Lay Hold Upon the Word of God

In the first message of the last general conference President Nelson gave us this invitation: “As we gather to hear the words the Lord has inspired His servants to deliver, I invite you to ponder a promise the Lord made. He declared that ‘whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning … and the wiles of the devil, and lead the [disciple] of Christ in a strait and narrow course.’ I pray that you will choose to lay hold upon the word of God as it is declared during this general conference.” This scripture comes from Mormon’s description of a time among the Nephites when the work of the Lord found great success and “thousands who did join themselves unto the church and were baptized unto repentance.” The people at that time heeded the words of the prophets and teachers and high priests that delivered the verbal word of God unto them. I have typically thought of this scripture inviting us to lay hold on the word of God as pertaining to the written word in the scriptures—which surely it does—but clearly it was meant to also reference the inspired words of prophets and teachers which the people accepted at this time. President Nelson’s invitation is that if we want to hear the words of God in the words spoken at general conference we can. And, if we desire, those words will lead us to successfully navigate the adversary’s assaults on us so that we can one day “land [our] souls, yea, [our] immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out” (Helaman 3:24, 29-30). But to “lay hold” on those words surely we must do more than causally listen one time to the messages.

                Elder Bednar recently suggested how we can more fully understand and apply the messages at general conference. He gave a pattern for hearing and heeding the words given with three things we should do: “The basic pattern is to identify the fundamental doctrine or principle that is being taught, find invitations to act related to that doctrine or principle, and then also recognize the promised blessings that will come as we act in accordance with that invitation.” These three steps—to identify doctrine, find invitations to act, and recognize promised blessings—are consistent with what the Lord said to the elders of the church in 1831 about how they should act when they were assembled together to hear His word. He said, “And now, behold, I give unto you a commandment, that when ye are assembled together ye shall instruct and edify each other, that ye may know how to act and direct my church, how to act upon the points of my law and commandments, which I have given. And thus ye shall become instructed in the law of my church, and be sanctified by that which ye have received, and ye shall bind yourselves to act in all holiness before me—That inasmuch as ye do this, glory shall be added to the kingdom which ye have received. Inasmuch as ye do it not, it shall be taken, even that which ye have received” (Doctrine and Covenants 43:8-10). First they were to give instruction according to the “law and commandments” of the Lord—the doctrine. Then once that was understood they were to “bind [themselves] to act in all holiness before [Him]—the invitation to act. Lastly they were promised blessing in “glory” and to “receive” more from Him. It has of course never been easier for us to “lay hold” upon the words of general conference. We can hear them just about anywhere when they are given live, and almost immediately afterwards we can reread or watch again or listen to the talks again. With a smartphone we essentially carry them with us wherever we go—but they won’t do us any good unless we lay hold upon them and take the time to ponder and act according to their messages. I look forward to the opportunity on Easter weekend to again receive the word of the Lord from His servants, and I hope that I can better lay hold of the doctrine and invitations and promises meant to guide me in a “straight and narrow course” through the challenges of this life.