Righteous Stewards—Disciples of Jesus Christ

Dear friends all over the world, welcome! I am thrilled to have this opportunity to be with you—to share my love for you and my aspirations for you. Most importantly, I hope that you will have an experience this evening—one in which you feel the love of God and are inspired to achieve His highest aspirations for you!

We are here in the historic Tabernacle on Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Construction began on this grand building one hundred years before I was born. It was a time when building materials were at a premium in the Utah Territory, there was no railroad to bring supplies, and, even if there had been, cash was scarce. But those working on this grand structure were resourceful and recycled available materials. Some of the lumber used was recycled from previously constructed dwellings. Nails and washers were forged from the worn shoes of oxen. And plaster was mixed with animal hair for strength. “Repurpose,” “reuse,” and “recycle” were their buzzwords long before they became part of our vernacular.

My second- and third-great-grandfathers, immigrants from England, worked on constructing the massive doors for this Tabernacle. Could they ever have imagined their descendant, a granddaughter, speaking from this historic place?

Sisters and brothers, do you comprehend the impact you stand to make?

The world in which we live is ripe with challenges. And you are a generation of women and men reserved for this day—you have the capacity, the attributes, the desire, and the opportunity to draw upon God’s power to meet those challenges and solve them. Your potential is divine.

I believe in you. Prophets, seers, and revelators express confidence in you. Spoken from them, it is as if spoken by the Lord Himself.

Please don’t give up in seeking to address the complexities of this day. We need you!

I understand it is easy to get trapped in negativity, caught up in the constant barrage of trouble being reported in the world. Armed conflict, contentious politics, repression, natural disasters, human suffering—it practically takes my breath away. You may feel powerless to effect longstanding solutions.

With confidence, I declare that blessed with the strength and power of God available to you as you make and keep covenants with Him, you can counter the negative and shine light in every corner of darkness.

“[We] are the light of the world,” the Savior declared. And “light cleaveth unto light.” Letting the light of our discipleship in Jesus Christ shine is the ultimate form of renewable energy—energy from a source which is constantly replenished. I testify that in bringing His relief and light to others, we find our own relief in Him.

So be a peacemaker in your own home, community, and in your online presence. Relieve suffering in your own neighborhood.

Satan’s objective is that we be acted upon. By contrast, the Father’s plan of happiness gives us the opportunity to act, to be agents for good, for peace, for hope.

We can counter disinformation by sharing uplifting, hopeful, and accurate information—becoming advocates of truth rather than just consumers of information. We can answer negativity by flooding the world with the light and good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.

As our beloved prophet President Russell M. Nelson has exclaimed, “The answer is always Jesus Christ.” “Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.”

President Nelson has invited us to make our discipleship of Him our “highest priority.” We deepen our discipleship when we learn from and about Jesus Christ. So let’s explore the Savior’s teachings.

Matthew chapter 25 contains three parables, the final parables Matthew records as having been taught by the Savior in His mortal ministry. In preparing my recent general conference talk, and in preparing for this devotional, the Spirit prompted me to return to and learn from these stories.

For our purposes, I wish to emphasize the preparation and stewardship aspects of these parables. President Nelson has invited us to make “now … the time … to prepare for the Second Coming of … Jesus the Christ.” Stewardship is the careful and responsible management of something entrusted to one’s care. In our stewardship efforts, we emulate Jesus Christ. So listen for the lessons in preparation and stewardship we can draw from these stories.

First, the parable of the ten virgins—five who were wise and five who were described as foolish.

In the parable, all ten of the virgins were in the right location, awaiting the bridegroom. Each one of them came with a lamp. That’s like all of you. You are here, exercising your faith and building your testimony.

When the bridegroom—representative of the Savior—came at the unexpected midnight hour, five of the virgins did not have sufficient oil for their lamps. Perhaps they did not think that having extra oil was important or necessary. Or they had not been prudent stewards of the oil they had. Perhaps distracted, they failed to adequately prepare to keep their lamps burning.

And so, in response to their petition to be permitted to enter the wedding supper, the bridegroom responded, “Ye know me not.” Implying that, through their preparation and wise stewardship, the five wise virgins did know Him.

The precious oil, representing personal conversion, allowed the wise virgins to light their lamps and enter the marriage feast with the bridegroom. The oil could not be shared with their friends because personal conversion is just that—personal. We can and should hold the light of our lamps high to lift and strengthen others, but each of us is a steward of our own conversion.

As expressed by the Savior, “Be faithful, praying always, having your lamps trimmed and burning, and oil with you, that you may be ready at the coming of the Bridegroom.”

We will likewise come to know the Savior and have “confidence in approaching God right now” when we prepare to keep our lamps full of the oil of conversion and then let the light of that conversion shine. And, like the magnificent sculpture on Temple Square depicts, we can and should support and strengthen others as we do—beckoning others to come to the light—the Light of the World, Jesus Christ.

The second parable told by Matthew is that of the talents. In that story, the master, in anticipation of traveling afar, gave three of his servants talents. In New Testament times a talent represented money. But I hope you will think about talents as the gifts, abilities, and blessings given to us by our Heavenly Father. To one servant the master gave five talents, to one two talents, and to another one. And then the master took his journey.

When he returned, he discovered that the servants to whom he had given five talents and two talents had been faithful and profitable stewards and had made good use of the talents. Each had doubled the talents with which they had been entrusted. And having been faithful over a little, the Master gave them more, exclaiming, “Well done, thou good and faithful servant: thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord.”

In contrast, the servant who had been given one talent buried his—perhaps because he was distracted and procrastinated making good use of his talent. Or maybe he was frustrated in knowing how to start or afraid he would fail. Maybe he compared himself to the other servants, and his doubts about his own capacity kept him from trying. He hadn’t prepared for the master’s return, he didn’t experience the joy of faithful stewardship, and he lost his talent.

The parable of the ten virgins and the parable of the talents are parallel parables. Both emphasize that we have personal responsibility for our own conversion and must prepare ourselves to receive the Lord’s gift of exaltation—and that we have a stewardship and personal accountability for that with which we have been blessed.

Finally, Matthew 25 tells the story of those who have “confidence before God.” Described as the Good Shepherd’s sheep, found on His right side, enjoying the wedding feast with Him, and blessed to be rulers over many things, He said:

“I was [hungry], and ye gave me meat: I was thirsty, and ye gave me drink: I was a stranger, and [you] took me in: [I was] naked, and [you] clothed me: I was sick, and [you] visited me: I was in prison, and [you] came.”

This video expresses it beautifully.

[video (subtitles)]

“Jesus showed us how to love our neighbor. We follow His example when [we lift] the weary[,] nurture the children[,] comfort those around us[,] feed the hungry[,] seek out those in need. Every day is an opportunity to be like Him[,] serve like Him[,] care like Him. Every day, caring starts with you. Visit CaringSummary.ChurchofJesusChrist.org.”

[end video]

This is what is asked of us. As His disciples, we prepare ourselves for His Second Coming and we faithfully and profitably exercise stewardship over that with which we have been blessed. Compassion, charity, virtue, and faithful stewardship qualify us to live with Him and have confidence before God now. As Mormon taught, those who are filled with charity—the pure love of Christ—“it shall be well with [them]” in the last day. They shall be like the Savior, seeing Him as He is and being filled with hope and purified even as He is pure. President Nelson has declared, “Charity and virtue open the way to having confidence before God!”

All three of these parables teach how His disciples—how we—should prepare for the perilous times which precede the Savior’s Second Coming. These are the times in which we live! We are to keep the lamps of our conversion burning brightly, letting our light shine, using and enlarging our talents, caring for those in need—that is, being possessed of charity, the pure love of Christ.

All three of these parables teach us about stewardship:

Stewardship for our own conversion.

Stewardship for the gifts, talents, assets, and help with which we have been blessed, including the earth itself.

Stewardship for our neighbors who are hungry, homeless, hurting, and tired.

As disciples of Jesus Christ, how do we practice good stewardship?

Perhaps a more thorough discussion of stewardship is helpful. Let’s first define stewardship. And what is a steward?

A steward manages the assets of a large household or estate. The steward is not the owner of the assets but is entrusted to manage them on behalf of the owner. A profitable steward is faithful to the assets’ owner, caring for the resources wisely and generously. Stewardship, then, is carefully and responsibly managing those things entrusted to our care.

Bishop Gérald Caussé of the Presiding Bishopric taught what it means to be an earthly steward. He said, “In gospel terms, the word stewardship designates a sacred spiritual or temporal responsibility to take care of something that belongs to God for which we are accountable.”

Consider how grand a notion this is! We are the stewards of the assets that our Father in Heaven has entrusted to us. That is, a sacred trust for the earth; its resources; His children; our gifts, talents, and blessings. And it is a sacred responsibility to treat His assets with care.

For what or for whom do you have stewardship?

It’s really all of God’s creations on this earth. You have stewardship for your own body and mind. You have stewardship for the abilities, talents, spiritual gifts, and the help with which you have been blessed. You have stewardship for the earth. And you have stewardship for one another.

Bishop Caussé explained: “Our stewardship over God’s creations … includes, at its pinnacle, a sacred duty to love, respect, and care for all human beings with whom we share the earth. They are sons and daughters of God, our sisters and our brothers, and their eternal happiness is the very purpose of the work of creation.”

Will you be a profitable steward? That is, will you care for God’s creations wisely and generously?

I would like to refine our focus on stewardship for the gifts and talents with which we have been blessed, our stewardship for the earth, and stewardship for our neighbor. Remember, righteous stewardship is evidence of our discipleship.

First, stewardship for our gifts and talents.

From Doctrine and Covenants 46:11–12 we learn this truth:

“For all have not every gift given unto them; for there are many gifts, and to every man is given a gift by the Spirit of God.

“To some is given one, and to some is given another, that all may be profited thereby.”

Our spiritual gifts are the capacities given by God to each of us. They are given according to His will and timing, through the power of the Holy Ghost, and are intended for the blessing and benefit of all of God’s children.

Faithful stewards seek for and invite spiritual gifts into their lives and use those with which they have been blessed to lift and serve others. Each of you, children of God, has been given gifts and special talents.

Elder Marvin J. Ashton, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve, described several less conspicuous gifts, attributes, and abilities you might not have considered. As I list them, will you do some self-reflection and seek to identify one or two with which you have been blessed? Then, having that gift, consider how you will use it as a faithful steward to bless others.

“The gift of asking; the gift of listening; the gift of hearing and using a still, small voice; the gift of being able to weep; the gift of avoiding contention; the gift of being agreeable; the gift of avoiding vain repetition; the gift of seeking that which is righteous; the gift of not passing judgment; the gift of looking to God for guidance; the gift of being a disciple; [the gift to calm;] the gift of caring for others; the gift of being able to ponder; the gift of offering prayer; the gift of bearing … mighty testimony; and the gift of receiving the Holy Ghost.”

As you continue to contemplate your gifts, may I offer a caution? Do not compare or measure your gifts against those of others. Don’t engage in “demeaning self-appraisal.” “Comparison is the thief of joy.” Own your gifts and celebrate those possessed by others. Remember, spiritual gifts are given by God through the Spirit for the purpose that all may be benefited thereby.

My dear grandma was an English teacher and chose her words carefully. She was fond of saying, “Comparisons are odious.” Odious is a very strong word. It means “despicable and highly objectionable.” Why did my grandma use such a strong word when counseling me about the risk in making comparisons? It is because comparing ourselves to others is rarely productive. In comparing ourselves to others, we separate ourselves from them. Instead of feeling part of the whole body of Christ, I take on the role of a little finger and measure my worth against someone who I think is the shoulders, arms, and torso. Generally, when we compare ourselves to others, we either feel inferior or superior, and neither is the case. We are all beloved children of heavenly parents, blessed with a personalized package of spiritual gifts, attributes, talents, and strengths.

So I invite you to cultivate the gift of abandoning comparisons. Ask Heavenly Father to help you identify your spiritual gifts and talents and how you might use them as a faithful steward.

Here is an example.

A few years ago, Jean, a young adult living in the Netherlands, was pondering the commandment first given to Adam and Eve to multiply and replenish the earth. As she and her husband were experiencing infertility, they sought to understand how that commandment then applied to them. She recognized that during the period when Adam and Eve did not have children, they cultivated and tended the garden for which God had given them stewardship. As she considered her circumstances, she thought about the gardens in which she lived—the garden of the earth, the garden of her country, the garden of her family, and the garden of her ward.

She realized that while she didn’t live in the Garden of Eden, these were the gardens in which the Lord had placed her. She could seek to multiply and replenish that for which He had given her stewardship. Jean pondered:

• “How can I multiply the gifts that the Lord has given me and others?

• How can I multiply love toward God’s children?

• How can I multiply my time and effort to serve others?

• How can I replenish my own spiritual well?

• How can I replenish what others have lost, whether temporal or spiritual?

• How can I replenish hope and faith that seems to be lost for many in the world?”

As Jean focused on those questions, she was blessed to recognize opportunities to multiply and replenish using her gifts and talents. She taught theater to young people from all over the world. She served the young women. She took advantage of the flexibility in her own professional life to help care for her friends’ children. She spent more time studying the gospel and felt blessed to better understand how to bear others’ burdens and comfort those who stand in need of comfort. That increased her testimony and faith in Jesus Christ and His gospel. Most importantly, she gained a personal understanding of God’s plan for her.

Good stewards always multiply and replenish the assets of the Master.

Though not in the way she initially imagined, Jean’s experience is beautiful evidence of a promise from the prophet Jeremiah, who said:

“Blessed is the one who trusts in the Lord, whose confidence is in him.

“They will be like a tree planted by the water that sends out its roots by the stream. It does not fear when heat comes; its leaves are always green. It has no worries in a year of drought and never fails to bear fruit.”

Second, stewardship for the earth and for all of God’s children.

President Russell M. Nelson has taught: “As beneficiaries of the divine Creation, what shall we do? We should care for the earth, be wise stewards over it, and preserve it for future generations.”

I know this is a topic about which your generation cares deeply. You carry a great determination, and some of you carry some anxiety. Let me reassure you that God has prepared a way for healthy living for everyone on this planet if we are willing to employ our gifts and talents for this good, remain worthy to receive revelation, and prudently use the earth’s abundant resources to care for one another.

The Lord said:

“I … stretched out the heavens, and built the earth, my very handiwork; and all things therein are mine.

“For the earth is full, and there is enough and to spare; yea, I prepared all things, and have given unto the children of men to be agents unto themselves.”

How will you use the agency with which you have been blessed, your stewardship, for the glorious blessing of the earth?

The Lord clarifies in the next verse that we must “take of the abundance which [He has] made, and impart [our] portion, according to the law of [His] gospel, unto the poor and the needy.” There is enough to spare if we share our abundance of blessings and use our agency as Christlike stewards of the earth.

Let’s go back to the quote from President Nelson about our stewardship for the earth. He said, “As beneficiaries of the divine Creation, what shall we do? We should care for the earth, be wise stewards over it, and preserve it for future generations.”

Then President Nelson continued, “And we are to love and care for one another.”

It is important that we recognize the connection between caring for the earth and caring for our neighbor. In caring for the earth, beautifying our local environment, and helping our communities become more sustainable, we are acting as wise stewards of the earth to bless the lives of our neighbors. They are those we have been commanded to love. Like the sheep in the parable, we feed the hungry, give water to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and visit the sick and the weary. We “succor the weak, lift up the hands which hang down, and strengthen the feeble knees.”

Your sisters and brothers all over the globe are doing this. Eritai grew up on the remote island of Marakei, Kiribati. After returning from his mission, he attended BYU–Hawaii, where he got involved in SWAT, the Sustainable World Action Technology team, and learned about hydroponic gardening, a method of growing plants without soil using mineral nutrients in a water solution. Upon graduation, Eritai returned to Kiribati to help his own people.

Kiribati is an island nation which consists of 32 ring-shaped coral islands with central lagoons, called atolls, and one raised coral island. Because of its location along the equator, weather conditions are harsh. Hot, salty sea breezes and sea water intrusion destroy crops and contaminate water. So there is a lack of soil and space to grow nutritious food. Malnutrition and disease had become widespread for the Kiribati islanders because they were relying almost exclusively on imported and processed food.

But Eritai had energy and vision, talents upon which he drew to create a sustainable program to teach local Kiribati families how to grow wholesome fruits and vegetables using hydroponics. A hydroponic garden is portable, self-contained, and grows quickly, producing a crop in 30 days.

For his innovative and lifesaving work, Eritai was awarded the United Nations Champion of the Earth for Asia Pacific.

Eritai is a fabulous example of profitably using gifts and talents in his stewardship of the earth and of his neighbor. Feeding the hungry, we are counted among the sheep on the right hand of God.

And we are to give drink to the thirsty. Blessing our neighbors with access to clean water, sanitation, and hygiene is critical to human flourishing. To accomplish this work, the Church collaborates with other organizations and local communities around the world to improve access to these services and strengthen overall systems, ensuring that solutions are long-lasting and promote self-reliance. This is important work! And it is increasingly important as droughts proliferate across the earth and populations continue to expand.

Alexandra, a young adult in Cascas, Peru, asked herself, “What are we lacking here?” Alexandra knew that at least 20 percent of the families in her community lacked safe sanitation services, leading to increased risk of water-borne illnesses like cholera. To address this challenge, Alexandra joined a sanitation business training hosted by the local Water for People team in Peru.

She started a business and stocked her small store with inventory like sinks, faucets, toilets, tiles, and other materials families needed to complete their bathrooms. Now families in Cascas have access to the materials they need to construct household bathrooms.

You, too, can identify clean water and sanitation needs in your community and how you can get involved.

The prophet Isaiah echoes his contemporary friend Jeremiah when he tells us:

“If thou draw out thy soul to the hungry, and satisfy the afflicted soul; then shall thy light rise in obscurity. …

“And the Lord shall guide thee continually, and satisfy thy soul in drought, … and thou shalt be like a watered garden, and like a spring of water, whose waters fail not.”

Of course, Jesus Christ is the source of all living water. I testify that as we give drink to the thirsty, we are blessed to drink His living water —“a well of water springing up into everlasting life.” As we care for the earth and our neighbors, we draw closer to the Savior and desire a covenant relationship with Him that allows us to become more like Him. We will be responsible stewards—and happy stewards too. We will be renewed and soar with wings like eagles and not be weary.

Last year, the Relief Society General Presidency announced the expansion of a global initiative to improve the health and well-being of women and children. At the request of the First Presidency, the Relief Society is leading this effort.

We want to empower women and families with greater understanding and resources so they are better equipped to make changes that can have a lasting impact in their homes, communities, and nations. When a woman is empowered because she is healthy and educated, families are blessed, communities are lifted, and nations strengthened. When you bless a child, you invest in the future. So our work focuses on nutrition for children under five, maternal and newborn care, immunizations, and education.

Alaina is a young adult living in Georgia, USA. She is pursuing a doctorate degree in occupational therapy with the goal of working in a hospital neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) for babies who need extra care after birth, especially those born prematurely. The Relief Society’s global initiative for women and children resonated with Alaina. Inspired by the invitation to participate in the global initiative, Alaina is making “kangaroo care,” or skin-to-skin contact for babies born prematurely, the subject of her graduate capstone project.

There are nearly 15 million babies born prematurely every year worldwide. And in Atlanta, Georgia, where Alaina lives, the preterm birth rate and infant mortality rate are all higher than the US national average.

Alaina is creating an educational program so people are more aware of the benefits of skin-to-skin contact between premature babies and their mothers. Babies, wearing only a diaper, are placed directly on the mother’s skin on her chest, with a covering then placed on top of them both. This contact maintains temperature, lowers stress, regulates hormones, increases connection, promotes breastfeeding, improves sleep, and many other benefits. But it is not always implemented in NICUs as a standard of care. Alaina’s project aims to improve implementation.

Her research felt very spiritual to her. “Reading the science … and … learning our bodies are created to do these things” made sense to her because of what she knows about the plan of salvation.

Skin-to-skin care for premature babies is especially poignant to me, as I had a grandson born in February nearly seven weeks early. At only three pounds, five ounces, our little warrior was in the NICU for nearly a month. And every one of those days, my daughter-in-law and son had him on their chest, skin-to-skin. You see, “kangaroo care” is for dads too. The traumatic nature of our grandson’s sudden birth, and the pain in separation associated with leaving him in the hospital, was soothed in those moments.

Alaina is letting the light of her conversion shine; she is using the talents with which she has been blessed, and she is caring for those in need by studying and raising awareness of this important practice. Her efforts respond to the Savior’s call—“I was sick, and ye visited me.”

Eritai, Alexandra, and Alaina are disciples of Jesus Christ preparing themselves for His Second Coming as they faithfully and profitably exercise stewardship over that with which the Lord has blessed them.

The Savior said, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto one of the least of these my brethren, ye have done it unto me.” Surely these young adults are representative of those the Savior describes as His sheep, who will be at His right side, qualified to enjoy His presence.

We belong to a church that does remarkable good all over the world, blessing the lives of our neighbors, not just our members. In 2024, there were 6.6 million hours volunteered. 1.45 billion US dollars in expenditures. 192 countries and territories served. The Church’s global humanitarian initiatives included clean water, hygiene and sanitation projects, emergency relief, health care, and food security projects. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and its members are letting their light shine to glorify our Father in Heaven.

While the Church and the Relief Society can and will use their global reach to scale inspired efforts to feed the hungry, give drink to the thirsty, clothe the naked, and care for the sick, the most important and impactful work continues to be done one by one.

In trying to emulate Jesus Christ, we seek to recognize immediate needs around us and respond with love. We strive to be faithful stewards of His assets —which include the talents and opportunities with which we have been blessed, the earth in all its splendor, and the people in our sphere of influence.

Like Naaman from the Old Testament, you may be waiting to be told “some great thing” to do—wondering how you will get to that remote part of Africa or an island in the sea to care for your global neighbor.

Sisters and brothers, I invite you to use your gifts and talents to do a few small and simple things in the sphere of your stewardship. Wherever you live, there are malnourished children. Wherever you live, there are people who cannot read. Wherever you live, there are barriers to health care. Wherever you live, there are those who are hungry, thirsty, naked, sick, and in prison, literally or figuratively.

Friends, we need you! I hope that you will earnestly seek revelation and use your gifts and talents to find creative solutions to help bless the future of all God’s children. This is surely part of your divine stewardship.

[video (subtitles)]

“The universe is vast. Trillions of galaxies with billions of stars, lands, waters, plants, animals. And yet … God knows and loves all His creations by name. Including you.”

[end video]

I close with a personal story, one about my dear friend Lydia, who gave the opening prayer this evening. I became acquainted with Lydia when she was serving in the Relief Society Building as a service missionary several years ago. Lydia always wears purple because the woman described as Paul’s first convert was Lydia, who was a seller of purple cloth.

Lydia was diagnosed with arthritis when she was only four years old. And while she suffers with pain every day, she delightfully lets the light of her conversion to Jesus Christ shine. If there is anything virtuous, lovely, of good report, or praiseworthy—she is all of those!

As part of this assignment to speak to all of you, I was invited to choose those people who would pray tonight. Lydia immediately came to mind. She completed her mission, started school at BYU, and was accepted into the College of Nursing. And because she is my dear friend, we have stayed in touch with one another. I love Lydia.

It was my task to ask her to pray, but I just hadn’t gotten around to making the call. Then on March 31, I received this text message from Lydia:

“Good Morning President Johnson!!!

“I love you so much!

“Last night you were in my dream. I was feeling really nervous and stressed about something I had to do, and you noticed. You put your arm around me, pulled me [close] with your head down by mine and whispered in my ear, ‘It’s okay, Lydia[;] you can do this. Just do the little things.’ Your gentle encouragement and reminder to take it step by step is exactly what I needed to hear today. And oh how I needed a President Johnson hug! I think Heavenly Father sends us little messages sometimes through people we love and trust like you.

“I hope you feel angels bearing you up this week. Here’s a big hug for you, dear friend.”

I texted right back, “I can’t wait to tell you why you had that dream!”

I called Lydia that evening to ask if she would be willing to pray at this worldwide young adult devotional. Of course, she said yes—and went on to tell me what she hadn’t shared in her text message. It was a detail she thought was unimportant when she wrote to me. In her dream, she was nervous about praying in front of a large group.

Oh, how tender are the mercies of the Lord! I had delayed asking Lydia to pray for no good reason—except that Lydia needed to have her dream. A reassurance that the Lord is aware of her and wanted her to have this opportunity.

Yes, the universe is vast. Trillions of galaxies. With billions of stars. Lands, waters, plants, animals over which He has given us stewardship. And God knows and loves all of His creations by name. Including you.

The Savior introduced His mortal ministry by saying that He was sent “to preach the gospel to the poor; … to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised.” If that was His mission and we are His disciples, we share His objective.

You, my friends, are uniquely prepared and foreordained to assist Him. You are sons and daughters of God. He knows you. You are in a covenant relationship with Him. You will never exhaust His merciful patience for you. And as you keep the covenants you have made with Him, you will be blessed with “His healing, strengthening power.” God’s power will enhance your capacities, enlarge the talents with which you have been blessed, and help you see Him in the hungry, the thirsty, the estranged, and the sick.

As His disciples, let us prepare ourselves for His Second Coming by faithfully and profitably exercising stewardship over that with which we have been blessed. I testify that as you bring the relief of Jesus Christ to others, you will be blessed to discover your own relief in Him.

I am sure that Jesus Christ lives. He directs His Church through living prophets, seers, and revelators. I am sure that Russell M. Nelson is His mighty mouthpiece on the earth today.

The work and the glory of our Father in Heaven and Jesus Christ are to see us home, prepared and qualified to remain in Their presence, where there are no hungry, thirsty, estranged, sick, or lame—for they will have been healed and made whole. You are their vital associates. I love you. They love you.

In the sacred name of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ, amen.