Elder Villar Extends Two Invitations to Those Experiencing Temporal Challenges

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By Rachel Sterzer Gibson, Church News

While speaking to BYU–Pathway Worldwide students on Tuesday, July 16, Elder Juan Pablo Villar introduced listeners to where his journey began as a disciple of Jesus Christ and a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Showing the baptismal font in a meetinghouse in his “beloved” hometown of Santiago, Chile, Elder Villar, a General Authority Seventy, related, “In this very baptismal font, my eldest brother, Ivan, immersed me in water, and I solemnly pledged to live the gospel and follow Jesus Christ. I promised to keep His commandments. This baptismal covenant continues to serve as a guiding light, reminding me of the commitments I made in that meaningful moment.”

In his address broadcast to BYU–Pathway students across the globe, Elder Villar spoke of the power that comes from individuals making covenants and issued two invitations: first, to develop a closer relationship with God through covenants, and second, to seek His help through revelation.

1. Develop a Closer Relationship With God Through Covenants

After sharing about his own baptism, Elder Villar showed a photo of the Santiago Chile Temple. Elder Villar noted that in such houses of the Lord, Latter-day Saints make additional covenants with Heavenly Father and declare their “intention to live, behave and honor these sacred promises and to act accordingly. In return, Heavenly Father promises incredible blessings to us.”

President Russell M. Nelson has taught, “Once you and I have made a covenant with God, our relationship with Him becomes much closer than before our covenant. Now, we are bound together. Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us” (“The Everlasting Covenant,” “Liahona,” Oct. 2022).

Those words by the Prophet “emphasize the significance of entering into a covenant,” Elder Villar said. “It strengthens and unites our relationship with the other party; this is particularly meaningful when the other party is our Heavenly Father. He desires for us to draw nearer to Him and to live in accordance with His gospel. He will not abandon us; instead, He will assist us as we endeavor to fulfill our part of the covenant.”

One of the ways that Heavenly Father will offer help to His children is through personal revelation, Elder Villar said.

2. Seek His Help Through Revelation

As individuals pray and seek God’s will, they can receive personal guidance, knowledge and truth from Him through the Holy Ghost, Elder Villar said. “We often communicate with our Heavenly Father about spiritual things.”

Elder Villar shared Doctrine and Covenants 29:34: “Wherefore, verily I say unto you that all things unto me are spiritual …,” which means “that even the temporal or material things can be explained or impacted by the Spirit,” he said.

Some might be tempted to think that education, careers or professional lives are just temporary elements and unimportant.

However, “when we put them in context, we can understand that those temporal things also have a spiritual element attached to them,” Elder Villar said.

In his own life, Elder Villar said he has sought the guidance of his Father in Heaven regarding his education and career.

To further illustrate, Elder Villar shared the example of the Book of Mormon prophet Nephi, who broke his bow and was unable to obtain food for his family. “And it came to pass that we did return without food to our families, and being much fatigued, because of their journeying, they did suffer much for the want of food” (1 Nephi 16:19).

Elder Villar said, “this is similar to our day when someone loses their job or income and cannot provide for their family. Nephi’s ability to provide for his family was in jeopardy.”

Nephi relied on the Lord but also acted with faith, doing what he could. He constructed a new bow and arrow and armed himself with a sling and stones. He then went and asked his father, the prophet Lehi, where to go to find food.

“Because Nephi did his part, our Heavenly Father blessed him with the blessings he needed at that time,” Elder Villar said. Although Nephi knew his new tools were not as good as his previous bow, he also knew that with the Lord’s help, his efforts would be enough.

At some point, many will face temporal challenges that threaten their ability to provide for themselves or their families, Elder Villar said. “It is in these moments that our personal efforts and divine revelation can work together to lead us through.”

To those who heed Elder Villar’s invitation to develop a closer relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ through covenants, he promised, “You will feel Their love in your life. You will be able to recognize Them blessing you in both pleasant and difficult times.”

Those who seek God’s help through personal revelation can expect to receive help not only on spiritual matters but also in their education and careers, Elder Villar promised. “Study so you can understand the way He offers His help to you. As you rely on and trust Him, you will be able to receive more light in your life.”

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