My Prophet

A couple of years ago my mother-in-law Amy told me about a lesson she taught at church where she asked the class members: who is YOUR prophet? She wanted to hear which prophet had made an impact on each individual and why. I have thought about that a lot. I have directly seen and learned from three prophets so far in my life: Gordon B. Hinckley, Thomas S. Monson and Russell M. Nelson. Each of them have impacted me in so many ways. I remember when President Hinckley passed away when I was in elementary school and when President Monson died while I was on my mission. I remember feeling so sad and thinking how each new prophet would have some big shoes to fill. And yet somehow each of them filled those shoes with their own style and charisma yet with the same priesthood authority and power of God. Though each of these men have impacted my testimony and perspective deeply, I think our current prophet Russell M. Nelson is MY prophet. I feel like when I watch him speak at General Conference he looks straight into my eyes and speaks to me in a way I haven't experienced before. I truly love and revere President Nelson. I know he is a prophet and called of God.

I made it a goal to listen to each of his talks from the time he became an apostle until now. 

I wanted to compile the list of his talks as well as one quote that stuck out to me from each of the 111 addresses (and counting) he has given in General Conference. 

• April 1984 Call to the Holy Apostleship: "Today, I reaffirm that promise, to give all I have to the building of the kingdom of God on the earth. In accepting this call, knowing that challenges, charges and keys will be conferred and that buffetings will likewise come, I commit my effort, my energy and my all."
• October 1984 Protect the Spiritual Power Line: "We must gain learning, but we must apply it wisely. Otherwise we have politics without principle, industry without morality, knowledge without wisdom, science without humanity!"
• April 1985 Reverence for Life: "Yes life is precious! No one can cuddle a cherished newborn baby, looking into those beautiful eyes, feel the little fingers, and caress that miraculous creation without deepening reverence for life and for our Creator."
• October 1985 Self-Mastery: "We develop self-mastery as we become like Him."
• April 1986 In the Lord's Own Way: "To care fully for the poor, we must help the poor to change. As they are taught and abide doctrines of Deity, spiritual strength will come that enlightens the mind and liberates the soul from the yoke of bondage. When people of the earth accept the gospel of Christ, their attitudes change. Their understanding and capabilities increase."
• October 1986 "Joy Cometh in the Morning": "I did not fully appreciate the significance of prayerful greetings until I became a father myself. I am so grateful that our children never gave their mother or dad the silent treatment. Now I sense how our Heavenly Father may appreciate our prayers, morning, and night. But I can imagine the pangs of His sorrow because of silence from any of his children. To me such ingratitude seems comparable to sullen goldfish oblivious to kind providers who sprinkle food in their bowl"
• April 1987 Life After Life: "Gratefully and positively, I affirm that there is life after life, first in the spirit world and then in the Resurrection, for each and every one of us. I know that God lives and that Jesus the Christ is His Son. He is the "resurrection and the life" He lives. He is my Master. I am His servant. With all my heart I love Him and I testify of Him."
• October 1987 Lessons from Eve: "Eve bore the responsibilities of motherhood. She did not shirk them. So with welcome arms you may gratefully greet those children God may send, through your divine design as cocreator... You will gain joy and rejoicing in your posterity. That enrichment becomes more beautiful with each passing year."
• April 1987 Keys of the Priesthood: "Hosanna to His holy name-- our fathers' God is still the same."
• April 1988 "With God Nothing Shall Be Impossible": "How is it possible to achieve the 'impossible?' Learn and obey the teachings of God. From the holy scriptures, heaven-sent lift will be found for heaven-sent duties."
• October 1988 Addiction or Freedom: "Healing doesn't come after the first dose of any medicine. So the prescription must be followed firmly, bearing in mind that it often takes as long to recover as it did to become ill. But if made consistently and persistently correct choices can cure."
• April 1989 The Canker of Contention: "How divisive is the force of dissension! Small acts can lead to great consequences. Regardless of position or situation, no one can safely assume immunity to contention's terrible toll."
• October 1989 Woman-- Of Infinite Worth": "Her self-esteem cannot be based on physical features, possession or lack of a particular talent, or comparative quantities of anything. Her self-esteem is earned by individual righteousness and a close relationship with God. Her outward glow is generated by goodness within. And her patience is much more apparent than any imperfection."
• April 1990 "Thus Shall My Church Be Called": Despite its use in ninety-eight verses of the Bible the term saint is still not well understood. Some mistakenly think it implies beatification or perfection. Not so! A saint is a believer of Christ and knows of His perfect love. The giving saint shares in a true spirit of that love, and the receiving saint accepts in a true spirit of gratitude. A saint serves others, knowing that the more one serves, the greater the opportunity for the Spirit to sanctify and purify."
• October 1990 Choices: "As you continue to face many challenging choices in life, remember there is great protection when you know who you are, why you are here, and where you are going. Let your unique identity shape each decision you make on the path toward your eternal destiny."
• April 1991 Listen to Learn: "The time to listen is when someone needs to be heard."
• October 1991 "These... Were Our Examples": "Have you not learned that strength comes to an ordinary soul when given an extraordinary calling?"
• April 1992 Doors of Death: "We can't fully appreciate joyful reunions later without tearful separations now. The only way to take sorrow out of death is to take love out of life."
• October 1992 Where Is Wisdom?: "Paul's warnings describe apostasy and other dangers of our day. Some of the perils are contrary to God's purposes and are championed by persuasive people possessing more ability than morality, more knowledge than wisdom. Their rationalization breeds justification... Indeed, individuals with malignity of purpose often wear the mask of honesty. So we must constantly be on guard."
• April 1993 Honoring the Priesthood: "Honoring the priesthood fosters respect, respect promotes reverence and reverence invites revelation."
• October 1993 Combatting Spiritual Drift-- Our Global Pandemic: "Human nature cannot be changed by reforming public policy; that kind of change comes by exposing the human mind and heart to the transforming teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ."
• October 1993 Constancy Amid Change: "Satan's band would trumpet choice, but mute accountability. Nevertheless, his capacity has long been limited, "for he knew not the mind of God. (Moses 4:6)."
• April 1994 "Teach Us Tolerance and Love": "Cannot boundary lines exist without becoming battle lines? Could not people unite in waging war against the evils that beset mankind instead of waging war on each other?"
• October 1994 The Spirit of Elijah: "Service in the temple together is a sublime activity for a family. It provides its own sustaining motivation and verification of the truth of this unique work."
• April 1995 Children of the Covenant: "The term peculiar as used in the scriptures is quite different. In the Old Testament the Hebrew term from which peculiar was translated is segullah which means "valued property," or "treasure." For us to be identified by servants of the Lord as his peculiar people is a compliment of the highest order."
• October 1995 Perfection Pending: "We all need to remember men are that they might have joy- not guilt trips!"
• April 1996 "Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods": "Trees reach up for the light and grow in the process. So do we as sons and daughters of heavenly parents."
• October 1996 The Atonement: "The purposes of the Creation, the Fall, and the Atonement all converge on the sacred work done in temples of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. The earth was created and the Church restored to make possible the sealing of wife to husband, children to parents, families to progenitors, worlds without end."
• April 1997 Endure and Be Lifted Up: "Whatever your work may be, endure at the beginning, endure through opposing forces along the way, and endure to the end. Any job must be completed before you can enjoy the result for which you are working."
• October 1997 Spiritual Capacity: "Brothers and sisters, the spirit that dwells within each of us can be enriched with enthusiasm and enlightened by the Almighty."
• April 1998 A New Harvest Time: "Family love is wonderful. Nothing is as specific as the love of a baby for its mother. Nothing is as predictable as the love of children for their parents or the love of parents for their children."
• October 1998 We Are Children of God: "We are dual beings. Each soul is comprised of body and spirit, both which emanate from God. A firm understanding of body and spirit will shape our thoughts and deeds for good."
• April 1999 Our Sacred Duty to Honor Women: "The home is the great laboratory of love. There the raw chemicals of selfishness and greed are melded in the crucible of cooperation to yield compassionate concern and love for another."
• October 1999 A Testimony of the Book of Mormon: "This book can help with personal problems in a very real way. Do you want to get rid of a bad habit? Do you want to improve relationships in your family? Do you want to increase your spiritual capacity? Read the Book of Mormon! It will bring you closer to the Lord and His loving power."
• April 2000 The Creation: "We are to be creators in our own right- builders of an individual faith in God, faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, and faith in His Church. We are to build families and be sealed in holy temples. We are to build the Church and kingdom of God upon the earth. We are to prepare for our own divine destiny - glory, immortality, and eternal lives."
• October 2000 Living by Scriptural Guidance: "We marvel at computers and the Internet that enable transmission of data with remarkable speed. We are truly grateful for these electronic servants. But if we let them take over our time, pervert our potential, or poison our minds with pornography, they cease being servants and become instead false gods."
• April 2001 Personal Preparation for Temple Blessings: "Every activity, every lesson, all we do in the Church, point to the Lord and His holy house. Our efforts to proclaim the gospel, perfect the Saints, and redeem the dead all lead to the temple."
• October 2001 "Set in Order Thy House": "Parents soon learn that each child has an inborn yearning to be free. Each individual wants to make his or her own way. No one wants to be restrained, even by a well-intentioned parent. But all of us can cling to the Lord."
• April 2002 How Firm Our Foundation: "These unseen but sure pillars were in place before the world was. They undergird the everlasting gospel-now restored in its fulness. With such a foundation this Church will not be moved from its place, even through the Millennium."
• October 2002 "Blessed Are the Peacemakers": "Because of the long history of hostility upon the earth, many feel that peace is beyond hope. I disagree. Peace is possible. We can learn to love our fellow human beings throughout the world."
• April 2003 Sweet Power of Prayer: "Through prayer, we can show our love for God. And He has made it so easy. We may pray to Him any time. No special equipment is needed. We don't even have to charge batteries or pay a monthly service fee."
• October 2003 Personal Priesthood Responsibility: "You cannot exercise agency and escape accountability and responsibility for each choice."
• April 2004 Roots and Branches: "Have these dear people become so fashionable that they have forgotten their roots?... Oblivious to the roots that have blessed them, they no longer enjoy the spiritual sparkle of Saints engaged in the work of Almighty God."
• October 2004 Senior Missionaries and the Gospel: "All of us can emulate the Lord's example regardless of age, status or location."
• April 2005 Now is the Time to Prepare: "Brothers and sisters, we live to die and we die to live - in another realm. If we are well prepared, death brings no terror. From an eternal perspective, death is premature only for those who are not prepared to meet God."
• October 2005 Jesus Christ - The Master Healer: "Thanks to Him no condition is hopeless. Thanks to Him brighter days are ahead both here and hereafter.  Real joy awaits each of us - on the other side of sorrow."
• April 2006 Nurturing Marriage: "Above all, do not be selfish! Generate a spirit of selflessness and generosity. Celebrate and commemorate each day together as a treasured gift from heaven."
• October 2006 The Gathering of Scattered Israel: "Zion is wherever righteous Saints are. Spiritual security will always depend on how one lives, not where one lives." 
• April 2007 Repentance and Conversion: "Jesus wants me for a sunbeam? Yes! And you too! He also wants us as bonding blacksmiths - creating celestial welding links - to curb the curse of family fragmentation. Many, if not most of us could repent and be converted to more temple and family history work for our ancestors. Thus, our repentance is necessary for their repentance."
• October 2007 Scriptural Witnesses: "Love for the Book of Mormon expands one's love for the Bible and vice versa. Scriptures of the Restoration do not compete with the Bible; they complement the Bible."
• April 2008 Salvation and Exaltation: "In God's eternal plan, salvation is an individual matter; exaltation is a family matter."
  
• October 2008 Celestial Marriage: "Harmony in marriage comes only when one esteems the welfare of his or her spouse among the highest of priorities. When that really happens, a celestial marriage becomes a reality, bringing great joy in this life and in the life to come."
• April 2009 Lesson's from the Lord's Prayers: "The Master simply wants us to pray for God's help while we strive constantly to resist evil and live righteously."
• October 2009 Ask, Seek, Knock: "To access information from heaven, one must first have a firm faith and a deep desire. One needs to "ask with a sincere heart and real intent, having faith in Jesus Christ." Real intent means that one really intends to follow the divine direction given."
• April 2010 Generations Linked in Love: "Every human being who comes to this earth is the product of generations of parents. We  have a natural yearning to connect with our ancestors. This desire dwells in our hearts, regardless of age."
• October 2010 Be Thou an Example of the Believers: "Members and full-time missionaries may walk arm in arm in bringing the blessings of the gospel to cherished friends and neighbors. Many of htem are of Israel, no being gathered as promised. This is all part of the preparation for the Second Coming of the Lord. He wants each of us truly to be an example of the believers."
• April 2011 Face the Future with Faith: "And remember, God's holy angels are ever on call to help us. The Lord so declared: "I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up." What a promise! When we are faithful, He and His angels will help us."
• October 2011 Covenants: "When we realize that we are children of the covenant, we know who we are and what God expects of us. His law is written in our hearts. He is our God and we are His people. Committed children of the covenant remain steadfast, even in the midst of adversity. when that doctrine is deeply implanted in our hearts, even the sting of death is soothed and our spiritual stamina is strengthened."
• April 2012 Thanks Be to God: "The family is the most important social unit in time and in eternity. Under God's great plan of happiness, families can be sealed in temples and be prepared to return to dwell in His holy presence forever. That is eternal life! It fulfills the deepest longings of the human soul - the natural yearning for endless association with beloved members of one's family."
• October 2012 Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!: "The decision to serve a mission will shape the spiritual destiny of the missionary, his or her spouse, and their posterity for generations to come. A desire to serve is a natural outcome of one's conversion, worthiness, and preparation."
• April 2013 Catch the Wave: "Be ready to give an answer to those who ask why you live as you do. Be ready to give a reason for the hope and joy that they see in you." 
• October 2013 Decisions for Eternity: "You are never too young to learn, never too old to change."
• April 2014 Let Your Faith Show: "While we are to emulate our Savior's kindness and compassion, while we are to value the rights and feelings of all God's children, we cannot change His doctrine. It is not ours to change. His doctrine is ours to study, understand, and uphold."
• October 2014 Sustaining the Prophets: "Our sustaining of prophets is a personal commitment that we will do our utmost to uphold their prophetic priorities. Our sustaining is an oath-like indication that we recognize their calling as a prophet to be legitimate and binding upon us."
• April 2015 The Sabbath is a Delight: "No other work transcends that of righteous, intentional parenting! As you teach the gospel, you will learn more. This is the Lord's way of helping you to comprehend His gospel."
• October 2015 A Plea to My Sisters: "Attacks against the Church, its doctrine, and our way of life are going to increase. Because of this, we need women who have a bedrock understanding to teach and help raise a sin-resistant generation. We need women who can detect deception in all of its forms. We need women who know how to access the power that God makes available to covenant keepers and who express their beliefs with confidence and charity. We need women who have the courage and vision of our Mother Eve."
• April 2016 The Price of Priesthood Power: "In these latter days, we know there will be earthquakes in diverse places. Perhaps one of those diverse places will be in our own homes, where emotional, financial or spiritual "earthquakes" may occur. Priesthood power can also calm the minds and heal fractures in the hearts of those we love."
• October 2016 Joy and Spiritual Survival: "As our Savior becomes more and more real to us and as we plead for His joy to be given to use, our joy will increase."
• April 2017 Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives: "There is nothing easy or automatic about becoming such powerful disciples. Our focus must be riveted on the Savior and His gospel. It is mentally rigorous to strive to look unto Him in every though. But when we do, our doubts and fears flee."
• October 2017 The Book of Mormon: What Would Your Life Be Like Without It?: "We need to feel, deep in "the innermost part" of our hearts, that the Book of Mormon is unequivocally the word of God. We must feel it so deeply that we would never want to live even one day without it."
• April 2018 Introductory Remarks: "He wants all of his ordained sons to represent Him, to speak for Him, to act for Him, and to bless the lives of God's children throughout the world, to the end 'that faith also might increase in all the earth.'"
• April 2018 Ministering: "Effective ministering efforts are enabled by the innate gifts of the sisters and by the incomparable power of the priesthood. We all need such protection from the cunning wiles of the adversary."
• April 2018 Ministering with the Power and Authority of God: "Now, may I voice a concern? It is this: Too many of our brothers and sisters do not fully understand the concept of priesthood power and authority. They act as though they would rather satisfy their own selfish desires and appetites than use the power of God to bless His children."
• April 2018 Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives: "Find a quiet place you can regularly go. Humble yourself before God. Pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father. Turn to Him for answers and comfort. Pray in the name of Jesus Christ about your concerns, your fears, your weaknesses-- yes the very longings of your heart. And then listen! Write the thoughts that come to your mind. Record your feelings and follow through with actions that you are prompted to take. As you repeat this process day after day, month after month, year after year, you will "grow into the principle of revelation."
• April 2018 Let Us All Press On: "Construction of these temples may not change your life, but your time in the temple surely will."
• October 2018 Opening Remarks: "We are each responsible for our own individual spiritual growth. And scriptures make it clear that parents have the primary responsibility to teach the doctrine to their children. It is the responsibility of the Church to assist each member in the divinely defined goal of increasing his or her gospel knowledge."
• October 2018 Sisters' Participation in the Gathering of Israel: "My dear sisters we need you! We need your strength, your conversion, your conviction, your ability to lead, your wisdom, and your voices. We simply cannot gather Israel without you."
• October 2018 The Correct Name of the Church: "If we as a people and as individuals are to have access to the power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ - to cleanse and heal us, to strengthen and magnify us, and ultimately to exalt us - we must clearly acknowledge Him as the source of that power. We can begin by calling His Church by the name He decreed."
• October 2018 Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints: "My dear brothers and sisters, the assaults of the adversary are increasing exponentially,  in intensity and variety. Our need to be in the temple on a regular basis has never been greater. I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how you spend your time. Invest time in your future and in that of your family. If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples."
• April 2019 We Can Do Better and Be Better: “Your body is your personal temple, created to house your eternal spirit. Your care of that temple is important.
• April 2019 "Come, Follow Me": “Salvation is an individual matter but exaltation is a family matter.
• April 2019 Closing Remarks: “As we speak of our temples old and new, may each of us signify by our actions that we are true disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ. May we renovate our lives through our faith and trust in Him. May we access the power of His Atonement by our repentance each days and May we dedicate and rededicate our lives to serving God and His children on both sides of the veil.”
• October 2019 Witnesses, Aaronic Priesthood Quorums, and Young Women Classes: “Oh how we love them and pray for them! They are the “hope of Israel Zion’s army children of the promised day” we express our complete confidence in our youth and our gratitude for them."
• October 2019 Spiritual Treasures: “the heavens are just as open to women who are endowed with God’s power flowing from their priesthood covenants as they are to men who bear the priesthood. I pray that truth will register upon each of your hearts because I believe it will change your life. Sisters, you have the right to draw liberally upon the Savior’s power to help your family and others you love.”
• October 2019 The Second Great Commandment: “when we love God with all our hearts, He turns our hearts to the well-being of others in a beautiful, virtuous cycle.”
• October 2019 Closing Remarks: “individual worthiness requires a total conversion of mind and heart to be more like the Lord, to be an honest citizen, to be a better example and to be a holier person.”
• April 2020 Opening Message: “The Lord has told us that “if ye are prepared ye shall not fear.” Of course, we can store our own reserves of food, water, and savings. But equally crucial is our need to fill our personal spiritual storehouses with faith, truth and testimony.”
• April 2020 Opening the Heavens for Help: “This is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He stands at its head and directs all that we do. I know that He will respond to the pleadings of His people. I so testify in the sacred name of Jesus Christ, amen.”
• April 2020 Hear Him: “Our Father knows that when we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear, what will help us the very most is to hear His Son.”
• April 2020 Hosanna Shout: “It is a sacred tribute to the Father and the Son, symbolizing the reaction of the multitude when the Savior made His triumphal entry into Jerusalem. It also reaffirms what young Joseph experienced that day in the Sacred Grove — namely, that the Father and the Son are two glorified Beings, whom we worship and praise.”
• April 2020 Go Forward in Faith: "We pray that you will begin anew truly to hear, hearken to and heed the words of the Savior. I promise that decreased fear and increased faith will follow."
• October 2020 Moving Forward: "We are here on earth to be tested, to se if we will choose to follow Jesus Christ, to repent regularly, to learn, and to progress. Our spirits long to progress. And we do that best by staying firmly on the covenant path."
• October 2020 Embrace the Future with Faith: "How are we to deal with both the somber prophecies and the glorious pronouncements about our day? The  Lord told us how with simple, but stunning, reassurance: "If ye are prepared ye shall not fear." What a promise! It is one that can literally change the way we see our future."
• October 2020 Let God Prevail: "Anytime we do anything that helps anyone -- on either side of the veil -- to make and keep their covenants with God, we are helping to gather Israel."
• October 2020 A New Normal: "Embrace your new normal by repenting daily. Seek to be increasingly pure in thought, word, and deed. Minister to others. Keep an eternal perspective. Magnify your callings. And whatever your challenges, my dear brothers and sisters, live each day so that you are more prepared to meet your Maker."
• April 2021 Welcome Message: "The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of repentance. Because of the Savior's Atonement, His gospel provides an invitation to keep changing, growing, and becoming more pure. It is a gospel of hope, of healing and of progress. Thus, the gospel is a message of joy! Our spirits rejoice with every small step forward we take."
• April 2021 What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget: "Between now and the time the Lord comes again, we all need our homes to be places of serenity and security... as faith and holiness decrease in this fallen world, your need for holy places will increase."
• April 2021 Christ is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains: "Truly faith is the power that enables the unlikely to accomplish the impossible."
• April 2021 COVID-19 and Temples: "We pray that God will shower His blessing and watchcare upon each of you. Together we are engaged in His sacred service. With courage, let us all press on in the glorious work of the Lord!."
• October 2021 Pure Truth, Pure Doctrine, and Pure Revelation: "There has never been a time in the history of the world when knowledge of our Savior is more personally vital and relevant to every human soul. Imagine how quickly the devastating conflicts throughout the world and our individual lives would be resolved if we all chose to follow Jesus Christ and heed His teachings."
• October 2021 The Temple and Your Spiritual Foundation: Unprecedented times call for unprecedented measures. My dear brothers and sisters, these are the latter days. If you and I are to withstand the forthcoming perils and pressures, it is imperative that we each have a firm spiritual foundation built upon the rock of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ."
• October 2021 Make Time for the Lord: "There are many things we can control. We set our own priorities and determine how we use our energy, time and means. We decide how we will treat each other. We choose those to whom we will turn for truth and guidance... I plead with you to counter the lure of the world by making time for the Lord in your life -- each and every day."
• April 2022 Preaching the Gospel of Peace: "I love the Lord Jesus Christ and testify that His gospel is the only enduring solution for peace. His gospel is a gospel of peace."
• April 2022 The Power of Spiritual Momentum: "Followers of Jesus Christ should set the example for all the world to follow. I plead with you to do all you can to end personal conflicts that are currently raging in your hearts and your lives."
• April 2022 Now Is The Time: "Now is the time we can learn. Now is the time we can repent. Now is the time we can bless others and "lift up the hands that hang down." As Mormon couselled his son Moroni, "Let us labor diligently;... for we have a labor to perform while in this tabernacle of clay, that we may conquer the enemy of all righteousness, and rest our souls in the kingdom of God." *I will always tear up when I hear him announce the Knoxville, Tennessee temple
• October 2022 What is True?: "Some would have us believe that truth is relative - that each person should determine for himself or herself what is true. Such a belief is but wishful thinking for those who mistakenly think they will not also be accountable to God."
• October 2022 Overcome the World and Find Rest: "In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior's power that the world has ever seen. Between now and the time He returns "with power and great glory, He will bestow countless privileges, blessings, and miracles upon the faithful."
• October 2022 Focus on the Temple: “I promise that increased time in the temple will bless your life in ways nothing else can.” 
• April 2023 Peacemakers Needed: “Contention is a choice. Peacemaking is a choice. You have your agency to choose contention or reconciliation. I urge you to choose to be a peacemaker, now and always.

• April 2023 The Answer Is Always Jesus Christ:  “I plead with you to come unto Him so that He can heal you! He will heal you from sin as you repent. He will heal you from sadness and fear. He will heal you from the wounds of the world.
• October 2024 Think Celestial!: “Mortality is the master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import. Far too many people live as though this life is all there is. However, your choices today will determine three things: where you will live throughout all eternity, the kind of body with which you will be resurrected, and those with whom you will live forever. So, think celestial.”

To wrap up I want to share a few things I learned and patterns I noticed as I went through this exercise. 

President Nelson loves the Lord and His prophets. I was touched each time President Nelson bore a powerful testimony of his knowledge of the reality of our Savior Jesus Christ and his love for the prophet that he was serving under during the time before he himself became a prophet. His testimony of our Savior and the restored gospel is deep and abiding. It is such a comfort to know that he knows who the Savior is, and who he himself is as the Lord's current prophet on the earth today

President Nelson has a deep respect for the Plan of Salvation and the human body. I love that prophets' and apostles' work and life ministries always peek out in the experiences they share and parallels they draw. I noticed that President Nelson often discusses the sacred gift of our physical body in how we should take care of it both spiritually and physically as well as it's key placement in God's plan. We needed a body to come down to earth and experience life and we'll need to lay down that body in a grave in order to return to God's presence one day. President Nelson often spoke of the sacredness of procreation and birth as well as the necessity of death and how it is a misunderstood friend rather than something that should be feared. And of course he talks about hearts all the time. It's been said before that he's touched millions of hearts not just in his profession. I couldn't agree more. My heart is included in that growing number. 

President Nelson preaches repentance with all the confidence that we really can change. Every single talk President Nelson preaches repentance with boldness and love. He highlights areas where we need to do a self-examination and determine to improve. Being the doctor that he is he often "diagnoses" and area of improvement and then provides a prescription on how to complete it. He not only makes me want to change and become better but gives me the confidence that I actually can change and become more like my Savior.

President Nelson understands that the temple is the ultimate destination in this earthly life. It is where we make covenants and then learn more about those covenants as we continue to return and do proxy work for those who have passed on. I loved when he would announce temples and several times would say: "the construction of these temples may not change your life but your time in the temple will." It caused me to make a couple of appointments and go to the temple to put into practice what he preached. 

President Nelson knows how to receive revelation. He even told a story about how he told Wendy (his wife) that he knew how to receive and act upon personal revelation when he was courting her. I am so grateful and admire his confidence in the answers he hears from the Lord. He is the most decisive prophet I have ever seen. More changes and improvements have been introduced in the 7 years since he became prophet and I know that they are inspired by God not man. 

President Nelson has an eternal perspective and one that is filled with seemingly endless optimism. I was particularly touched when I listened to the talks he gave in 2020 and 2021 during the COVID-19 pandemic. His focus was on the future and it was full of faith. I remember clinging to his comforting words during that time and was even more impressed as I relistened to how he always maintained a bright and cheery spirit. President Nelson is someone who reassures and reaffirms that the future can and will be bright. 

Something that made me smile was his repeated use of the analogy that when we cease to pray it is (paraphrasing here) as if we are a goldfish swimming around in our bowl oblivious to who gives us food each day. As silly as the metaphor is the fact that he uses is frequently made me examine my prayers and notice they were more irregular than I would like. I don't want to be a goldfish I want to know my Maker, see His hand and speak to Him in my every day.

The final pattern I noticed was the way I felt when I'd listen to our prophet speak. I always walked away feeling more calm, at peace, filled with a little more hope and a lot more determination to be better. I think that sums up why I love President Nelson and consider him "My Prophet." He comforts me and helps me see myself the way God sees me while also prodding me to become even better. I feel like that is what the Savior does and I am so grateful that President Nelson is His mouthpiece on the earth today. I know he is a prophet called of God to lead and guide the Lord's restored church The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints.