Bear Testimony Often, President Holland Invites

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By Mary Richards, Church News

“Bear your witness,” he said. “The power of God and the virtue of heaven will come.”

Alma 31:5 explains that the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead people to do what was just — and it had a more powerful effect upon the people than anything else. Therefore, Alma felt they should “try the virtue of the word of God.”

The Latin root of the word virtue – virtūs — means power, President Holland said.

When the woman in need of healing touched the hem of Jesus Christ’s clothing, He said, “I perceive that virtue is gone out of me” (Luke 8:46), or in other words, “I perceive that power is gone out of me.”

“Alma thought it expedient they try the power of the word of God,” President Holland explained.

Faith in God unlocks His power, President Holland said quoting President Russell M. Nelson in April 2021 general conference, who taught: “The Lord does not require perfect faith for us to access His perfect power. But He does ask us to believe.”

President Holland said every teacher and leader in the Church needs to bear their testimony often, pray often and be in the scriptures with their class or quorum or congregation. “We want them to understand we are believers.”

President Holland was joined at the meetings by Elder Ulisses Soares of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles; Elder Brian K. Taylor, General Authority Seventy and Second Counselor in the Utah Area Presidency; and Sister Amy A. Wright, First Counselor in the Primary General Presidency. The meetings were conducted by Elder Jason C. Jensen, an Area Seventy in the Utah Area.

Anyone with a calling to lead or teach must strive to help those they serve have a spiritual experience in each meeting. The fundamentals of prayer and being in the scriptures will provide the “spiritual ignition” that will lead them on for the rest of their lives, President Holland said.

“How do we get people to want to come, to feel to serve? At the heart of that — always at the heart of that — is a spiritual experience.”

The Power of Prayer

President Holland recounted that when he was deeply ill and at times unconscious in the hospital, the late President M. Russell Ballard, then the Acting President of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, went nearly every day to see him — often giving him priesthood blessings.

When President Ballard was told that it appeared President Holland was not going to live, he said, “We will just have to keep praying and exercise our faith.”

President Holland said he is still alive because of that faith — and because of the faith and the power of all the prayers from people all around the world, including those in the chapel in Saratoga Springs.

“I love you for praying and for believing,” he told them. Then he punctuated his next words with his hands on the table in front of him: “Be a believer. And miracles come, and power comes.”

At the end of the conference, he blessed them to have every righteous desire of their hearts — whether now or in eternity, “it will happen,” he promised, especially regarding their children and receiving answers to their prayers for them.

“I bear witness of the divinity of the Lord Jesus Christ. I bless you to have Him a welcome guest in your life and never a stranger.”

Embrace the Teachings of the Prophet Today

Elder Soares told the ward and stake leaders that they should help their members follow prophetic teachings. He read from 2 Chronicles 20:20: “Believe in the Lord your God, so shall ye be established; believe his prophets, so shall ye prosper.”

With this difficult time in the world’s history, “there is no other time we need inspired teachings of prophets than our day,” Elder Soares said.

He shared in particular President Nelson’s teachings about the ordinances and covenants of the temple and the importance of regularly worshiping in the house of the Lord.

The Lord in Doctrine and Covenants 21:4-5 speaks about giving heed to the prophet’s words, “walking in all holiness before me. For his word ye shall receive, as if from mine own mouth, in all patience and faith.”

Then Elder Soares pointed to the promise in verse six: “For by doing these things the gates of hell shall not prevail against you; yea, and the Lord God will disperse the powers of darkness from before you, and cause the heavens to shake for your good, and his name’s glory.”

Said Elder Soares: “Is that not what we need in our lives?... My brothers and sisters, I plead with you, help our people to follow prophetic priorities. Embrace the teachings of our modern prophets today because those promises are available for those who follow the words of the prophet.”

The Power of Teaching the Restoration and Ministering

Elder Taylor said God the Father and Jesus Christ came to Joseph Smith because he prayed. And then They called him by name.

“The answer to our questions today is a leader going, because someone is out there praying,” Elder Taylor said. He testified that teaching the restoration of the gospel and its significance will grow faith.

Sister Wright taught about how people through ministering can be a miracle in another person’s life. Leaders are called to minister as well.

“When you call upon the powers of heaven for someone else, you begin to see them as the Savior sees them and love them the way the Savior loves them,” Sister Wright said.

Answering a question about Primary, Sister Wright encouraged leaders and parents to teach pure doctrine, especially through song, and be in the scriptures with the children. “They will connect what they are feeling to heaven. That will be a foundation they will come back to.”

Asking Questions and Learning From the Spirit

Questions were asked by those in attendance, both in the first session with stake presidencies and bishops and then in the second session with more ward and stake leaders.

Answering a question about mental health resources, President Holland said professional help should be sought if needed for mental health. Elder Soares invited the leaders to refer often to the Life Help section of Gospel Library, as more information and new resources are often added to it.

And he said with any issue or concern, “help people center their lives on Jesus Christ.”

Pertaining to the garment, President Holland referenced his recent article in the Liahona and said more can and should be taught about the garment as people prepare to go to the temple.

And he said nothing will change young people like going to the temple and serving a mission.

Tiffany Edwards, the ward Relief Society president in the Quailhill 2nd Ward of the Saratoga Springs Utah Quailhill Stake, loved the focus on returning to the Savior.

“The response from President Holland about the garment was that it is the only thing you get to physically take with you from the temple,” she said.

Hollie Stevens, stake Relief Society president in the Saratoga Springs Utah Mount Saratoga Stake, also wrote down how wearing the garment is the way of “bringing the temple with you out into the world.”

And she felt prompted to teach more from the Prophet’s words, as he speaks for the Lord right now. President Holland’s blessing that they would have what they desired for their families touched her heart.

Edwards agreed. “The promise that as we keep our covenants with the Savior, our children will notice that, and they will come back to us. Our prayers will be answered.”

One of the things Harvest Hills 8th Ward Bishop Travis Wilde, of the Saratoga Springs Utah Crossroads Stake, took away from the meeting was to help the youth be in the Book of Mormon — not just every four years but every day — and to learn more about the Prophet Joseph Smith and the Restoration.

Blaire Fortney, the Relief Society president in the Mount Saratoga 2nd Ward in the Mount Saratoga Stake, said, “I love what President Holland said about us seeing our own potential and allowing that to spread to our ward or the organization we are over. If we can remember our worth and the trust Heavenly Father put in us, we can share that with the people we are serving.”

President Joseph A. Hudson, president of the Mount Saratoga Stake, was reminded just how much the Savior loves him: “That was evident in the love that President Holland and Elder Soares brought with them today.”

• Episode 204: President Jeffrey R. Holland on the gospel of Jesus Christ and life’s challenges

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