My dear brothers and sisters, Its a joy to be with you and I pray that
the Spirit will speak to each of you who is ready to hear what the Lord wishes you to
hear. For I am not the teacher—He is. Two Christmases ago I went out to my car one
evening to find the passenger window smashed and my briefcase stolen with everything in
it—money, credit cards, all of my ID (including the passport that had taken me to 50 countries),
and irreplaceable documents. I was beside myself. Hoping the thieves had stolen the money and
discarded everything else, a friend and I spent all night prowling through area dumpsters,
hoping to find something. But we found nothing. The next day I began the tedious process of
replacing the contents. Suffice it to say, the whole process was a
pain. Then, unexpectedly, two mornings later, my
phone rang at 3:00 a.m. It was a Church operator. “Sister Dew, did you lose a briefcase?” “Yes,” I answered. “I have a man on the line who says he found
it in a dumpster behind a bar. Been to any bars lately, Sister Dew?” Laughing at her own joke, she connected me
with this man whose pickup, as it turned out, had been robbed that night and who had been
going through dumpsters. In one he had found a briefcase. My briefcase. When I asked how he had tracked me down, he
replied, “When I looked inside the briefcase and saw that Mormon recommendation, I knew
this must be important.” He was referring, of course, to my temple
recommend. He had then called the Church number, where
the operator on duty knew how to reach me. The phrase Mormon recommendation instantly
reminded me of Mormon’s tender words to his son Moroni: “I recommend thee unto God,
and I trust in Christ that thou wilt be saved." I have often pondered what it would mean to
be recommended to God. In essence, every time we qualify for a temple
recommend, our priesthood leaders are doing just that. But on this subject of recommendation there
is another dimension to consider. For God our Father and His Son Jesus Christ,
with Their perfect foreknowledge, already recommended every one of you to fill your
mortal probation during the most decisive period in the history of the world. You are here now because you were elected
to be here now. This is not new news. You have been told countless times that you
are a chosen generation reserved for the latter part of the latter days. Just two months ago, in general conference,
President Gordon B. Hinckley said once again: “You are the best generation we have ever
had." It’s akin to being chosen to run the last
leg of a relay, where the coach always positions his strongest runner. You were recommended to help run the last
leg of the relay that began with Adam and Eve because your premortal spiritual valor
indicated you would have the courage and the determination to face the world at its worst,
to do combat with the evil one during his heyday, and, in spite of it all, to be fearless
in building the kingdom of God. You simply must understand this, because you
were born to lead by virtue of who you are, the covenants you have made, and the fact
that you are here now in the 11th hour. You were born to lead as mothers and fathers,
because nowhere is righteous leadership more crucial than in the family. You were born to lead as priesthood and auxiliary
leaders; as heads of communities, companies, and even nations. You were born to lead as men and women willing
“to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places,” because
that’s what a true leader does. You were born to lead, and, in the words of
Isaiah, you were born for glory. Now the glorious but sobering truth is that,
in spite of your aeons of premortal preparation, the days ahead will at times “wrench your
very heart strings,” as the Prophet Joseph told the Twelve. If you’ve hoped to passively, comfortably
live out your lives, let me burst that little bubble once and for all. Now, please, do not misunderstand me: This
is a magnificent time to live! It is a time, said President Spencer W. Kimball,
when our influence “can be tenfold what it might be in more tranquil times." The strongest runner wants to run the last
leg of the relay. But the last days are not for the faint of
heart or the spiritually out of shape. There will be days when you feel defeated,
exhausted, and plain old beat-up by life’s whiplash. People you love will disappoint you—and
you will disappoint them. You’ll probably struggle with some kind
of mortal appetite. Some days it will feel as though the veil
between heaven and earth is made of reinforced concrete. And you may even face a crisis of faith. In fact, you can count on trials that test
your testimony and your faith. Aren’t you glad I came bearing such optimistic
news? Actually, I am nothing if not optimistic about
you, for everything about your lives is an indicator of our Father’s remarkable respect
for you. He recommended you for now, when the stakes
are so high. Now is the day when His kingdom is being established
once and for all, never again to be taken from the earth. This is the last leg of the relay. This is when He needs His strongest runners. The simple fact is that our Father did not
recommend Eve or Moses or Nephi or countless other magnificent exemplars for this dispensation—He
recommended you and me. Do you think God would have left the last
days to chance by sending men and women He couldn’t count on? A common theme of patriarchal blessings given
to men and women your age is that you were sent now because our Father’s most trustworthy
children would be needed in the final, decisive battle for righteousness. That is who you are, and it is who you have
always been. So how will you live up to our Father’s
recommendation? Happily, though we must each walk through
life on our own, we don’t have to do it alone. Four principles explain why: First, God wants
a powerful people. Second, He gives His power to those who are
faithful. Third, we have a sacred obligation to seek
after the power of God and then to use that power as He directs. Fourth, when we have the power of God with
us, nothing is impossible. I repeat, God wants a powerful people. Ammon taught that “a man may have great
power given him from God," and Nephi prophesied that we of the latter days would be “armed
with . . . the power of God in great glory." There are many evidences that God does indeed want a
powerful people. This is one reason that at baptism we become
eligible to receive “the gift of the Holy Ghost” and the privilege of
constant access to the third member of the Godhead. This is one reason that 12-year-old boys may
be ordained to the Aaronic Priesthood, which holds “the key of the ministering of angels." This is one reason every worthy adult may
go to the temple, from which he or she emerges surrounded and protected by God’s power. God wants a powerful people. No one better understands than He, that Satan is real
and that he has power. No one better understands that none of us
is smart enough or resilient enough to spar with Satan and survive spiritually. He is a snake, in every sense of that word. I hate snakes. I’m terrified of snakes. Please don't anybody send me some little snake as some prank. Seriously I just hate them! Well, a few years ago, while visiting the Philippines
with its lush, green countryside, I asked a Filipino mission president if there were
many snakes in his country. His answer was classic: “Where der is grass,
der is snake”—meaning, they were everywhere. By the same token, Satan is everywhere today. Where there is any kind of dishonesty, immorality,
contention, and addiction, there is Satan. He is in blatant sin, he is in subtle deception. Stay away from him. He is “a roaring lion, [who] walketh about,
seeking whom he may devour." And he will devour you—unless you “put
on the whole armour [or power] of God," for the power of God is stronger than the power
of Satan. Indeed, the power of God and the power of
Satan are as different as night and day. Satan’s power is temporary and will end—in
fact, he’s almost out of time. God’s power is absolute and endless. Satan uses his power to destroy and damn;
God uses His power to bless, sanctify, and exalt. Satan’s arrogance blinds him; God is all
seeing and all knowing. Satan abandons those he spiritually maims,
whereas God has promised to make all of His faithful children “joint-heirs with Christ." There is only one thing the power of God and
the power of Satan have in common: Neither can influence us unless we allow them to. The devil can’t make us do anything. Said the Prophet Joseph: “Satan cannot seduce
us by his enticements unless we in our hearts consent and yield." On the other hand, although God could manipulate
us, He never has and never will. We “are free to choose . . . eternal life,
through the great Mediator of all men, or to choose captivity and death, according to
the . . . power of the devil." In short, the kind of power operating and influencing our
lives is entirely up to us. If God wants a powerful people who can withstand
the wiles of the devil—and He does—and if we were born to lead in these latter days—and
we were—then we need to understand how God makes His power available to us and how we
gain access to that power. Let’s review five ways God makes His power
available. Number one: there is power in the word of God. Alma and the sons of Mosiah learned that the
preaching of the word—meaning the gospel of Jesus Christ—has a “more powerful effect
upon the minds of the people than . . . anything else." There is power in the word to heal our wounded
souls, to help us overcome temptation), to prompt us to repent, to humble us, to help
us overcome the natural man, to bring about a mighty change in our hearts, and to lead
us to Christ. President Boyd K. Packer taught: "True doctrine,
understood, changes attitudes and behavior. The study of the doctrines of the gospel will
improve behavior quicker than a study of behavior will improve behavior." In other words, the word of God can transform
us. I have a lifelong friend whose teenage tampering
with pornography evolved into a deadly addiction, and for years it has ruled him and ravaged
his marriage. Frankly, I had lost hope that he would ever
really change. And then, a year ago, a remarkable sequence
of events began to unfold. He began to study the scriptures for the first
time since his mission. The word of God pierced his heart, and he
knew he had to repent—which involved heart-wrenching confessions and subsequent excommunication. Now he is working his way back by immersing
himself in the gospel as never before. He wrote me this recently: "It was when I
began to study the gospel that I realized I had been under Satan’s power for years. When I finally got on my knees, pleaded for
help to change, and surrendered my sins to the Lord, my world turned upside down. This past year has been a crash course in
the ways of God and His Son. It has been the most difficult but wonderful
year of my life. I wish I could tell everyone who is in a situation
like I was to not be afraid to surrender to the Lord. They will find joy like never before in His
Atonement. They will feel the Father wrap His arms around
them. They will discover there is power in the gospel
to really change." Some may be skeptical about this man’s transformation,
believing that “once addicted, always addicted.” But that is just not true. The gospel has the power to cleanse and make
new, because the word “is quick and powerful,” it “divide[s] asunder all the cunning . . . of
the devil,” and it “lead[s] the man of Christ” home. The Atonement is real. My friend is evidence of that. His great change is the change that comes
with conversion. Do you know what we believe? Do you know there is power in the doctrine
of Christ to change and overcome weakness? Do you realize that the scriptures contain
the answer to every life dilemma? A casual understanding of the gospel will
not sustain you through the days ahead, which is why it is imperative that you immerse yourself
in the word of God. This spring I spent two weeks at the United
Nations as a White House delegate to an international commission. As I listened to women from around the world
debate complex social problems, I didn’t hear them raise one issue that couldn’t
be solved by living the gospel. Not one. There is power in the word of God. Number two: there is power in the gift of the Holy Ghost. The gift of the Holy Ghost is a gift of power. The Holy Ghost inspires and heals, guides
and warns, enhances our natural capacities, inspires charity and humility, makes us smarter
than we are, strengthens us during trials, testifies of the Father and the Son, and shows
us “all things” that we should do. No wonder President Hinckley has said: “There
is no greater blessing that can come into our lives than . . . the companionship of
the Holy Spirit." Because the Holy Ghost will show us everything
we should do, it only makes sense to learn how He communicates—or to learn the language
of revelation. Our challenge is not getting the Lord to speak
to us; our challenge is understanding what He has to say. I remember a time when I was desperate for
guidance on a crucial decision. I had fasted and prayed and been to the temple many times,
but the answer was not clear to me. In frustration I told a friend that I just
could not get an answer. He responded, simply: “Have you ever asked the
Lord to teach you how He communicates with you?” I hadn’t, but I began to pray daily that
He would. Not long thereafter, while reading about Nephi
building the ship of his, I couldn’t help but notice how clearly he understood the Lord’s instructions. With that, I began to hunt for scriptural
evidences of direct communication between God and man. At each one I made a little red x in the margin
of my scriptures. Now, many years later, my scriptures are littered
with little red x’s, each an indication that the Lord does communicate with His people—and
often. The scriptures are the handbook for the language
of revelation. They are our personal Liahona. If you will regularly immerse yourself in
the scriptures, you’ll get clearer, more frequent answers to your prayers. Learning this language takes a little time. Takes a lot of time. As a young captain charged with leading the
Nephite armies, Moroni sent messengers to the prophet Alma, asking him to inquire of
the Lord where the armies should go. But in time Moroni received inspiration for
his stewardship himself, for he became “a man of a perfect understanding”—suggesting
that he learned to speak the language of revelation, perhaps even perfectly. What a gift to have access to a pure source
of information, a source devoid of flattery or spin-doctoring, “for the Spirit speaketh
the truth and lieth not." The Lord will teach us directly as much truth
as we are worthy and willing to learn. For as Elder Bruce R. McConkie taught, “There
is no limit to the revelations [we] may receive." Having the Holy Ghost as our constant guide
and protector is essential to latter-day leadership, for the gift of the Holy Ghost is a gift of
power. Number three: there is power in the priesthood. By very definition, priesthood power is the power
and authority of God delegated to men on earth. Those who hold the priesthood have the right
to say what the Lord would say if He were here. Whatever they bind on earth is bound in heaven. Because the priesthood was restored, we have
access to ordinances: baptism and confirmation, sealings and healings and blessings, miracles,
and the ministering of angels. Indeed, “the keys of all the spiritual blessings
of the church” are available through the power and authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood. There is power in ordinances. All who are baptized and receive the Holy
Ghost are eligible to speak the words of Christ and qualify for eternal life. Those who are endowed with power in the house
of the Lord need never face the adversary alone. Couples worthy to be sealed at an altar in
that holy house are gifted with power. The power of the priesthood heals, protects,
and inoculates every righteous man and woman against the powers of darkness. I will never forget an experience in Cali,
Colombia. After a long evening of meetings, the presiding
officer asked the congregation to remain seated while we departed. But upon the final “amen,” several dozen
priesthood leaders jumped to their feet and formed two lines, creating a pathway from
the chapel outside to a waiting van. As we walked through this sheltered passageway,
where priesthood leaders symbolized priesthood power, I was deeply moved by the metaphor. It is the power of the priesthood that marks,
clears, and protects the path leading to eternal life. Priesthood power safeguards us from the world,
binds heaven and earth, subdues the adversary, blesses and heals, and enables us to triumph
over mortality. Every ordinance of the Melchizedek Priesthood
helps prepare us to live in the presence of God. I am deeply grateful that the priesthood has been restored to the earth, and I am deeply grateful for the privilege and the gift of having full access to this power, which when used righteously
is the only true power on earth. Number four: there is power in the house of the Lord. It is precisely because of priesthood power—the
fulness of which is available only in the temple—that we may be endowed with power
in the house of the Lord. The Prophet Joseph Smith made this clear at
the Kirtland Temple dedication, when he prayed “that thy servants may go forth from this
house armed with thy power." For years now I have attended the temple frequently. It is a place of refuge and revelation. I could never have handled the pressures of
recent years without regular time there. This past year, however, a head-banging, hand-wringing
challenge has driven me to attend even more. There have been weeks when the only peace
I felt was in the temple. Even still, about six months ago, I was reading in the scriptures, and nine words
from 1 Nephi leapt off the page: “And I, Nephi, did go into the mount oft” (1 Nephi
18:3). Instantly I knew I needed to spend even more
time in the temple. So I have. The results, frankly, haven't been quite what I expected. I expected miraculous solutions to my problems. While I have received help with the challenge that I referred to earlier, it seems that the Lord simply needed me to be in the temple more where it
is easier to learn certain things. That was apparently Nephi’s experience as
well, for as he went “into the mount oft,” the Lord “showed unto [him] great things”—undoubtedly
great things of the Spirit. In the temple we learn how to deal with Satan,
how to live in the world without letting it stain us, how to fulfill our foreordained
missions, and how to come into the presence of God. The best place to learn about the temple is
in the temple. Our kept covenants will eventually save us. And that is power! Number five: there is power in the atonement of Jesus Christ. Until I was in my thirties, I thought the
Atonement was basically for sinners— meaning it allowed all of us to repent. But then I suffered a heartbreaking personal
loss and began to learn that there was so much more to this sublime doctrine. My solution initially to my heartbreak was
to exercise so much faith that the Lord would have to give me what I wanted—and what I wanted was a husband. Believe me, if fasting and prayer and temple
attendance automatically resulted in a husband, I would have one. Well, the Lord hasn’t even yet given me
a husband; but He did heal my heart from that heartbreak. And in doing so, He taught me that He not
only paid the price for sin but He compensated for all of the pain we experience in life. He taught me that because of His Atonement,
we have access to His grace, or enabling power—power that frees us from sin; power to be healed
emotionally, physically, and spiritually; power to “loose the bands of death” ; power
to turn weakness into strength; and power to receive salvation through faith on His
name. It is because of the Atonement that, if we
build our foundation on Christ, the devil can have no power over us. There is power in God the Father and His Son
Jesus Christ—power that we may access through the word, the Holy Ghost, through the priesthood,
and the ordinances of the holy temple. So, what then must we do to access this power? May I suggest three things? Number one, have faith. Faith is the first principle of the gospel
because faith is a principle of power that influences, to at least some degree, the Lord’s
intervention in our lives. By faith Noah built an ark and saved his posterity,
Sara gave birth “when she was past age” (Hebrews 11:11), Moses parted the Red Sea,
Alma and Amulek were delivered from captivity, and the sons of Helaman were miraculously
preserved. “So great was the faith of [the previously
insecure] Enoch that . . . he spake the word of the Lord, and the earth trembled, and the
mountains fled” (Moses 7:13). So great was the faith of the 14-year-old
Joseph Smith that when he went into a grove of trees and asked “in faith, nothing wavering”
(James 1:6), the Father and the Son appeared, ushering in the Restoration. Faith is a principle of power, which explains
why President Hinckley has repeatedly declared: “If there is any one thing you and I need
in this world it is faith” (“God Shall Our prophet knows whereof he speaks. Soon after President Hinckley was called to
serve as a counselor to President Spencer W. Kimball, the health of the prophet and
his two other counselors failed, leaving President Hinckley to shoulder the burdens of the presidency
alone. At one point he recorded this: “The responsibility
I carry frightens me. . . . Sometimes I could weep with concern. But there comes the assurance that the Lord
put me here for His purpose, and if I will be humble and seek the direction of the Holy
Spirit, He will use me . . . to accomplish His purposes.” Throughout his life, President Hinckley’s
practice has been to simply go forward with faith. Prophets ancient and modern stand as witnesses
that the Lord will indeed use His matchless power to help us. Surely the brother of Jared’s magnificent transcendent
privilege of seeing the Lord was linked to his expression of faith, remember what he said: "I know, O Lord,
that thou hast all power, and can do whatsoever thou wilt for the benefit of man; therefore
touch these stones. . . O Lord, thou canst do this." In this instance, as in many others, faith
allowed the Lord to do not just what was asked of Him, but much more. Challenges that tax our faith are usually
opportunities to stretch and strengthen our faith by finding out if we really believe
the Lord will help us. If your faith is wobbly, if you’re not sure
the Lord will come to your aid, experiment, put Him to the test: “Even if ye can no
more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you." A great place to start, to build your faith, is in the scriptures. For as Jacob wrote: “We search the prophets,
and we have many revelations . . . ; and having all these witnesses we obtain a hope, and
our faith becometh unshaken". Unshaken faith activates the power of God
in our lives, “for he worketh by power, according to the faith of the children of
men." The second thing we can do to increase our access to godly
power is to repent and obey. Faith in Jesus Christ leads us to repent—or
turn away from sins that hold us spiritually captive—and to obey with exactness. Great power follows those who repent and obey. Lamoni’s father pledged to “give away”
all his sins to know God. Today I invite you to do the same. What favorite sins, large or small, are you
willing to give away—right now, today— in order to increase your access to the power of God? Repentance is, frankly, just plain smart,
because sin makes you stupid. And it costs a lot too. Stupid meaning deaf, dumb, and blind to the ways
of the Lord. Stupid because habitual sin drives the Spirit
away, and leaves you outside the protective influence of the Holy Ghost. Stupid because it makes you incapable of drawing
upon the powers of heaven. Sin costs a lot, too. It can cost time, money, peace of mind, progress,
self-respect, your integrity and virtue, your family, the trust of those you love, and even
your Church membership. Sin is just plain stupid. And the cost is off the charts. So repent now. Repent daily. If you want to be sanctified, if any of us want to be sanctified, repentance is
not optional. Obedience, on the other hand, is a sign of pure brilliance,
and its fruits are endless—one of which is happiness. The only way that I know to be happy is to
live the gospel. It is not possible to sin enough to be happy. It's not possible to buy enough to be happy
or to entertain or indulge yourself enough to be happy. Happiness and joy come only when you are living
up to who you are. King Benjamin clearly understood this when
he admonished us: "Consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments
of God. For . . . they are blessed in all things . . . ; and
if they hold out faithful to the end . . . they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending
happiness." Satan no doubt bristles at this principle,
for happiness is something the ultimate narcissist will never experience. I have yet to meet the man or woman who is
happier because he or she was dishonest or because they were addicted to something or
because they were immoral. The Lord blessed us with covenants that keep
us on the straight and narrow path because this road less traveled is actually the easier
road. It is so much easier to be righteous than
to sin. This summer I was invited to speak on the
subject of the family to a gathering of United Nations diplomats. I agonized over what to say to such a diverse
group. In the end I decided to just share my personal experience. I explained that my parents had taught me
as a child that personal virtue was essential for a happy marriage and family and that in
my youth I had made promises to God that I would live a chaste life. I then acknowledged that I was about to turn
50 and that, though I had not yet married, I had kept my promise. I then said this “It hasn’t always been easy to stay morally clean, but it has been far easier than the alternative. I have never spent one second worrying about
an unwanted pregnancy or disease. I have never had a moment’s anguish because
a man used and then discarded me. And when I do marry, I will do so without
regret. So you see,” I concluded, “I believe a
moral life is actually an easier and a happier life.” I worried about how this sophisticated audience
would respond to a message about virtue and abstinence, but much to my surprise they leapt
to their feet in applause—not because of me but because the Spirit had borne witness
of the truth of that message and that doctrine. The happiest people I know are those who repent
regularly and obey. They have increased access to the power
of God. The third we can do to increase the power of God in our
lives we must diligently seek. There is perhaps no more frequent invitation
or reassuring promise in all of scripture than this one: “Seek me diligently and ye
shall find me; ask, and ye shall receive; knock, and it shall be opened unto you." Notice that God never said, “Seek me a zillion
times. Beg again and again and, maybe, just maybe,
if you’re lucky, I’ll help you a little bit.” To the contrary, the two greatest of all beings
are ever ready to help us—no call waiting, no voice mail. Most of the revelations received by the Prophet
Joseph Smith came after diligent and intense seeking, including this magnificent promise: "I, the
Lord, . . . delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness. . . . Great shall be their reward and eternal
shall be their glory. And to them will I reveal all mysteries. . . . And their wisdom shall be great, and
their understanding reach to heaven. . . . For . . . by my power will I make known
unto them the secrets of my will." Clearly there is no limit to what the Lord
is willing to teach and give us. The question, then, for you and me is, How
much power do we want to have, and what are we willing to do to obtain it? Heber C. Kimball said: "The greatest torment
[the Prophet Joseph] had . . . was because this people would not live up to their [spiritual]
privileges. . . . He said . . . he felt . . . as though
he were pent up in an acorn shell, and all because the people . . . would not prepare
themselves to receive the rich treasures of knowledge that he had to impart. He could have revealed a great many things
to us if we had been ready." Spiritual privileges that call forth the powers
of heaven are available to all who diligently seek them. For God wants a powerful people; but, again, how
much power we learn to access is up to each each of us. The question, then, is: Will you diligently
seek? Listen to this classic passage from Alma:
“Whosoever will come may come and partake of the waters of life freely; and whosoever
will not come the same is not compelled to come." Notice that this passage doesn’t say that
just the popular ones or the smart ones on full scholarship or the ones who got married
at 21 may come. It says “whosoever will”—meaning it
is our choice. Those of you who served missions were not instructed to ask investigators, “Would you like to come to Church? Would you like to be baptized?” You were instructed to ask, “Will you come? Will you be baptized?” So today I ask, “Will you increase and exercise your
faith? Will you repent and obey? Will you diligently seek? Will you learn to access the power of God
so that you can live up to the heavenly recommendation that placed you here now? Will you do what you were born to do?” In his last major address as prime minister,
and while World War II still raged in the Pacific, Winston Churchill said this to his
countrymen: "I told you hard things at the beginning of [this war]; you did not shrink,
and I should be unworthy of your confidence . . . if I did not still cry: Forward, unflinching,
unswerving, indomitable, till the whole task is done and the whole world is safe and clean." Well, I told you some hard things at the beginning of this message. But I’ve also brought reassurance that if
you will learn to draw upon the power of God, you will not shrink. You will go forward—“unflinching, unswerving,
indomitable”—making the world safer and cleaner until you’ve done everything you
were born to do. For you were born to lead. You were born to help build the kingdom of God. You were born for glory. Everything you do in life should be measured
against that grand standard. President Hinckley said it this
way "Stand strong. . . . You can be a leader. You must be a leader, in those causes for which this Church stands. . . . The adversary of all truth would put
into your heart a reluctance to make an effort. Cast that fear aside and be valiant in the
cause of truth and righteousness." My dear young friends, these
are our days, they are days in which a true leader wants to live. These are days when opportunities to change
lives and even destinies are nearly endless. You are running the anchor leg of the relay
because you were born to lead. You were born for glory. In conclusion, in the words of Moroni, "I
would commend you to seek this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have written" so
that you come to experience for yourself the power in Jesus Christ to strengthen you, to sanctify
you, and to help you run this leg of the relay. Don’t ever underestimate the power of Jesus
Christ to help you. Isaiah said it this way: "Hast thou not known? hast thou not heard, that the everlasting
God, the Lord, the Creator of the ends of the earth, fainteth not, neither is weary? . . . He giveth power to the faint; and to
them that have no might he increaseth strength. . . .
. . . They that wait upon the Lord shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings
as eagles; they shall run, and not be weary; and they shall walk, and not faint." I have learned for myself that this is true—that
because of our Father and His Son, we don’t have to run this last strenuous leg of the
relay alone. We have access to the greatest and grandest
of all power. And when we have the power of God with us,
we truly can do all things—including everything we were born to do. For we were born to lead. We were born for glory. In the sacred and holy name of Jesus Christ,
amen.
Happy Vision To Focus On 2020 Daily By The View Of LDS!