Brother Brough speaks about the guidance that God has in our lives.  We sing the song "I Am A Child of God" and Brother Brough asks us to consider the words and how they relate to our relationship with our Heavenly Father.

• When thinking of guidance, we might think of a hymn we all know and love—“I Am a Child of God.” In the chorus we find the words “Lead me, guide me, walk beside me, help me find the way.”
  
• Until recently, I understood that chorus to be divine direction to parents. While pondering these words, I realized that while they contain that direction, there exists a far greater meaning. Individually, we each plead daily that Heavenly Father will guide us, lead us, and walk beside us.
  

He shares with us that our loving Father in Heaven has a kind of care package for each of us that He uses to lead us, guide us, and walk beside us.

• May I share today just a few of the components of the care package that have made me recognize that a loving Father is leading, guiding, and walking beside me and my family? My prayer is that each of you will recognize in your experiences that Heavenly Father is leading, guiding, and walking beside you and, with that knowledge, you will proceed with confidence, knowing you are never really alone.
  

He says that God expects us to not tolerate improper behavior without loving correction.

• Tolerating improper behavior without loving correction is false compassion and reinforces the common notion that wickedness might in fact be happiness.
  

There are several people that God has given us to help us find the proper direction in our lives.

• Through His prophets, Heavenly Father constantly reminds us that righteousness is happiness
  
• We are each blessed with a priesthood leader to lead and guide us.
  
  • President Boyd K. Packer said: “Bishops are inspired! Each of us has agency to accept or reject counsel from our leaders, but never disregard the counsel of your bishop, whether given over the pulpit or individually.
    
• To teach us all that we must do, Jesus Christ led the way by giving the perfect example that we must try to emulate. He pleads with us with arms outstretched to come, follow Him. And when we fail, which we all do, He reminds us, “For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent.”
  

He reminds us that repentance is a gift, given to us from a loving God.  It is a privilege to have the forgiveness of our loving Father in Heaven.

• What a wonderful gift! Repentance is not a punishment; it is a privilege. It is a privilege that leads and guides us. No wonder the scriptures declare that we should teach nothing save repentance.
  

Brother Brough shares three principles that will help us to be partners with our Father in Heaven to show love for our Father's children.

• Three principles that will help us become part of Heavenly Father’s care package for others are:
  
  • First, be with the youth. President Henry B. Eyring emphasized this point: “There are some things we can do that could matter most. Even more powerful than using words in our teaching the doctrine will be our examples of living the doctrine.” To lead youth requires being with them. Devoted time is an expression of love that allows us to teach by word and example.
    
  • Second, to truly guide youth, we must connect them with heaven. The time always comes when each must stand alone. Only Heavenly Father can be there to guide at all times and in all places. Our youth must know how to seek Heavenly Father’s guidance.
    
  • Third, we must let youth lead. Like the loving parent who holds the hand of a toddler learning to walk, we must let go in order for youth to progress. Letting youth lead requires patience and love. It is harder and takes more time than doing it ourselves. They may stumble along the way, but we walk beside them.
    

In conclusion, Brother Brough reminds us of the love that Heavenly Father has for each of His children.

• Heavenly Father really does care and listen to and answer every child’s prayer. As one of His children, I know the answer to my prayers came in the Lord’s time. And through that experience, I understood more than ever that we are children of God and that He has sent us here so that we can feel His presence now and return to live with Him someday.
• I testify that Heavenly Father does lead us, guide us, and walk beside us. As we follow His Son and give heed to His servants, the apostles and prophets, we will find the way to eternal life.
  

We all love the song "I Am A Child of God" and the basic truths shared in that song can help us understand the relationship we have our families and with our Father in Heaven. I am so grateful for this song and the comfort it has brought to me and my family throughout our lives.  I love the idea that God has a care package for us to be able to return to Him.  We truly have a loving Father that wants what is best for all of His children.

Elder Ballard speaks to the young men of the church about being morally clean.  This topic has been on the minds of the leaders of the church and Elder Ballard shares his thoughts about the topic.

• The leaders of the Church care so deeply about every one of you that I feel an urgent need to warn you once again of the consequences of moral misconduct. At the same time, I want to impress upon you the great promises extended to those who remain morally clean.

Each young man can look to the future with confidence that he has the strength to overcome the temptations of this world if he will stay close to the Savior and His teachings.

• We have confidence that you can develop the strength and integrity to surmount these challenges and live for the blessings that are promised to those who remain morally clean.
• I emphasize that you do not need to be caught in the trap of being immoral—not one of you, ever. Each one of you must look into the future to understand the consequences of your actions, both good and bad.

Repentance should not be a planned event.  It should not be something that is taken lightheartedly.

• Recently I talked with several groups of young men and women in Utah and Idaho. They told me that some of our youth feel that they can be immoral during their teen years and then repent when they decide to go on a mission or be married in the temple. Some young men talk about a mission as a time when they will be forgiven from their past sins. They have the notion that a few transgressions now are no big deal because they can repent quickly, go on a mission, and then live happily ever after.
• Young men, please believe me when I tell you that this scenario is a gross deception by Satan; it is a fairy tale. Sin will always, always, result in suffering. It may come sooner, or it may come later, but it will come. The scriptures state that you will “stand with shame and awful guilt before the bar of God” and that you will experience “a lively sense of … guilt, and pain, and anguish.”

Sometimes we do things in our life because of our friends.  Elder Ballard warns against following our friends down the wrong path.

• Acceptance by your peers must not come at the expense of your virtue and self-esteem.

Elder Ballard tells us the blessings that come from being morally clean throughout out lives.

• Now, let us consider the grand blessings the Lord has promised those who are obedient to the commandment to be morally clean. You never need to repent of a sin you have not committed. That seems obvious, but I want to emphasize it. Repentance is a great blessing, but you should never make yourself sick just so you can try out the remedy. You are infinitely better to maintain your spiritual health by staying morally clean. If you feel confident in the presence of your parents, peers, and priesthood leaders, you can sense how you will feel when you have the confidence and acceptance of the Savior.

Elder Ballard gives us suggestions on staying morally clean.

• First, understand the standards of moral cleanliness.
  
  • Our youth seem confused about the definition of moral cleanliness. Some young men and women take a certain definition and then push it to its limits to see how far they can go without being immoral by that definition. I suggest an opposite approach.
  • Some standards must not be compromised. If you are not sure about the Church’s standard of morality, talk to your parents or to your priesthood leaders. Also, you can know the correct standards of moral conduct by following the promptings of the Spirit. These promptings never will lead you to do anything that makes you feel uncomfortable, unclean, or ashamed. You must be sensitive to these promptings because your physical passions can obscure them if you are not careful.
    
• Second, once you understand the standards, you must determine that you will live by them.
  • You must avoid moral misconduct by making a firm decision to avoid compromising situations and to stand firm for what is right. You must have self-control and high goals. I urge every one of you tonight to set a goal to be morally clean, if you have not already done so.
    
• Third, while you must exercise your agency and bear the responsibility for your decisions, you need not face temptation alone.
  • Also seek counsel from your priesthood leaders, especially your bishop. He knows the standards, and he knows what to teach you. Seek opportunities to be with him. You can expect him to ask pointed, searching questions. Trust him. Confide in him. Ask him to help you understand what the Lord expects from you. Make a commitment to live according to the Church’s standards of morality. A meaningful relationship with an adult leader is vital to help you keep morally clean and worthy. Your Aaronic Priesthood advisers will teach you and give you the support and direction you may need. Ask them for guidance. They will know how to help you.
    
• Fourth, choose friends who share your standards, both members and nonmembers.
  
  • Such friends will make peer pressure uplifting and positive.
    
• Fifth, you young men must cultivate a considerate attitude toward women of all ages.
  
  • Do not hesitate to show your good manners by opening a door for them, taking the initiative in inviting them on a date, and standing as they enter a room. Believe it or not, in this age of equal rights, the young women want you to extend these simple courtesies.
• Finally, seek help from the Lord, the source of spiritual power.
  • Your daily prayers must include a heartfelt request for help in keeping your commitment to remain morally clean. When you do this, the Lord will bless you with the strength to remain morally clean.
    

Elder Ballard gives each of us great advice on staying morally clean.  We may think that the temptations are too great, but with the strength of the Savior on our side, we have the ability to overcome any temptation that comes to us.  We are blessed to have guidance on how to make the right decisions in our lives that will be bring us closer to the Savior.  Morality is necessary for the Holy Ghost to be our companion.

Elder Ballard speaks about the ways that the Lord accomplishes His work.  Although the scriptures are full of miraculous events, these are not the common way the Lord blesses us in our daily lives.  It is by small and simple transactions that the love of God is shown in our lives.

• We observe vast, sweeping world events; however, we must remember that the purposes of the Lord in our personal lives generally are fulfilled through the small and simple things, and not the momentous and spectacular.
  

The greatest example of small and simple transactions is found in the conversion of everyday people.  A simple heartfelt prayer, leads to personal knowledge that God lives, loves us, and has a plan for our happiness in life.

• The Lord has graciously provided the means for conversion even in the most simple and humble of circumstances. Unfortunately, some of us look beyond the mark and depend too much on buildings, budgets, programs, and activities for conversion rather than on the small and simple things that are central to the gospel. We need not look beyond our own hearts to experience the sweet spiritual feelings promised to those who obey God. That is why a new member in the most humble conditions can experience the gospel as deeply as a lifetime member who was raised in the shadow of Church headquarters.
  

We must be careful to not let destructive things enter into our lives.  Just as small miracles help our testimony, small events can have a destructive impact on our live.

• Small and simple things can be negative and destructive to a person’s salvation. A series of seemingly small but incorrect choices can become those little soul-destroying termites that eat away at the foundations of our testimony until, before we are aware, we may be brought near to spiritual and moral destruction.

Elder Ballard encourages us to stay close to the Spirit which will lead us on the correct path.  He talks about needing to maintain our direction on the right path and that we each have the blessing of being prompted by the Holy Ghost to render service to others.  He tells us to never ignore a prompting given to us by the spirit.

• We must never ignore or pass by the prompting of the Spirit to render service to one another.

Finally, Elder Ballard concludes with encouragement to do the small and simple things in our lives to keep us on the right path.  These small and simple things will allow us to remain close to God and lead our families to eternal life.

• May the Lord bless each one of us to follow the counsel of our prophets. We need to have family and personal prayers; study the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon; hold family home evenings; follow the admonition of the Savior to love one another; and be thoughtful, kind, and gentle within the family. Through these and other similar small and simple things, we have the promise that our lives will be filled with peace and joy.
  

Elder Ballard talks about small and simple things that the Lord does in our lives.  I have seen this to be true in my life.  Nephi, in the Book of Mormon talks about tender mercies that are given to us to encourage us along the path of life.  I have experienced some of those reassuring moments that let me know that I am on the right path and doing the correct things in my life.  I appreciate the warning that these small and simple things can also be destructive habits that cause us to lose the spirit and to walk down a path to unhappiness and a loss of the spirit.  I would encourage today that you take a quick inventory of your life and see what good things you are doing to stay on the path, and remove any bad things that might lead you to a destination you are not wanted to arrive at.