Closing Remarks

Elder Neil L. Andersen: I have so enjoyed being with you who have participated in these discussions and have been very impressed with your commitment and your discipleship. For those who would like to see more of these conversations, they will be linked to the electronic version of this devotional.

My dear brothers and sisters, Kathy and I have enjoyed so much being with you tonight. Kathy, would you share some closing thoughts that you’ve maybe had as we’ve had this devotional?

Sister Kathy Andersen: Thank you. I’m so grateful for the privilege of being here with my husband this evening and with being here with all of you. It’s been a very special evening, and we have felt that deeply in our hearts.

I am so excited for the opportunity in the coming days, whether at a stake conference or watching general conference, to be able to raise my hand and sustain President Dallin H. Oaks as a prophet, seer, and revelator, and as the President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

And until that moment when I can raise my hand very, very high in my heart and in my prayers, I thank my Heavenly Father for this beloved man who is now the prophet of God. There is a scripture that my husband and I have often spoken of when we think of President Oaks. It is the scripture in the Doctrine and Covenants where the Lord was speaking about Hyrum Smith.

He said, “I … love him because of the integrity of his heart, and because he loveth that which is right before me.” And that I think we have said many, many times in our lives, is the heart of President Dallin H. Oaks.

I love my Heavenly Father, and I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I would give my testimony in the words of the beautiful, beautiful music we heard this night from this choir: “Praise to the Lord, the Almighty, the King of creation.” And then another verse says: “Praise to the Lord. Oh, let all that is in me adore him.” I love Him, I adore Him with all my heart and all my soul. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Elder Neil L. Andersen: I’ll walk you over here.

I love you.

We rejoice in your goodness and your faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. We love meeting with you and with everyone across the world—young men and women, sons and daughters of God, children of the covenant, disciples of Jesus Christ. We marvel at your devotion to the Savior, and we thank God that you are with us as we prepare for the Lord’s Second Coming.

We live in perilous times—times when temptations are rampant, when the standards of the world are very different from the standards of the gospel of Jesus Christ. We live in a time when we cannot be casual about our own discipleship. When I was your age, a prophet of God said, “[Each person of faith] is backed up to the wall of faith, and there … must make his [or her] stand.” I know this is true.

Another prophet of God said, “A person is not truly converted until he sees the power of God resting upon the leaders of this Church, and until it goes down into his [or her] heart like fire.” This too is true.

The prophet and the temple point us to Jesus Christ. As His disciples in these very last days, preparing for His return, we are strengthened in immeasurable ways by our witness of the Lord’s prophet and the house of the Lord.

Along with the power of His Spirit, the prophet and the temple are two powerful compensatory blessings the Lord has given us in our troubled world to separate good from evil, to understand our true purpose in our mortality, and to truly become His disciples.

I bear witness of President Dallin H. Oaks. He has been prepared and refined in the fire of adversity, renewed in his body and his mind to lead us at this time to speak in the name of the Lord.

I bear witness that this temple before us, and every sacred house of the Lord, is filled with power, peace, solace, and revelation, embodied with the keys of the priesthood that allow those things that are sealed on earth to be sealed in heaven. How thankful we are for the scores of temples now being constructed across the earth.

It’s a wonderful time to live, a time of anticipation and preparation for the Savior’s return. And He has encouraged us: “Be of good cheer; I have overcome the world.”

In my apostolic authority, I bless you as you seek to prepare yourself for our Savior’s return, that you will be given a confirming witness of the Lord’s prophet and of the sacred power of His holy house. I promise you that the angels of heaven will bless you as you seek to be a true disciple of Jesus Christ.

I testify that Jesus Christ is the Son of God, the Savior and Redeemer of all mankind. This is my witness, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.