Hales - Eternal Life-to Know Our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ - October 2014

Elder Hales speaks about gaining our own testimony of God the Father and His Son Jesus Christ.  He begins by saying that in the past, he took time to study the final testimonies of prophets from the past.  He said that each shared a powerful testimony of the Father and the Son.

• It has always touched my heart to sense how deeply Heavenly Father loves His eldest Son and how Jesus shows His love by His obedience to His Father’s will. I testify that when we do what is necessary to know Them and know Their love for one another, we will obtain “the greatest of all the gifts of God”—even eternal life. For “this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.” How can this gift be ours? It comes through a matter of personal revelation,

He shares many examples from the scriptures where God the Father speaks of Jesus Christ and how pleased He is with the accomplishments in this world.  He uses these examples to talk about how they are two separate people, united in purpose.  He shares that the greatest evidence of this fact is in the testimony of the prophet Joseph Smith.

• The young prophet, who went into the grove to find out which church he should join, went with faith unwavering and came out with the knowledge and a witness of the only true God and Jesus Christ, whom God had sent. Joseph, like the prophets before him, was then to be an instrument for restoring to the world the knowledge that leads to eternal life.

He says that we can find out for ourselves all these things about God and Jesus.

• You too can seek our Heavenly Father and “this Jesus of whom the prophets and apostles have [testified]” in the scriptures and in this general conference. As you seek a personal witness—your personal revelation—you will discover that Heavenly Father has provided a special way for you to know the truth for yourself: through the third member of the Godhead, a personage of spirit we know as the Holy Ghost.
  
• I testify that our Heavenly Father wants us to seek this knowledge now. The words of the prophet Helaman cry from the dust: “Remember, remember that it is upon the rock of our Redeemer, who is Christ, the Son of God, that ye must build your foundation … , a foundation whereon if men build they cannot fall.” Indeed, we will not fail.
• That sure foundation is Jesus Christ. He is “the Rock of Heaven.” When we build our house upon Him, the rains of the latter days may descend, the floods may come, and the winds may blow, but we will not fall. We will not fail, for our home and our family will be founded upon Christ.

Elder Hales invites us to gain for ourselves, a testimony of who God and Jesus Christ are.  I love this about the Church of Jesus Christ.  I don't have to take anyone's word on what the truth is.  I don't have to trust my Bishop, or my parents, or my teachers.  God's plan is for each of us to learn for ourselves, the truths of the gospel.  This is given to us through personal revelation, personal messages from a member of the Godhead, touching our hearts and speaking spirit to spirit.  How I love the plan of God.  It is through spirit to spirit conversation that we learn for ourselves that God lives and that Jesus Christ is our personal Savior.  We don't have to rely on anyone else, just ask with a sincere heart and we will be given a clear answer about who God is and His amazing love that He has for us.  That knowledge is personal, real, and life changing.  Please, seek for yourself to know how much God loves you and His plan for you in this life and all eternity.