King Benjamin urged his people to “consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God.” He affirmed that “they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness” (Mosiah 2:41).
Prophets elevate our vision and make us aware of blessings which are available to us.
In July 1830, just three months after the organization of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, Joseph Smith received a revelation on behalf of his wife, Emma. In this revelation, the Lord called her a daughter in His kingdom and an “elect lady.” (See Doctrine and Covenants 25:1, 3.) He called her to preach the gospel and to organize the first hymnbook for the church. (See Doctrine and Covenants 25:7-8, 11-12.) He promised her that if she would keep His commandments, she would receive “a crown of righteousness” (Doctrine and Covenants 25:15).
In October 2019, President Russell M. Nelson invited all women in the church to “study prayerfully section 25 of the Doctrine and Covenants and discover what the Holy Ghost will teach you.” He said, “I can tell you…that accessing the power of God in your life requires the same things that the Lord instructed Emma and each of you to do.” He specifically highlighted two admonitions from Emma’s revelation: the importance of “[laying] aside the things of this world” and “[cleaving] unto [your] covenants” (“Spiritual Treasures,” General Conference, October 2019).
This invitation was inspiring and empowering for Sister Joy D. Jones, who was serving at the time as the Primary General President. The following April, after quoting from President Nelson’s talk, she confided, “My personal admission today is that as a woman I didn’t realize, earlier in my life, that I had access, through my covenants, to the power of the priesthood” (“An Especially Noble Calling,” General Conference, April 2020).
Last October, Sister Emily Belle Freeman spoke about her own journey of acting upon President Nelson’s invitation. She said, “Accepting that invitation changed my life.” She related her experience of visualizing 26-year-old Emma when she received this revelation and thinking about how it empowered her and helped her find her place in this new church. She spoke about how that revelation defines a process of progression in her life, which would eventually lead to her sanctification. “This is what it looks like for God’s power to work within us,” Sister Freeman said. (See “Live Up to Your Privileges,” General Conference, October 2024.)
Today, I will be grateful for prophetic invitations, which broaden our perspective and help us see the blessings that are available to us. I will follow the examples of Sister Jones and Sister Freeman by accepting and acting upon invitations from our prophet, with faith that those invitations will increase my understanding and change my life.
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