- We are overjoyed with the number of our youth who have joined the Lord’s youth battalion to help gather scattered Israel. We thank you! And as you continue to follow my invitations offered at our worldwide youth devotional, you are setting a standard for the rest of us to follow. And what a difference you youth are making!
He speaks about the challenges that the general authorities have faced over the years on making the gospel a bigger part of our individual and family's lives.
- In recent years, we in the presiding councils of the Church have wrestled with a fundamental question: how can we take the gospel in its simple purity and the ordinances with their eternal efficacy to all of God’s children?
A change in curriculum and practice is being implemented to help us improve our personal worship.
- For many years, Church leaders have been working on an integrated curriculum to strengthen families and individuals through a home-centered and Church-supported plan to learn doctrine, strengthen faith, and foster greater personal worship. Our efforts over these recent years to hallow the Sabbath—to make it a delight and a personal sign to God of our love for Him—will be augmented by the adjustments we will now introduce.
These changes make us more responsible for our families spirituality. Parents are responsible to teach their children and help them increase in knowledge and understanding.
- This morning we will announce a new balance and connection between gospel instruction in the home and in the Church. We are each responsible for our individual spiritual growth. And scriptures make it clear that parents have the primary responsibility to teach the doctrine to their children. It is the responsibility of the Church to assist each member in the divinely defined goal of increasing his or her gospel knowledge.
As we reflect on General Conference this past weekend, I know it is easy to focus on the change to the 3 hour block. But the change should not be taken as an invitation to spend one less hour of the week on spiritual things. It should be looked at as an opportunity to focus on our families and invite God more into our lives on the Sabbath. These changes are exciting and new but the will not benefit us unless we commit to building a more Christ-Centered home. I look forward to counseling with my family to determine what we will commit to do to make our lives different with this change President Nelson has introduced.