**This is a slightly modified version of a talk I shared in a leadership meeting for our March 2022 Stake Conference…
When Jesus Christ visited his home synagog in Nazareth he read the following scripture passage from Isaiah…
(Luke 4:18) The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor; he hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised,
Today, more than ever, many individuals and families are feeling brokenhearted, captive, blind and bruised and in need of the comfort and healing that our Savior offers.
I know a little of this from personal experience. There was a time several years ago when my husband and children attended church with me. But our home was becoming increasingly turbulent and contentious. I struggled to know how to change what was happening in our family and I was confused, heartbroken and afraid.
I sought answers and direction from many sources including so called experts, mentors, friends and family but sometimes the individuals I spoke with, including church leaders, didn’t know what to say, and not all of the advice I received was good or helpful.
As I look back I recognize that I was searching to understand what Heavenly Father would have me do. And, although my friends and leaders in the gospel helped me hang on to hope as I searched for answers, they couldn’t give me the healing I needed.
As I have pondered the role of a leader in this church I think about the Nephite leaders who were at the temple when our resurrected Savior, Jesus Christ visited and…
(3 Nephi 17:9-10) they that were whole…did go forth with their sick and their afflicted, and their lame, and with their blind, and with their dumb, and with all them that were afflicted in any manner; and he did heal them every one as they were brought forth unto him.
Those who were whole brought people who needed healing to Jesus. They all journeyed together. And each person who came to our Savior received an individualized healing – those that were blind needed and received a different healing than those that were sick.
I know that Christ offers that to each person who comes to Him because I have experienced His personalized healing myself.
President Nelson shared in 2020 – Our Father knows that when we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear, what will help us the very most is to hear His Son.
Because when we seek to hear—truly hear—His Son, we will be guided to know what to do in any circumstance.
I found that to be true in my situation. Step by step I was led to individuals, talks, books or activities that could help or point the way forward. I received very specific and personalized directions as I prayed, studied my scriptures and sought for answers in the temple.
Even though the inspiration I received eventually resulted in my divorce, and currently my children are not active in the church, my trust and faith in the Lord continues to grow as I work to hear and follow our Savior, Jesus Christ.
I think it helps for leaders to remember that part of the counsel that the Nephite disciples were given was to…
(3 Nephi 18:24) …hold up your light that it may shine unto the world. (Christ said) I am the light which ye shall hold up —that which ye have seen me do. Behold ye see that I have prayed unto the Father, and ye all have witnessed.
25 And ye see that I have commanded that none of you should go away, but rather have commanded that ye should come unto me, that ye might feel and see; even so shall ye do unto the world;
As we each hold up the light of Christ that we receive and invite everyone to come to Him, our personal efforts to repent, pray, wrestle with the spirit and search the scriptures for our own answers, will help us to access the love and priesthood power and guidance of the Holy Ghost that we need in order to take others by the hand and lead them to our Savior.
President Nelson shared the following actions to take that will help us Hear our Savior…
We can go to the scriptures. As we feast on the words of Christ daily, the words of Christ will tell us how to respond to difficulties we never thought we would face.
We can also hear Him in the temple. There we learn how to rebuke the adversary and draw upon the Lord’s priesthood power to strengthen us and those we love.
We also hear Him more clearly as we refine our ability to recognize the whisperings of the Holy Ghost. It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now.
I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation.
To me this counsel brings up many questions for leaders –
Which ward members need help to feel nourished by the word of Christ?
What can we discuss with members of our stake to help them access priesthood power in their lives?
What questions do our young people have about how the spirit speaks to them?
What are the individuals we work with doing to increase their spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation?
Some people might need step by step encouragement and support as they learn to ask and search and trust spiritual guidance. In my own life many conversations and seemingly small and simple supports from friends and church leaders over many years have helped strengthen my desire and ability to pray, repent, forgive, overcome anxiety, become self-reliant and learn to trust in the Lord. I have also found that talking and studying with others to better understand a commandment or doctrine or truth has helped me have the faith to live by those principles.
I continue to love and have many conversations with my children and other friends who are not active members of the church. When they are receptive I share my thoughts about God, and the healing and hope that our Savior Jesus Christ has given me and that He offers to all who come to him. I am reminded of and I think it is significant that Jesus taught us that when someone is not yet ready or worthy to partake of the sacrament…
(3 Nephi 18:32) Nevertheless, ye shall not cast him out of your synagogs, or your places of worship, for unto such shall ye continue to minister; for ye know not but what they will return and repent, and come unto me with full purpose of heart, and I shall heal them; and ye shall be the means of bringing salvation unto them.
Whether we are inviting people to join the church or return to church, inviting our brothers and sisters to prepare themselves to make covenants in the temple or return to the temple, the purpose of all of the ministering that happens in our community is to encourage others to come to Christ with full purpose of heart so He can heal them!
I’m grateful for the many friends and leaders in the church who encouraged me turn to our Savior during my darkest days so that I could receive his healing power.
And I think we can and should be very intentional about teaching this to our ward and stake members.
My prayer is that as we lead others to our Savior we might be like the Samaritan woman who testified of and led people to Jesus whom she met at the well…
John 4:39 ¶ And many of the Samaritans of that city believed on him for the saying of the woman, which testified, He told me all that ever I did.
40 So when the Samaritans were come unto him, they besought him that he would tarry with them: and he abode there two days.
41 And many more believed because of his own word;
42 And said unto the woman, Now we believe, not because of thy saying: for we have heard him ourselves, and know that this is indeed the Christ, the Savior of the world.
I also know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and the Savior of the world and that it is a blessing to help lead those we serve – to Him.
