Elder Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles spoke to students about letting their faith in the Savior lead their life in his devotional address on Jan. 17.
Elder Andersen began his address by praising the lyrics of the hymn ”The Lord Is My Light.” He said the beautiful words of the hymn are worth thinking about, as they encourage people to allow their faith in Jesus Christ to direct their life.
“What are your hopes and plans for your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ 50 years from today?” he asked.
Elder Andersen then asked audience members to ponder three questions: (1) Will their faith in the Lord be the most powerful force that moves them forward when they look back? (2) How will they withstand the temptations and pressures that go after their faith in the Savior and try to diminish it? (3) How will they keep the flame of their faith burning brightly for the next 50 years if Jesus Christ has not returned?
He also said they will be a disciple of Jesus Christ all the days of their life, and remarkable blessings will be given to them if they are determined to answer these important questions.
“You are a son or a daughter of God. That is an absolute truth,” Elder Andersen said. “Within each of us is a yearning, a longing, a hungering of our spirit to have a deep relationship, an eternal connection with our Heavenly Father.”
He also said prayer is vital to faith in the Savior because it draws people closer to Heavenly Father. Since the Lord hears and answers prayers, Elder Andersen encouraged students to pray more sincerely and more frequently when they feel their faith diminishing.
Elder Andersen also reflected on the young adult devotional given by Elder and Sister Holland on Jan. 8 and its focus on living life with hope in Christ. He said because no one is perfect, it’s vital for people to apply daily efforts toward repentance in order to keep a brightness of hope.
“Next, remember the restored gospel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is a gift and a protection for your faith,” he said. He then talked about the importance of the restored gospel and how it protects individual’s faith and said one would be changed forever once they received the gift of the Holy Ghost.
Students not only need the truths of the restored gospel but also they need the priesthood and ordinances that follow, the power of the Book of Mormon and the safety that comes from prophets and apostles, according to Elder Andersen.
Elder Andersen said the world today is pushing against church members from every direction with “enormous information and influences.” Thus, he said, students will need to do their very best to diminish the distractions and magnify the good.
Elder Andersen continued, saying young students should realize that there will be tests in their life, however, he promised they don’t need to be fearful about the tests of life.
“As your faith in Jesus Christ is firm, the tests of mortality will shape your eternal destiny,” he said.
