Russell M. Nelson - Teachings of Russell M. Nelson

Publishers Preface

When Russell M. Nelson became a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles in April 1984, he brought to his calling a unique perspective, born of his wealth of experience as an internationally renowned surgeon and medical researcher. Perhaps known best in that era to Latter-day Saints as the physician who performed lifesaving heart surgery on President Spencer W. Kimball, he was recognized by the world as a pioneer in the development of the heart-lung machine that made such operations possible.

Prior to his call as a General Authority, President Nelson was research professor of surgery and director of the thoracic surgery residency at the University of Utah, as well as chairman of the Division of Thoracic Surgery at LDS Hospital in Salt Lake City, Utah. A prolific author and lecturer, he served as president of the Society for Vascular Surgery, a director of the American Board of Thoracic Surgery, chairman of the Council on Cardiovascular Surgery and Anesthesia for the American Heart Association, and president of the Utah State Medical Association.

The list of honors he has received is lengthy. It includes, among many others, the Distinguished Alumni Award from the University of Utah, the Heart of Gold Award from the American Heart Association, a citation for International Service from the American Heart Association, and the Golden Plate Award from the American Academy of Achievement. He has also been awarded honorary professorships from three universities in the Peoples Republic of China. He is listed in Whos Who in the World , Whos Who in America , and Whos Who in Religion.

If asked, however, President Nelson would likely say that his greatest accomplishments and joys lie in his family relationships. He and his wife Dantzel have ten children, fifty-seven grandchildren, and well over a hundred great-grandchildren. Dantzel passed away in February 2005. In April 2006, President Nelson married Wendy L. Watson.

All of these life experiences are reflected in President Nelsons teachings over his nearly three and a half decades of service as an Apostle, which are filled with his testimony of eternal families, the wonder of creation, the power of the priesthood, and the majesty of the Lord Jesus Christ. Shortly after he was set apart as the seventeenth President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, on January 14, 2018, and sustained by the body of the Church in a solemn assembly on April 1, 2018, he embarked on a world tour to continue sharing those truths across the globe. Not many ninety-three-year-olds would undertake such an endeavor, but President Nelsons brilliant mind and physical vigor were up to the challenge.

This book presents a collection of President Nelsons teachings on more than 100 topics, arranged alphabetically and selected from a variety of sources, including general conference addresses, devotionals, firesides, less-formal gatherings, professional conferences, and training meetings. (Minor editorial changes have been made for stylistic consistency.) The selections span the length of his service as a General Authority thus far, from his inaugural address when he was called to the Twelve in April 1984 to talks given on his 2018 world tour. The short form and topical arrangement of the excerpts make them especially accessible for lessons, family home evenings, council meetings, and other teaching moments. Also included for ease of use are both a scripture index and a subject index.

One of the hallmarks of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is an open canon. We believe that Heavenly Father continues to speak to and through His prophets. Just as this volume adds to the volumes of teachings from previous Presidents of the Church, other volumes from him and future prophets will no doubt follow. We believe in and count on continuing revelation.

How grateful we are to live in a day when we can be guided by the words of prophets! In a world often filled with uncertainty and strife, President Nelsons teachings create a sense of stability, purpose, and peace. Studying his words will bring an added measure of the Spirit into the lives of all who read this important volume.

Aaronic Priesthood

To young men who bear the Aaronic (or preparatory) Priesthood: If you honor it, and prepare for and are worthy of a call to be a missionary, I promise: You will then speak in the name of God the Lord and bring His light to searching souls. To them you will be as a ministering angel, remembered with love forever (see Doctrine and Covenants 13). (Honoring the Priesthood, Ensign, May 1993)

To magnify your callings in the Aaronic Priesthood, you young men should shape your personal efforts toward five personal objectives to:

Gain a knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Be worthy of missionary service.

Keep yourself morally clean and qualified to enter the holy temple.

Pursue your personal education.

Uphold Church standards and be worthy of your future companion.

How can you remember those five objectives? Its easy. Look at your hand. Let your pointer finger point to the scriptures. From them gain a better knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then live in accord with His teachings. Let your middle finger remind you to be worthy of missionary service. Let your ring finger remind you of marriage, endowment, sealing, and blessings of the temple. Let your end finger remind you that pursuit of an education is a religious responsibility. Let your thumb go up, reminding you to uphold the standards of the Church and be worthy of your eternal companion. The realization of these five objectives will bless your lives. (Personal Priesthood Responsibility, Ensign, November 2003)

Abortion

As sons and daughters of God, we cherish life as a gift from Him.

A heavy toll on life is included among the evils of war. Data from all nations are appalling. For the United States of America, one hundred thousand were killed in World War I; over four hundred thousand died in World War II. In the first two hundred years as a nation, the lives of over one million Americans were lost due to war.

Regrettable as is the loss of loved ones from war, these figures are dwarfed by the toll of a new war that annually claims more casualties than the total number of fatalities from all the wars of this nation.

It is a war on the defenselessand the voiceless. It is a war on the unborn. This war, labeled abortion, is of epidemic proportion and is waged globally.

Yet society professes reverence for human life. We weep for those who die, pray and work for those whose lives are in jeopardy. For years I have labored with other doctors here and abroad, struggling to prolong life. It is impossible to describe the grief a physician feels when the life of a patient is lost. Can anyone imagine how we feel when life is destroyed at its roots, as though it were a thing of naught?