This is the third and final part of President Nelson’s talk Overcome the World and Find Rest. Links to part 1 and part 2.
“As I have stated before, the gathering of Israel is the most important work taking place on earth today. One crucial element of this gathering is preparing a people who are able, ready, and worthy to receive the Lord when He comes again, a people who have already chosen Jesus Christ over this fallen world, a people who rejoice in their agency to live the higher, holier laws of Jesus Christ.
I call upon you, my dear brothers and sisters, to become this righteous people. Cherish and honor your covenants above all other commitments. As you let God prevail in your life, I promise you greater peace, confidence, joy and yes rest.
With the power of the holy apostleship vested in me, I bless you in your quest to overcome the world. I bless you to increase your faith in Jesus Christ and learn better how to draw upon His power. I bless you to be able to discern truth from error. I bless you to care more about the things of God than the things of this world. I bless you to see the needs of those around you and strengthen those you love. Because Jesus Christ overcame this world, you can too. I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
The living prophet of God bestowed five apostolic blessings upon us.
First he blessed us in our quest to overcome the world. A quest is a long journey. It is a journey that is undertaken willingly and that has a purpose and a destination. President Nelson just blessed each of us in our journey through mortality to overcome the world that we are traveling through.
Second he blessed us to “…increase your faith in Jesus Christ and learn better how to draw upon His power.” This blesses our efforts however meager or bountiful they may be to increase our faith. It blesses the steps into the darkness, the times we act in faith in spite of our fear of uncertainty. We are blessed in every step we take that draws us closer to our personal Savior Jesus Christ. We are blessed to know that we can draw upon His power. That through the atonement and our covenants we have access to the powers of heaven and we can overcome the world and return home to our Heavenly Parents.
Third President Nelson blesses us “to be able to discern truth from error.” The ability to see clearly what is true and what is not gives us the ability to make better choices. Choices that draw us away from the world and closer to Jesus Christ. It allows us to see through the fog and follow the light of Christ that clears the fog away from our minds and out of our lives. By so doing the choices we make lead to others and forward along the path that the Savior would have us walk. By walking that path and following His light we overcome the world.
Fourth President Nelson blesses us “to care more about the things of God than the things of this world.” He blesses us to care more about scripture study than about our favorite tv show. To care more about your standing with your Savior than with your coworkers. To have more of a desire to serve the Lord by serving His children than to desire a larger home or newer car. In short President Nelson blesses us to care more about our eternal lives than about our mortal life. In so doing he reminds us that mortality and the world are not the destination but merely a waystation that we pass through on our personal journey into eternity. The world was meant to be overcome as part of the journey we are on. How we face it, how we endure it in part determines where we choose to go next.
Fifth President Nelson blesses us “to see the needs around you and strengthen those we love.” He blesses us to open our eyes and see the kingdom of God. In seeing each other as fellow travelers and children of our Heavenly Parents, we open our eyes to the realization that we all are the kingdom of God. President Nelson blesses us to strengthen those we love. We do this by developing and showing compassion for those around us and those we care about in our lives. We do this by meeting our brothers and sisters where they are and offering to travel with them for a while, even if we have already traveled that road ourselves. Sometimes the greatest love we can show is in retracing our steps and walking with another along their path home. This is how we serve and create the kingdom of God. This is how Zion comes to be.
We can overcome the world. We can live after the manner of happiness while we do so. We have been shown the way and given the tools to do so by President Nelson, Nephi, and Jesus Christ. All we need to do is go forth and do it. Will we? Will you? I will.
