The Things of My Soul

Study with the desire to believe rather than with a desire to find a flaw.

1. Love God the father and Jesus Christ our Savior.
2. Love thy neighbor
3. Love yourself
   • Many people find it easier to love others than to love themselves.
4. Keep the commandments
5. Always be worthy to attend the temple
6. Be joyful and cheerful
7. Follow God’s living prophet
8. Fill in yourself
9. Fill in yourself
10. Fill in yourself

If we follow the prophet we will never be led astray.

Naman (the military leader and leper) reminds us of the dangers of trying to pick and choose which prophetic counsel to follow.

The prophetic mantle is all about revelation.

Identify your own items 8-10 things of your soul to complete the list Elder Rasband gave.

My thoughts today are centered on the words of the prophet Nephi, who kept the record of his people following Father Lehi’s death. Nephi wrote, “And upon these I write the things of my soul.”

I used to pass over this verse, thinking the word things was not very elegant or spiritual, not grand enough to pair with “my soul.” Yet I have learned that the word things is used in the scriptures 2,354 times. For example, in Moses: “I am the Beginning and the End, the Almighty God; by mine Only Begotten I created these things.” And Nephi’s words: “Behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord; and my heart pondereth continually upon the things which I have seen and heard.”

Nephi’s words raise the questions “What things do you ponder?” “What things really matter to you?” “What are the things of your soul?”

The things of our souls are often clarified and deepened by asking questions.

Youth often ask me what I believe and why I believe.…{One such question} “What are the most important things I should know?”

I answered with the things of my soul, the things that prepare me to hear promptings, that lift my sights beyond the ways of the world, that give purpose to my work in the gospel and to my very life.

I like that description of what constitutes a thing of my soul (and to measure if each of his seven truly is a thing of my soul).

May I share with you some of the things of my soul? These things apply to all who seek to be true disciples of Jesus Christ. Ten would be a good, round number. Today I am giving you seven with the hope that you will complete eight, nine, and ten from your own experiences.…

First, love God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior.

Second, “Love thy neighbour.”

Third, love yourself.… This is where many struggle. Isn’t it curious that loving ourselves seems to come less easily than loving others?

Fourth, keep the commandments.

Fifth, always be worthy to attend the temple.

Sixth, be joyful and cheerful.

Seventh, follow God’s living prophet.

I can’t imagine anyone arguing with any of these seven unless it is number six that some might think it’s not so necessary—that we can get to heaven wearing a hair shirt.

We are blessed with scriptures and teachings that remind us, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, saith the Lord.”

Following a living prophet is critical because we must be humble enough to follow when the counsel given us not what we wish to follow on our own. The odds are very slim that we will always agree with the prophet without hesitation.

President Nelson is a gifted communicator, but more important, he is a prophet of God. That is staggering when you think about it, but it is critical to realize that his clear direction will shield us all from the deceit, craftiness, and secular ways gaining momentum in the world today.

The prophetic mantle is all about revelation. “The Restoration of the Fulness of the Gospel of Jesus Christ: A Bicentennial Proclamation to the World,” given in the April 2020 general conference, emphasizes that the Lord is directing this work. In this proclamation, the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve Apostles state: “We gladly declare that the promised Restoration goes forward through continuing revelation. The earth will never again be the same, as God will ‘gather together in one all things in Christ’ (Ephesians 1:10).”

“All things in Christ” and “the things of my soul” are what this Church, this gospel, and this people are all about.

I close with an invitation for each of you to consider the seven “things of my soul” I have shared today: love God the Father and Jesus Christ, our Savior; love your neighbor; love yourself; keep the commandments; always be worthy of a temple recommend; be joyful and cheerful; and follow God’s living prophet. I invite you to identify your own eight, nine, and ten. Consider ways you might share your heartfelt “things” with others and encourage them to pray, ponder, and seek the Lord’s guidance.

It doesn’t take me much consideration to confidently say that each of his seven items is a thing of my soul although I struggle most with number six personally—feeling too overwhelmed and concluding that being cheerful is too much to require. I accept the invitation to ponder and identify three more things of my soul and ways to share all ten with others appropriately.