find your eternal companion this is a commandment that does not change with time or circumstance
•     to be guided by heaven;  work harder than ever to tune into heaven if you don't, it will be like taking a trip without a GPS
•     to be physically healthy ; eat and exercise for physical health, no excuses. the goal is to be healthy, not skinny. You will need your health and strength!
•      to have more money; eagerly follow the Lord's law of finances - tithing if you need to purchase food and supplies, you may feel desperate for the money to do it. The Lord will provide a way, but it will be according to His laws and timing.
•      to become the people we were born to be a true millennial
•     to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ  not one in appearance or word only
  
  What happens when you "wake up from your spiritual amnesia":
•       your vision changes you see things and yourself and others differently
•      you will see things about yourself you have never seen before don't let the fact that you've never seen it before cause you to doubt
•      the world's fun and entertainment starts to look almost ridiculous
•      the world's fun and entertainment starts to look dangerous you will surely be mocked if you share this new vision with others who are still asleep
•      you see the adversaries tricks and traps for what they really are - a temptation to make you forget your true identity and your destination. he will not be happy about this and may attack you even more. be ready.
•     you spend your time differently again...you may be mocked for this
•     time in the temple is more compelling than time on facebook try logging your time on social media for a week and see if you really don't have "time" to attend the temple. Trade the world's media for the Lord's
•     you are much more interested in eternal truths taught by the Lord in the temple than the glib and mind numbing sensations comments on social media 
•     Your confidence and happiness increases
•     you have a better imagination
•     you have a clearer mind who doesn't want these?
•     you ponder topics
•     you have deep conversations with others hard to do if you can't find someone else who's seeking what you are...
•     you feel a stronger presence with the spirit in your life
•     you use technology righteously (learn how on lds.org)
•     you have the courage and determination to remove anything and everything from your life that is unholy and impure. courage, because you will be mocked for doing it; courage because you may find that you are more addicted than you think; determination, because you will want to justify and rationalize that it doesn't matter
•     you are willing to follow the advice of your leaders do you know what that advise is? These talks are just such advice. Are you willing to follow it?
•     you seek counsel and are eager to follow it are you eager to do this?
•     you go to the scriptures for answers and comfort
•     you identify burdens that are holding you back and repent now.
•     you want to give up all your sins, even your favorite ones - today!
•     you are not embarrassed to repent and feel like running to repent.

·     This can be the “very best year of your life” IF you will “follow through, better than ever before on resolutions that mean the most to you.” I think she's not saying that you get to pick resolutions that you want to make important, but rather, I've just given you a list of resolutions that will change your life and that they SHOULD mean the most to you. Follow through on THESE resolutions and you will have the BEST YEAR OF YOUR LIFE in spite of the "eventful" things that will happen. What a promise!!!
  
“I pray that you will have moments of anguishing desperation that will propel (definition: push, prod, urge, impel, cause to move forward or onward) you further along the path to becoming the person you were born to be.” It's interesting that she prays we'll have moments of "anguishing desperation" and can at the same time say it can be the "very best year of your life." Sounds like those two things can't go together, but I agree that desired spiritual growth and conversion and waking up to one's true potential and purpose (which Pres. Nelson says will "change your life") could indeed, make this year...the year you "woke up" the BEST year of your life! Not only that...you need to feel desperate about it...time is running short! In April 2012, Elder Holland ended his talk (The Laborers in the Vineyard") with this chilling statement:
"It is never too late so long as the Master of the vineyard says there is time. Please listen to the prompting of the Holy Spirit telling you right now, this very moment, that you should accept the atoning gift of the Lord Jesus Christ and enjoy the fellowship of His labor. Don’t delay. It’s getting late. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."
That was four years ago! How much later is it now?

Faith-promoting story:
Impoverished, young, G.Q. Cannon paid tithing on what he “wanted” to make; the very next year he earned exactly that amount! Considering an economic hit might be the next thing you feel in your life, this particular faith-promoting story should be remembered. It also speaks to a law of heaven. All things are created spiritually first. Brother Cannon acted in faith, paying tithing on money he "hoped for, which he couldn't see, but which he knew was true" - because he'd created it spiritually.

30 DAY CHALLENGE I am starting this challenge today!

o   Kneel and thank God for the scriptures

o   Tell him one question you most need to have answered that day

o   Plead to have the Holy Ghost with you as read

o   Open anywhere and read until you find the answer

To Do:

Prayerfully discover which gift you need today. Each gift you receive takes you forward towards your true self. Pray with real faith that you will receive and recognize the gifts you pray for. Gifts you can pray for: (be desperate for it; pray with all the energy of your heart for it!)

• self discipline
• cheerfulness
• patience
• to be healed
• to forgive
• to have your sexual feelings in harmony with Eternal laws
• unshakable faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. 

To think about:

•     Like Joseph Smith in Liberty Jail, we too may soon cry out, "Oh God, where art thou?" in intense spiritual desperation. And, if we are faithful, we too will receive "sublime revelation."
•     There is 100% guarantee that if you truly repent, the Savior will cleanse you and heal you thoroughly, totally and completely. 
•     Elder D. Todd Christopherson taught, “The power of the Saviors atonement can erase the effects of sin in us. When we repent, His atoning grace justifies and cleanses us. It is as if we had not succumbed, as if we had not yielded to temptation.” 
•     Some day you will have an individual face to face interview with the Savior.  Let that eventual reality become real to you today and you will be willing to do whatever it takes to be prepared. I think it's interesting that she didn't say "prepare for IT or THAT DAY"....she just said "to be prepared". What if she's talking about being prepared for what lies ahead? Isn't that what these two talks are about? She follows this statement with this final question:
•     What if you learned that the Savior had already returned to this earth; that He, as part of His Second Coming, had already met with some of His true followers in several marvelous, large gatherings. Gathering about which the world, including CNN and the blogsphere knew nothing.  If you found out that the Savior was already on the earth what would you desperately want to do today.  What would you be wiling and ready to do tomorrow? This was her CONCLUDING QUESTION. I believe she's saying this because it may very well be true. The Second Coming has begun. It's not an "event"...it's a process. The Lord could well have already met with the First Presidency...several times. If it has begun, then you may actually want to start feeling desperate about being prepared to meet him and what HAS to happen BEFORE you meet Him. Her point, though, may be that you must not wait to hear it on the news that it's time to prepare. You won't hear it there. If you wait for that, you will miss it. Assume that His Second Coming has already begun....start preparing. Feel desperate, for if you are just starting, you must know the deadline is fast approaching. It reminds me of the talk "Lay Up and Store" where in his parable, he tried to cram for the exam, but it was too late. He failed miserably! This would be a good time to review that talk!
•     Your true self is spectacular!  Never settle for less.  If you don't wake up to who you are, you will be settling for less. "you are more than you have become" ... you need to believe that and claim it! Satan has been working hard your whole life to distract you from understanding your role in this last inning. Shake it off and step into your destiny!

President Nelson:

Take Note:

• "This New Year will SURELY BE AN EVENTFUL ONE"  He sites the death of his sister and the birth of a couple babies as "eventful" things in his own life in just the first two weeks of the new year. Also speaking to the Young Adults "throughout the entire world". He did not qualify it, though, by saying "eventful for me"...just that THIS New Year will SURELY be and eventful one!  I feel like he's veiling his prophecy in his own events so that the "world" will miss it.          

Things to Know:

• Wendy’s message was IMPORTANT Her message was, that you need to become the person you were born to be (a true millennial) and that it's okay if things happen that cause you to feel "desperate". Let that "propel" you into becoming who you were born to be!
• The Lord moves upon the prophet to proclaim the Lord’s will
• Revelation is a sacred process (fast, pray, discuss…)
• You have as much access to the mind and will of the Lord for your own life as we apostles do for the church. but you will have to work for it like they do...
• Prophets SEE AHEAD; they see 
• the HARROWING (definition: extremely disturbing or distressing; grievous; painful, agonizing, tormenting, heartbreaking) DANGERS the adversary has placed or will yet place in our path; This is a clear prophecy and warning about what lies ahead. Are you prepared for it temporally, psychologically and spiritually?
• the possibilities and privileges awaiting those who listen with the intent to obey. Decide NOW that you will obey "every word of command with exactness" (Helaman's Stripling Warriors)
•  The prophet will never lead us astray pray for a witness of this truth.
•  Secret combinations – their leaders; these servants of Satan, are hidden and embedded among the people and society.; they are difficult to detect;  The Book of Mormon says that "When ye shall see these things come among you that ye shall awake to a sense of your awful situation, because of this secret combination which shall be among you..." I think Pres. Nelson is telling us they are here, so it's time to wake up!
• As members become more and more prideful, many will mock that which is sacred, deny the spirit of prophecy and revelation. Notice that the scripture doesn't say that the gadiantions were mocking. It was the Nephites (assuming they were members) who became more and more prideful that began to mock. BOTH of these threats are among us today!

LEARN WHAT IT MEANS TO BE A "MILLENNIAL": please note what you should:like, dislike, feel, be inclined towards, what your strengths are and what weakness you may face:

• “Millennial” describes who you are and what your purpose in life really  is Social Scientists say he's talking to those who are age 16 - 36. (though the fireside is for ages 18 - 30) You are just starting high school, thinking about college, missions, careers, have young families and feel like you are just starting to plan your lives. But God has a different plan for you than the one you may have for yourself....or at least He's going to ask you to extend that plan into the Millennial realm. Between now and the realization of your dreams, He has a special fore-ordained mission for you; one for which you were prepared, saved for, and born for. It's worth repeating here what Elder Holland said on Facebook on Dec. 31st, 2015:"The start of a new year is the traditional time to take stock of our lives and see where we are going, measured against the backdrop of where we have been. Several years ago at BYU, I shared my thoughts on the scriptural story of Lot’s wife (http://bit.ly/1HWKn4z).
  Often, like Lot’s wife, we long to return to past days. I have come to the conclusion that Lot’s wife did not just look back; she looked back longingly. In short, her attachment to the past outweighed her confidence in the future. That, apparently, was at least part of her sin.

  So, as a new year starts and we try to benefit from a proper view of what has gone before, I plead with you not to dwell on days now gone, nor to yearn vainly for yesterdays, however good those yesterdays may have been. The past is to be learned from but not lived in.

  To all such of every generation, I call out, “Remember Lot’s wife.” Faith is for the future. Faith builds on the past but never longs to stay there. Faith trusts that God has great things in store for each of us and that Christ truly is the “high priest of good things to come.”

  Keep your eyes on your dreams, however distant and far away. Live to see the miracles of repentance and forgiveness, of trust and divine love that will transform your life today, tomorrow, and forever. That is a New Year’s resolution I ask you to keep this new year."
• You are an ELECT child of God
• You were created in HIS IMAGE
• You were taught in the Spirit world to prepare you for ANYTHING and EVERYTHING you would encounter during this LATTER part of these LATTER DAYS
• THAT TEACHING ENDURES WITHIN YOU. You need to believe this, because there's not much you have experienced so far in this life that has prepared you for what is coming shortly. But trust that your premortal preparation is within you and you will be able to call it forward.
• You are living in the ELEVENTH HOUR – the last time the Lord will call laborers to gather the elect. Consider that the "elect" you are to gather may be other "millennials"...
•  You were sent to participate in THIS GATHERING
•  As the seed of  Abraham, You have power and influence and a duty to bring others to a knowledge of the truth. of Christ, the restored gospel, of His coming, of who they are...
• You have a distinctive light that radiates from you that will attract others
• You were taught the gospel pre-mortally
• You taught the gospel pre-mortally
• You are anchored in true doctrine.
• You made covenants pre-mortally about courageous, even morally courageous things you would do here. Don't be afraid about what lies ahead. Pray for the courage you had when you first made the covenant.
•  God trusted you to send you to the most compelling dispensation in the history of the world. Consider WHY it is the most "compelling" dispensation if "compelling" means 'an admiring interest' or does it mean "a powerful effect"...
• You live NOW to help prepare the people of this world for the Second Coming of Christ and His millennial reign. God needs you to shift now into your true purpose. Jesus is coming and you're going to be here when He does. Help others to shift as well.
• You are a devout disciple of Jesus Christ who INSTINCTIVELY seizes every opportunity to help yourself and others to PREPARE FOR THE MILLENIAL REIGN OF OUR SAVIOR. Listen to and feel your spirit pulling you into your true purpose. Take every opportunity to prepare yourself and others for the return of the Savior. This consists of both temporal and spiritual preparation. (Elder Oaks)
• The Lord can count on you to do some things for Him.
• You will be asked to do difficult things as covenant people always are. 
• Be a covenant keeping child of God. You are living in the latter part second time he said this of the latter days.  "you can do hard things!"
• You will make history Right up there with the birth of Christ!
• You were born to be a TRUE Millennial Be the "true" Millennial...not the one the world says you are.
• You were CHOSEN TO DO A REMARKABLE WORK TO HELP PREPARE A PEOPLE FOR THE SECOND COMING. He repeated this THREE TIMES! You are here to help prepare a people for the Second Coming. Pray to know how you are to do that.

TO DO:

• Learn who you really are Pray for a witness that you are a "true millennial" "take time to think prayerfully" about all this...
• Stand up and LIVE as a "True Millennial"!
• Ask Heavenly Father how He feels about you
• Ask Him what your mission on earth is
• record your impressions,
• review them often
• follow them with exactness. yeah...you're going to be made fun of...
• If the prophet gives you an assignment – set out to do it, even if it seems utterly impossible.You must be absolutely determined to do this! There's a reason you've read First Nephi more than any other book in the Book of Mormon!
• Step forward with FAITH AND DOGGED PERSISTENCE when asked to do impossible things! ("Dogged" - persistent; stubbornly tenacious; unyielding;)
• Accept challenging assignments to become an instrument in the Lord's hands.
• Cheerfully do all that lies in your power to fulfill the purposes of the Lord With a correct vision and witness of why you are here and what you are to do, you can do it cheerfully - with faith and not fear - no matter what Satan puts before you.
• do whatever it takes to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ. really...do whatever it takes!
• Increase your understanding of and be anchored in the true doctrine taught in the church
• Relentlessly seek truth there's that "dogged persistence" again...
• When you are discouraged, pray for….Courage; do not give up
• Learn how to ACCESS the POWER OF HEAVEN Believe that you can!
  
• Seek to learn, understand, and recognize truth. It is vital. scripture study and becoming familiar with the words of the prophet is key here...
• Ask INSPIRED questions. That is how you learn best. do you know how to ask an inspired question; can you recognize when your questions are inspired?
• Revelation is a sacred process. Learn how to qualify for and receive answers by being willing to seek, ponder, pray, study, fast, wrestle, consider all the ramifications, and counsel with others. Be willing to do it repeatedly. this is part of how you "qualify" for answers. "receiving" an answer sometimes lies in learning how to recognize the way the answer comes (See Elder Bednar's talk on tithing in Oct 2013) When Elder Nelson prayed and asked, "How do you feel about these Young Adults?" The answer came through spiritual impressions and feelings.
• Spend more time in temples and the chapel.
• Make home a Holy Place – safely retreat from the dark distractions of the world
• Prayer is a key. Pray:

o  To know what to stop doing and what to start doing;think technology; prayer, scripture study, Sabbath day

o   what to add or subtract from your environment so the spirit will be there in abundance. ditto

o  Plead for the gift of discernment so important 

• Live and work to be worthy of the gift of discernment. You can know exactly what is true and what is not.
• Serve with love. not just out of duty...It will open your heart to personal revelation.
• Spend much more time where the spirit is present (friends who are seeking the same; on your knees in prayer; in the scriptures; in family history work; in the temple)in your busy, busy, life he just said to spend MORE time in things you may feel you barely have time for now. So what is he asking you to do?
• Learn to hear the voice of the Lord through the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. it starts with recognizing the voice of our conscience as the voice of the Lord (light of Christ) and yielding to that voice. As you do so, you will grow more confident and learn to hear the promptings of the Spirit more often.
• Come to know  if you are where you need to be or doing what the Lord needs you to do. You've already asked "what" your mission is...now ask if you are "doing" what you need to be doing to fulfill that mission.
• FOLLOW THE PROPHETS "they know the way"; "our safety lies in our obedience"
•  Know he’s a prophet
•  They see ahead.
• Ask in humility and faith for your own witness about whatever he’s proclaimed.
•  BE VERY CAREFUL ABOUT WHOSE COUNSEL YOU FOLLOW! 
• Be more interested in what the Lord has to say then what the "experts" say.

EXPECT:

• Learning who you are and what your mission is will be life changing be willing to shift and change your life. He's talking to active, faithful youth...you will need to shift into a new purpose and mission than the one you have now. 
  
• Expect and prepare to accomplish the impossible begin to wrap your head around that very real challenge. You will need extreme Faith!
• Count on an Abrahamic Test – a test that will seem far beyond your capacity for which you may have no experience. at least here in this life. But remember you WERE prepared in the premortal world.
• Obstacles may be in your way. You may not know where to go beforehand. Temptations may be intentionally placed in your way to test you, trap you. You may be rejected. but since you know in advance, you can be prepared to not be swayed or moved off course by it.
• That the Lord will enable you to accomplish the impossible.
• The Lord is able to do His own work and you will see one miracle after another ALWAYS AND ONLY AFTER you bring your BEST THINKING, YOUR MOST COURAGEOUS EFFORTS, and your MOST FERVENT PRAYERS. Call forth your premortal preparation; pray and work in faith that God will provide.
• It will become less and less popular to be a Latter day Saint. You will need courage not to give up. Pray for it. again...He's preparing you. "If you are prepared, you will not fear it..."
• Some who you thought to be your friends will betray you remember Job...
• Some things will simply seem unfair. life isn't fair...but God is just and Christ will come and "wipe away all tears..."
• You may be awakened in the night with impressions about issues you are concerned with. 
• The prophet may ask you to do something that
• you do not like
• may contradict your political views
• may contradict your social views
• may interfere with your social life
• you do not understand

·         I PROMISE:

• You can know the mind and will of the Lord for your own life.
• You can know you are where the Lord needs you to be, doing what He needs you to do through the Holy Ghost.
• As you follow Jesus Christ you will find SUSTAINED PEACE and TRUE JOY. For those who won't shift life may be "harrowing", but for those that do there is SUSTAINED peace and TRUE JOY. How's that!
• As you keep your covenants with INCREASING PRECISION exactness; Don't be casual about the Sabbath Day, or your church attendance or your scripture reading or your prayers. It won't be enough to just check the box...and as you DEFEND THE CHURCH, yes, you'll have to open your mouth...the Lord will bless you with STRENGTH and WISDOM to accomplish the impossible.awesome!
• Heavenly Father and Christ stand ready to answer your questions through the ministering of the Holy Ghost.
• As you consistently give the Lord a GENEROUS portion of your time, he will multiply the remainder. This will take faith, but you will see the miracle...just like tithing...
• listen to the prophets as if from the Lord Himself, with patience and faith, and I promise THE GATES OF HELL SHALL NOT PREVAIL, the LORD will disperse the powers of hell from before you.” This promise is worth any cost!
• The Lord will enable you to accomplish the impossible. How?   
• By your doing whatever it takes to strengthen your faith in Jesus Christ. are you desperate to strengthen you faith?
• By increasing your understanding of the doctrine taught in His restored church and 
• by relentlessly seeking truth. are you desperate to know the truth?

BLESSING:

"            "I bless each one of you as though I had my hands upon your heads

•  with the ability to become the true millennial you were born to be. I bless you to have
•  the desire and ability to learn your true identity and purpose
•  that you will expect and prepare to do impossible things,
• that you will be undaunted in your efforts to learn how to access the powers of heaven to help you solve your problems and answer your questions and I bless you
• to follow the prophets with exactness
• to feel peace in your heart as you do so. I bless you
• to know and feel how much the Lord loves you and how much confidence he has in you." 
  
  you can do this!  
• "Make NO MISTAKE ABOUT IT, YOU WERE BORN TO BE A TRUE MILLENNIAL!"
  
  Now would be a good time to watch these two short videos: May you feel hope and not fear. Go in to faith and trust!
  
  
  LDS Church Leaders preparing us for the Second Coming of Christ
  
  Great Trials Lie Ahead