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."
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