Face the Future with Faith - Russell M. Nelson

  This time around, I am picking and choosing which talk to follow. Since Adversity is on the minds of most in these troubling days, I followed up on the "Pain" talk with this one. It is always good to approach a Gospel presentation with the "IF, THEN" approach. This takes us from the feeling of guilt and failure to the higher thoughts of IF I follow this, THEN I will have this result. Elder Nelson warned us against the Cafeteria approach to keeping the commandments that is so prevalent and then gave us throughout his talk the following more uplifting, future oriented points:

• IF we are obedient, THEN God's blessings will flow without restraint.
• IF we are obedient to the commands of God, THEN He will provide both physical and spiritual protection.
• IF we pray with an eternal perspective, THEN we need not wonder if our most tearful and heartfelt pleadings are heard.
• IF we offer sincere and heartfelt prayers, THEN our faith will be strengthened.
• IF we develop an enduring commitment to be a full-tithe payer, THEN He will open the windows of heaven and there shall not be room enough to receive it.
• IF we walk in the Lord's path of righteousness, THEN we will be blessed to continue in His goodness and be a light and a savior unto His people.
• IF we are faithful to the covenants made in the Temple, THEN we will qualify ourselves and our family for the blessings of eternal life.
• IF we are "faithful saints" THEN the Lord declared, "I will contend with him that contendeth with thee, and I will save thy children." and "I, the Lord, would fight their battles, and their children's battles, and their children's children's, ... to the third and fourth generation."

  We remain children of the promise with this attitude to live our lives looking for the THEN of the doctrines and principles and seeking it.

The Atonement Covers All Pain - Kent F. Richards

  How personal is this topic for every person? To help us understand the broad scope of the gift the Savior offers, Elder Richards mentions many types of pain and explains that pain is a gauge of the healing process:

• Pain from an illness or surgery
• Spiritual Pain from sin or transgression 
• Unexpected events
• Contradicting or disappointing circumstances
• Interrupting illness
• Death
• Actions of others
• Worry
• Fear
• Distress

  What is to be learned from Pain? Certainly these lessons are there for us to learn about our purpose in mortality:

• Patience
• Gratitude 
• Compassion
• Love
• Humility
• Long-suffering
• Empathy

  Most of all we learn that the Savior is the physician for all this pain. He understands because He sought the experience of the pains of all mankind that He may draw us to Him. As President Henry B. Eyring taught: “It will comfort us when we must wait in distress for the Savior’s promised relief that He knows, from experience, how to heal and help us. … And faith in that power will give us patience as we pray and work and wait for help. He could have known how to succor us simply by revelation, but He chose to learn by His own personal experience.”
  I can only recommend you read the experience regarding 13 year-old Sherrie contained in his talk. Stunning, but just one of the gifts that was given to this young girl and her family. How close He is when we need Him.
  I am grateful for the insight this great talk gave me in relation to this very personal topic.

Followers of Christ - Walter F. González

  In this talk he makes reference to the great number of indications of the desire to follow Christ. In Brazil we see this every day. It was told to us this week that Ipatinga, Brazil was in the 2008 Guiness Record book for being the most religious city on earth. This is evidenced by the many churches, mostly Protestant or Catholic that are in every neighborhood. Many, even most, cars and trucks have some phrase or words acknowledging Him in their life. Our message is taught when they will allow it as an extension of the good things they already have in their hearts. Brazilians are already very loving when you get to know them. They close letters and emails with the word Abraços, meaning Hugs. That is represented here as friends often greet each other with a hug, and the women friends with the hug and kiss on the cheek. It is easy to become friends here with the willingness to be open hearted.
  What should we do then as a result of this presentation?

• First exhibit our love of Christ by our actions in following the commandments.
• Second, make, keep and renew our Covenants made at baptism, in the temple and each week in partaking of the sacrament.

  It was a reminder that following often brings sacrifice. Perhaps great sacrifice is the test of our love. We may need to sacrifice as young Jimmy Olvera did in leaving on his mission. He was told he would lose his family if he left but he went and served. His family later asserted how much they were blessed as a result of his choice. "The power of our covenants is greater than any challenge we face or we may face." So in our lives, bearing witness of the love of Christ to others opens the door to those promises and blessings that follow the covenants we make.