Latter-day Saint Life

3 Invitations President Nelson Gave Latter-day Saints on His Latin America Ministry Tour

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After completing the fourth ministry tour since his call as a prophet, it seems there is no slowing President Nelson down. 

"This work is moving forward at an accelerated pace," President Nelson said. “I can hardly wait to bounce out of bed each morning and see what the day will bring."

And after completing his recent Latin America Ministry Tour, President Nelson shared many invitations with Latter-day Saints that will prepare them for what he says are "the exciting things ahead."

1. "Pour out your hearts to God."

During the Latin America Ministry Tour, President Nelson says he felt "inspired to remind those in attendance about our Father in Heaven’s desire for us to approach Him in prayer."

In an Instagram post, President Nelson shared an invitation to pray often and detailed the blessings that will follow a sincere effort to communicate with our Heavenly Father. 

"Pour out your hearts to God. Remember to pray to Him every morning and night. Pray with your families. Pray in private. Pray to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost. In doing so, He will direct you for good in everything you do." 

View this post on Instagram As I travel through Latin America, I am continually reminded of how God loves His children. During a meeting with members and friends of the Church in Argentina, I felt inspired to remind those in attendance about our Father in Heaven’s desire for us to approach Him in prayer. Pour out your hearts to God. Remember to pray to Him every morning and night. Pray with your families. Pray in private. Pray to our Heavenly Father in the name of Jesus Christ through the power of the Holy Ghost. In doing so, He will direct you for good in everything you do. A post shared by Russell M. Nelson (@russellmnelson) on Aug 29, 2019 at 1:25pm PDT

Sister Wendy Nelson also shared the power prayer can bring into our lives.

► You'll also like:Sister Nelson Shares How to Open the Heavens, President Nelson Shares How to Build a Glorious Afterlife

“The heavens will open when we will persistently pray, ‘Please help me to fill the measure of my creation,’” Sister Nelson said, according to the Church's newsroom. “And the heavens will continue to open as we follow through with every impression that comes to us. It is my testimony that the heavens will open when we are so eager to know the mind and will of the Lord that we are willing to have him bring us something even better, something so much better than our hearts’ desires.”

2. "Study the scriptures as families."

"Exaltation is a family affair!" President Nelson shared on Instagram. "Our families are meant to help us in our individual efforts to become more like Jesus Christ."

And one of the ways President Nelson challenged us to help our families is through family scripture study. 

In his Instagram post, President Nelson asked members to, "Please, study the scriptures as families. Pray together." 

View this post on Instagram We have met with thousands of good and faithful men, women, and children these past few days in Guatemala, Colombia, and Ecuador. In fact, I even had a brief opportunity to help a new friend lead the music as the meeting in Ecuador concluded! We have been blessed by the special spirit that has attended these meetings. We discussed how the development of faith in God is an individual matter of the utmost importance. Repentance is also an individual matter. Only individually can a person be baptized and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. Our families are meant to help us in our individual efforts to become more like Jesus Christ. Thanks to God's great plan of happiness, families can stay together forever. Exaltation is a family affair! Please, study the scriptures as families. Pray together. Renew your baptismal covenants by regularly participating in the sacrament. Pay your tithes with grateful hearts. Attend the temple as often as your circumstances allow. You will be blessed as you seek to follow the Savior as individuals as well as within your families. A post shared by Russell M. Nelson (@russellmnelson) on Aug 27, 2019 at 11:50am PDT

For families who struggle with family scripture study and family home evening, Sister Mary Cook shared, "I don’t want us to get discouraged if it doesn’t work out the way we planned. And sometimes it won’t." She then related a story of her then-3-year-old son, who played the role of Moses, and Elder Cook, who played the role of pharaoh, during family scripture study. "Moses kept saying, ‘Let my people go.’ And he kept hearing, ‘No. No. No.’ He took the law into his own hands. He punched his dad in the nose. We fell apart. But pharaoh let the children of Israel go. And that was the end of family home evening," she said, according to the Church's newsroom

However, Sister Cook shared that the lesson each of us must learn as families is how to persevere through the unexpected and continue to teach our families the "words and way of God," according to the Church's newsroom

In addition to studying the scriptures as families, President Nelson also invited members to "renew your baptismal covenants by regularly participating in the sacrament" and "pay your tithes with grateful hearts."

"You will be blessed as you seek to follow the Savior as individuals as well as within your families," President Nelson shared.

3. "Attend the temple as often as your circumstances allow."

As with past ministry tours, President Nelson urged members to attend the temple "as often as your circumstances allow," according to his Instagram post.

In the October 2018 general conference, President Nelson said:

"My dear brothers and sisters, the assaults of the adversary are increasing exponentially, in intensity and in 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 regularly with the Lord—to be in His holy house—then keep that appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples" (President Nelson, "Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints," October 2018 general conference).

President Nelson said during his Latin America Ministry Tour that there will be more temples announced in the October 2019 general conference, according to the Church's newsroom. 

► You'll also like: Watch: President Nelson Says New Temples, Other Announcements Will Be Made This General Conference

"Nobody has had as much association with temples in my lifetime, and I've said that, as President Nelson," Elder Cook shared. "He has a deep, deep understanding and is willing to do whatever the Lord guides him to do and he is getting the guidance from the Lord." 

Lead image from the Church's newsroom
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