This simple way of gathering helps Relief Society sisters find real connection

If I were teaching this lesson, I might begin by pouring water into several different shaped containers and asking class members to comment on what we can learn from that activity about the qualities of water. Someone will probably say that water takes the shape of its environment. If you then ask for words that describe water, you might get words like these: flimsy, unsound, mercurial, capricious, changeable, wobbly, fickle, erratic, unreliable, undependable, vacillating, untrustworthy, variable, mutable, impermanent, unsteady, uncertain, transitory, ephemeral, inconsistent, precarious, and unstable. I am amazed at how many words the English language has to describe this rather undesirable characteristic. But this lesson will require us to think about them because we are going to talk about three people who were much like water (one was even compared to water), and one young man who was as unlike water as it is possible to be.

"Who, in seeking the counsel of the brethren, has put their money where their mouth is about who's a prophet?" Elder Holland said. "If we ask for their opinion, are we willing to take it? That's a magnificent quality in my mind. One that I've seen repeatedly in the childlike humility and simplicity of Russell Nelson's faith. . . . He's that humble, he's that childlike, at every level and in virtually every other human relationship that I've seen him in. He's just that pure. He's just that simple in his faith."

At 10 a.m. on Tuesday, President Russell M. Nelson answered questions from the media at his first press conference as the prophet of the Church. Along with his newly appointed counselors—President Dallin H. Oaks and President Henry B. Eyring—President Nelson answered questions from local media outlets in Salt Lake City as well as from reporters calling from as far away as Brazil.

“You will look back on this cherished and exciting adventure of mortality, and you will understand,” Elder Uchtdorf said. “You will see that the dots really did connect into a beautiful pattern, more sublime than you ever could have imagined. With unspeakable gratitude, you will see that God himself, in his abounding love, grace and compassion, was always there watching over you, blessing you and guiding your steps as you walked toward him.”

President Russell M. Nelson’s life has been one full of genius, service, compassion, accomplishment, and even heartbreak.

Tuesday morning, Elder D. Todd Christofferson conducted a broadcast from the annex of the Salt Lake Temple introducing our new prophet, President Russell M. Nelson, as well as the new counselors in the First Presidency.

"Four days ago we laid to rest a giant of a man, a prophet of God, Thomas S. Monson," President Russell M. Nelson began his first address as the 17th prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. In this unprecedented broadcast, President Nelson spoke from the annex of the Salt Lake Temple, paying tribute to President Thomas S. Monson.

“Those of you who are single, divorced, or live in challenging family circumstances, please know that God knows and loves you, and when you stay true to your covenants, the joy of family life will not be shortened or kept from you,” Sister Uchtdorf said at a worldwide devotional for young adults. “I do not know exactly how this will be, but I do know that the Lord’s grace, mercy, and love is sufficient for all of us. He will make it happen according to His way and His time.”

We often try to spiritually ground ourselves with daily prayer and scripture study. However, our commitment to these practices is sometimes irregular at best. During prayer, it’s natural for our minds to wander; when reading the scriptures, our attention often drifts to what we’re going to do next. Not surprisingly, it’s easy to feel spiritually empty and apathetic.