Neil L Andersen | Drawing Closer to the Savior | October 2022 General Conference | Faith To Act

Drawing Closer to the Savior
By Elder Neil L. Andersen

Of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

Seeking to know and love the Savior, we separate ourselves from the world through covenants with God, being distinct, uncommon, and special, without isolating ourselves from others who believe differently.

My dear brothers and sisters, this evening I speak to the humble and devoted followers of Jesus Christ. As I see the goodness of your lives and your faith in our Savior here in this country and in the nations across the world, I love you all the more.

Toward the end of His ministry, Jesus’s disciples asked Him to tell them of “the sign of [His Second Coming], and of the end of the world.”1

Jesus told them of the conditions that would precede His return and concluded by declaring, “When ye shall see all these things, [you will] know that [the time] is near.”2

In the last general conference, I listened very closely to the words of President Henry B. Eyring: “Each of us,” he said, “wherever we are, knows that we live in increasingly perilous times. … Anyone with eyes to see the signs of the times and ears to hear the words of prophets knows that is true.”3

The Savior commended His valiant disciples: “Blessed are your eyes, for they see: and your ears, for they hear.”4 May this blessing be ours as we listen closely to the words of the Lord through His prophets and others in this conference.

Wheat and Tares
The Lord explained that in this final time prior to His return, the “wheat,” whom He describes as “the children of the kingdom,”5 would grow side by side with the “tares,” or those who do not love God and do not keep His commandments. They would “both grow together,”6 side by side.

This will be our world until the Savior returns, with much that is good and much that is evil on every side.7

You may at times not feel like a strong, mature strand of wheat. Be patient with yourself! The Lord said that the wheat would include tender blades springing up.8 We are all His Latter-day Saints, and although not yet all we want to be, we are serious in our desire to be His true disciples.

Strengthen Our Faith in Jesus Christ
We realize that as evil increases in the world, our spiritual survival, and the spiritual survival of those we love, will require that we more fully nurture, fortify, and strengthen the roots of our faith in Jesus Christ. The Apostle Paul counseled us to be rooted,9 grounded, and settled10 in our love for the Savior and our determination to follow Him. Today and the days ahead require more focused and concentrated effort, guarding against diversions and carelessness.11

But even with the increasing worldly influences around us, we need not fear. The Lord will never desert His covenant people. There is a compensatory power of spiritual gifts and divine direction for the righteous.12 This added blessing of spiritual power, however, does not settle upon us just because we are part of this generation. It comes as we strengthen our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and keep His commandments, as we come to know Him and love Him. “This is life eternal,” Jesus prayed, “that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”13

As we know very well, having faith in Jesus Christ and being a true disciple is more than a one-time decision—more than a one-time event. It is a sacred, ongoing process that grows and expands through the seasons of our lives, continuing until we kneel at His feet.

With the wheat growing amidst the tares in the world, how can we deepen and strengthen our commitment to the Savior in the days ahead?

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