Visiting Teaching Message: Daughters of Our
Eternal Father
Prayerfully study this material and seek to know what to share.
How will understanding “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” increase your
faith in God and bless those you watch over through visiting teaching? For more
information, go to reliefsociety.lds.org.
The
scriptures teach us that “we are the offspring of God” (Acts 17:29).
God referred to Emma Smith, wife of the ProphetJoseph Smith, as “my
daughter” (D&C 25:1).
The family proclamation teaches us that we are each “a beloved spirit …
daughter of heavenly parents.”1 “In [the premortal] realm,
we learned about our eternal female identity,” said Carole M. Stephens,
first counselor in the Relief Society general presidency.
“Our
mortal journey to earth did not change those truths.”2
“Your
Father in Heaven knows your name and knows your circumstance,” said ElderJeffrey R. Hollandof the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles.
“He hears your prayers. He knows your hopes and dreams, including your fears
and frustrations.”3
“We
each belong to and are needed in the family of God,” said Sister Stephens.
“Earthly families all look different. And while we do the best we can to create
strong traditional families, membership in the family of God is not contingent
upon any kind of status—marital status, parental status, financial status,
social status, or even the kind of status we post on social media.”4
The
true Church ofJesus Christhas been restored and is on the earth
today. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has always been led by
living prophets and apostles, who receive constant guidance from heaven.
That
divine pattern was also true anciently. We learn in theBible: “Surely the Lord
God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the
prophets” (Amos
3:7).
God
has again spoken in our time, through the ProphetJoseph Smith. He revealed
through the Prophet Joseph the gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness. He
restored His holy priesthood with its keys and all the rights, powers, and
functions of the sacred power of the priesthood.
In
our day, living prophets and apostles are authorized to speak, teach, and
direct with authority fromGod the Fatherand the Lord Jesus Christ. The Savior
said to the Prophet, “What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse
not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, my word shall not
pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the
voice of my servants, it is the same” (D&C
1:38).
In
general conference twice a year, we are blessed with the opportunity to hear
the word of the Lord for us from His servants. That is a privilege beyond
price. But the value of that opportunity depends on whether we receive the
words under the influence of the same Spirit by which they were given to those
servants (seeD&C
50:19–22). Just as they receive guidance from heaven, so must we.
And that requires of us the same spiritual effort.
“Do Your Homework”
Years ago one of the members of the Quorum of the Twelve
Apostles asked me to read a conference talk he was preparing for general
conference. I was a junior member of the quorum. I was honored by his
confidence that I might help him find the words the Lord would have him speak.
He said to me with a smile, “Oh, this is the 22nd draft of the talk.”
I
remembered the counsel a loving and kind President Harold B. Lee
(1899–1973) had given me earlier with great emphasis: “Hal, if you want to get
revelation, do your homework.”
I
read, pondered, and prayed over that 22nd draft. I studied as best I could
under the influence of theHoly Ghost. By the time
that quorum member gave his talk, I had done my homework. I am not sure I
helped, but I know that I was changed when I heard the talk given. Messages
came to me far beyond the words that I had read and that he spoke. The words
had greater meaning than the ones I had read in the draft. And the message
seemed to be meant for me, fitted to my needs.
The
servants of God fast and pray to receive the message He has for them to give to
those who need revelation and inspiration. What I learned from that experience,
and many others like it, is that to gain the great benefits available from
hearing living prophets and apostles, we must pay the price ourselves of
receiving revelation.
The
Lord loves every person who might hear His message, and He knows the hearts and
circumstances of each one. He knows what correction, what encouragement, and
what gospel truth will best help each person to choose his or her way along the
path to eternal life.
We
who listen to and watch the messages of general conference sometimes think
afterward, “What do I remember best?” The Lord’s hope for each of us is that
our answer will be: “I will never forget the moments when I felt the voice of
the Spirit in my mind and heart telling me what I could do to please my
Heavenly Father and the Savior.”
We
can receive that personal revelation when we hear prophets and apostles and as
we work in faith to receive it, just as President Lee said we could. I know
that is true from experience and by the witness of the Spirit.
Teaching
from this message
Consider reading aloud President Eyring’s story about studying
the draft of his quorum member’s conference talk. You might ask, “What is the
price of receiving revelation?” After your discussion, you could invite those
you visit to ponder and implement a plan to receive the upcoming general
conference messages “under the influence of the same Spirit by which they were
given to [God’s] servants.”
Heavenly
Father Spoke to Me through a Conference Talk
By
Anne Laleska Alves de Souza
The author lives in Sergipe, Brazil.
I was having doubts about what I should study at the university.
Most people spoke badly about the course that I wanted to take, so I prayed to
the Lord to see if He agreed with my decision.
