To Heed

One word that is used often in the scriptures is heed.  I like the word because it sounds like a combination of the words hear and deed.  In other words, to heed means both to listen and then to act accordingly; we heed when we hear and perform the deeds required.  The injunction to heed is given in all of the standard works.  In the Law of Moses, Jehovah told His people: "Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons" (Deuteronomy 4:9).  To the man worried about his inheritance the Savior said, "Take heed, and beware of covetousness: for a man’s life consisteth not in the abundance of the things which he possesseth" (Luke 12:15).  In the Pearl of Great Price is recorded this simple injunction from the Savior on the Mount of Olives: “Take heed that no man deceive you" (JSM 1:5).  Among the Nephites the Lord told the people, "Therefore give heed to my words; write the things which I have told you; and according to the time and the will of the Father they shall go forth unto the Gentiles" (3 Nephi 23:4).  And in our generation the Lord emphasized again the need to heed Him with this command: "Behold, I am God; give heed unto my word, which is quick and powerful, sharper than a two-edged sword, to the dividing asunder of both joints and marrow; therefore give heed unto my words" (D&C 6:2).

One of the themes of Elder Anderson's most recent general conference talk was the need to heed the voice of the Lord.  He highlighted the fact that those who prepare general conference talks spend countless hours trying to understand the will of the Lord for them, going through countless drafts and sometimes years of preparation to say exactly what the Lord would want said.  Elder Anderson also gave examples of how President Nelson and President Eyring had themselves heeded the voice of the Lord that they heard from the prophet.  When then Brother Nelson heard President Kimball declare, "We should be of service to the Chinese. We should learn their language. We should pray for them and help them," he acted and immediately started learning the Chinese language.  This led to the opportunity eventually to visit China, give lectures and perform surgeries, with his last surgery performed in China on a famous opera singer.  President Nelson was greatly blessed because he had heeded the words of President Kimball.  Elder Anderson also highlighted how President Nelson and President Eyring both heeded President Monson's injunction to "prayerfully study and ponder the Book of Mormon each day."  As President Eyring stated, "Like many of you, I heard the prophet’s words as the voice of the Lord to me. And, also like many of you, I decided to obey those words."  Elder Anderson summarized the need for each of us to heed—both to hear and to act—in these words, "I promise that as you hear the voice of the Lord to you in the teachings of this general conference, and then act on those promptings, you will feel heaven’s hand upon you, and your life and the lives of those around you will be blessed."