The Life and Teachings of Elder Russell Marion Nelson

The Biography of Elder Russell Marion Nelson

            The first thing that stuck out to me about Elder Nelson was that he was a doctor by the time he was 22 years old. The time and dedication it must have taken to achieve such a task, while at the same time remaining dedicated to his family is mind boggling, and yet so inspiring. The next thing that stood out to me was that he would take a member of his family with him, whether it was his wife or one of his children, wherever he would travel. I loved how his biography stated that instead of seeing such a thing as an extravagance, he saw it as a wise investment. How much we can learn from such a statement about the importance of putting family first! I also found it amazing that Elder Nelson performed open heart surgery on President Kimball. To have the life of a servant of the Lord in your hands must have been both a nerve-wracking and humbling experience. I don’t think I would have been able to handle such a task without getting overworked and overstressed.

The Testimony of Elder Russell Marion Nelson

            The first thing that stood out to me about Elder Nelson’s testimony that he chose to bear his testimony of the Abrahamic Covenant and missionary work. I have found that Elder Nelson speaks a great deal about missionary work. I feel that through Elder Nelson’s testimony, Heavenly Father is telling me that the outcomes from referring my friends to the missionaries are not solely my responsibility. I feel Heavenly Father is trying to tell me that I cannot beat myself up if things don’t turn out the way I would have hoped, and that I share the responsibility with the missionaries. I also feel as if Heavenly Father is telling me that of my friends who I don’t refer to the missionaries, I am 100% responsible for their outcome.

Recent Teachings

Elder Russell Marion Nelson, Let Your Faith Show, April 2014 General Conference, Saturday Afternoon Session

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Faith

·         Integrity

·         Standing as a Witness

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “The word religion literally means “to legate again” or “to tie back” to God. The question we might as ourselves is, are we securely tied to God so that our faith shows, or are we actually tied to something else?”

o    I loved this quote because of how Elder Nelson uses the literal meaning of a word. Being that I am a communications major, I have been told by my best friend that I am in fact a word nerd. I even have the Merriam-Webster Dictionary App on both my iPad and my iPhone. With that being said, I love how bluntly Elder Nelson states what religion is. It reminds me of a quote from Elder Holland when he said that we “never check our religion at the door.” If we want to forever remain tied to God, we must always be living our religion. As President Uchtdorf stated in his talk during this last Priesthood Session, “being a disciple of Jesus Christ is not an effort of once a week or once a day. It is an effort of once and for all.” I find quotes that have to do with discipleship, standing as a witness, and being an example to others have really taken on a new meaning for me ever since I became a Primary Teacher, and even though I am no longer teaching Primary, I am having to constantly check myself to ensure I have not “checked my religion at the door.”

·         “In all professional endeavors, rigorous standards of accuracy are required. Scholars cherish their freedom of expression. But full freedom cannot be experienced if part of one’s knowledge is ruled “out-of-bounds” by edicts of men.

o    I loved this quote because I feel I am constantly being told to conform to what others think I should be or should become. It is difficult to remain objective to the end result when I feel as if at times I have one hand tied behind my back. I can’t fully complete the task when I am not able to use all of the information and knowledge I have to do so, even if that knowledge and information were to make things much easier for all parties involved. It is at these times when I know I am faced with a choice, of whether I will use the information and knowledge I have to help others, or if I will be silent and remain in the background for fear of being rejected for the knowledge and information I have. For me this is what makes missionary work so difficult for me. It is so easy for me to do temple work because those who have passed on still have their agency and can choose whether or not they want to accept the work being done for them. But when I am faced with the daunting task of sharing the light and knowledge I have obtain through having the Gospel in my life, I find I am more likely to hide behind my phone or computer screen and do missionary work from afar, rather than talk to people directly. I have so much respect for missionaries for their desire to spend eighteen months to two years of their lives preaching the Gospel, and not knowing if anyone will listen or if they will even make a difference.

Past Teachings

Elder Russell Marion Nelson, Ask the Missionaries! They Can Help You!, Ensign and General Conference (through the LDS Gospel Library App), November 2012 (General Conference October 2012, Saturday Morning Session)

Key Doctrine and Principles:

·         Missionary Work

Favorite Quotes and Why They Matter to Me:

·         “The decision to serve a mission will shape the spiritual destiny of the missionary, his or her spouse, and their posterity for generations to come. A desire to serve is a natural outcome of one’s conversion, worthiness, and preparation.”

o    I loved this quote because of the second part of it. I have known several missionaries in my life who have gone on a mission, not because they have a testimony, but because it was expected of them. The importance of being truly converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ before serving a mission is essential. If you are not truly converted, than how can you expect others to gain a testimony of something for which you yourself have yet to receive a testimony of. Being truly converted and being as prepared as possible are important components of a successful mission, regardless of whether or not anyone ever listens to the message you are called to preach.

·         “You may have previously encountered, or even ignored, our missionaries. My hope is that you will not fear them but learn from them. They can be a heaven-sent resource to you.”

o    I loved this quote because it speaks to my very core. In my lifetime, I have referred friends to the missionaries with disastrous outcomes. Other times I have referred friends to the missionaries, and things have turned out wonderfully. Yet it is those disastrous outcomes that hold me back from referring my friends to the missionaries. I lost one of my best and closest friends because I had referred her to the missionaries, and they were overly pushy and had told her I was the one being pushy. Despite the fact that her father, step-mother, step-brother, and half-brother are all members of the church, she didn’t join the church. The worst part about this was that she couldn’t take the constant onslaught of text messages and phone calls from the elders after they had told me to call her and said they wouldn’t call her if I did. To add insult to injury, we had already started to plan her baptism, who she wanted to speak, who she wanted to sing, who would perform the baptism and confirmation, and everything else. I haven’t talked to my friend in over two and a half years. It is outcomes like these that cause me to fear what might happen if I were to refer a friend to the missionaries.