Neil L.

Andersen

Life:

I think every apostle of the church can teach us countless things. In this case Elder Neil L. Andersen
has taught us the importance of study, work and sacrifice. He has studied at Harvard and byu and
get a master degree on administration, he has worked since he was a young boy on a farm and
new the importance of work to receive blessings. What I like the most was about the sacrifice, he
started a business I suppose with effort and sacrifice the business started to grow then he was
called to serve as mission president in France, what can he do with his business? He decided to sell
it. Can you imagine something yours that demanded effort and sacrifice to be sold? Elder
Andersen new that blessing will come if he decided to go to serve as mission president. What a
great faith.

Testimony:

The pioneers showed us an important example of sacrifice, they had to move many times through
different states and conditions, many of them were very bad condition, conditions that caused the
dead of many faithful people who looked for a place to live peacefully and to worship god. I think
elder Andersen has this beautiful testimony because he has experienced this particular principle
when he decided to serve as a mission president in France, he had to leave his growing
advertisement business in Florida and do what the lord had required from him. He has a living
testimony of sacrifice and someone can feel it. I also like the last part when he says that sacrifice is
required to be with God, God requires our heart and mind and to be placed in the first spot, as our
priority and blessing will come, we have to rely on him and blessing will come.

Teaching:

title : The Prophet of God-2018

key doctrines and principles : obedience, faith.

favorite quotes :

” For those diligently seeking eternal life, the prophet’s voice brings spiritual safety in very
turbulent times.”

“The prophet’s voice, while spoken kindly, will often be a voice asking us to change, to repent, and
to return to the Lord.”

why it matters to you :

What a blessing we have to have a prophet today. What I could learn from this talk is the
importance of prophets and the importance to follow their counsel. He is the chosen instrument
to guide us and protect us and help us to get closer to God’s presence. We have to be sure that
the prophet will lead us to the right path, we have to rely on them without doubt , we have to be
obedient.
Other thing I like is that if we rely and want to do things by ourselves without listening the
prophet’s voice we won’t have a secure trip in this life, we will suffer many sad consequences of
our actions. God has sent his prophets to not be between God and us, the prophet is here to be
next to us to guide us and lead and to be along with us. The last mentioned thing is interesting,
because I have always thought that the prophet is between God and us, but what elder Andersen
explained us has a lot of coherence between a prophet is here next to us to lead us and show us
the way and the will of God.

title : A Witness of God-2016

key doctrines and principles : preach the gospel.

favorite quotes :

” Guilt has an important role as it awakens us to changes we need to make, but there are limits to
how far guilt will help us.”

“We need you; the Lord needs you to be even more engaged in this great cause.”

why it matters to you : This talk has a big relation with preaching the gospel. And in fact this is the
way we are witness of God, it is by preaching the gospel that we say that we believe in God and
we can invite others to follow him. Sometimes we feel disappointed because we try to preach the
gospel but we don’t see positive results, that when we can feel guilty because sometimes we
don’t want to share the gospel any more due to our past experiences. Elder Andersen taught us
that guilty in a sense is good because it can help us to change our actions and behavior and to
start preaching again the gospel of Jesus Christ. Elder Andersen invited us to preach the gospel
everywhere. People are not here by chance, there are on your way because something, and if we
don’t open our mouth to preach the gospel maybe we are preventing them to listen the gospel
and have the truth in their lives and have the blessing because that. Finally elder Andersen invited
us to keep preaching the gospel because God needs us , God wants us to be engaged in this great
work of salvation. There are many people who can be blessed because us, because we can preach
the gospel.

Ronald A. Rasband

Life:

I like the part when elder Rasband served as a mission president. He said that he had a lot of
experience in the business world and also in church callings but none of those experiences were a
real preparation for being a mission president. As mission president he has faced new experiences,
issues and situations, he had to rely on the lord , pray, find revelation to do the right things and to
do what the lord wanted him to do. Other part I liked is that he credited his wife a lot, he
mentioned that his wife helped him to improve on many aspects, and that part of what he is now
is because his wife, she is a very important part to be what the lord wants him to be.
Testimony:

It’s incredible things that pioneers have experienced. They faced many difficult things to have a
hope of better things.What I liked about the testimony was that as sons or daughters of pioneers
we have to continue treasuring the things the treasured, they sacrificed many things for us, the
futures sons and daughters , we have to protect the legacy they gave us and we have to do the
same thing for our future generation, we have to set the example so they can remember where
they come from and what their ancestor did to have the gospel in their lives. As elder Rasband
said, I know what my ancestor knew, and I believe what they believed. Can you imagine how they
fell know that we continue with the work they have started? I am sure they rejoice because us.

Teaching

title : Behold! A Royal Army -2018

key doctrines and principles :Priesthood, obedience, faith.

favorite quotes :

” Wherever you are and whatever your circumstances may be, we invite you prayerfully, faithfully,
and joyfully to accept new opportunities to lead or to be led and to serve unitedly as a body of
priesthood brethren.”

“We have been given direction by a prophet of God! What a tremendous blessing and
responsibility.”

why it matters to you : This topic is very important because elder Rasband clarify some points
about the changes in the elders quorum and high priest quorum and also invites us to be obedient
and work fallowing the new instructions.

We are blessed and grateful to have a living prophet on the earth that can lead us, guide us, and
tell us what the lord wants, the new changes were inspired to continue forward with the lord’s
work. Our heavenly father needs working hands to continue his work and people who are
obedient and accept the new changes and the new way to work.

As only one quorum composed by elders and high priest, wards and branches will be more united,
will serve in a better way under the direction of the bishopric. The bishopric can give more
responsibilities to this quorum knowing of its strengths due to a combine effort. And the bishopric
will focus more on its principle responsibility which is to look over the young people of the church,
both young women and young men who hold the Aaronic priesthood.

title : Lest Thou Forget -2016

key doctrines and principles :

favorite quotes :” Each of us must first strengthen ourselves spiritually and then strengthen those
around us”

“To all who feel the need to have their faith fortified, I plead with you, do not forget! Please do not
forge”

why it matters to you: This talk was perfect. I consider this talk one of the most important talks to
me because it has an important teaching about always keep in our minds what we know.

We have a lot of experiences in our lives, spiritual experiences that can be helpful when we face
problems and we are about to give up. We have to ,if is possible, keep record of those experiences
so in difficult times we can get to them and refresh our minds with those inspired experiences. It is
not just because us , it is also for our sons and great sons and so on , they can feel and remember
what their ancestor did and they can feel good and learn many things from those experiences.

Sometimes we feel week and we don’t want to go to church o keep the commandments of God,
elder Rasband gives us an important suggestion that we shouldn’t forget what we know, he pleads
us we shouldn’t forget things we felt.