Celebrating President Nelson: 15 Quotes From Our Beloved Prophet

By Sheena Perron

Last Tuesday our beloved prophet, Russell M. Nelson, celebrated his 96th birthday. In honor of President Nelson’s special day, I decided to take some time and study some of his talks that he has given over the last 36 years. What better way to celebrate his birthday than reading the words of our prophet and committing to hearken unto his words and strive to follow his counsel.

Below are 15 beautiful quotes from President Nelson on various topics. 

Choices

“As you continue to face many challenging choices in life, remember, there is great protection when you know who you are, why you are here, and where you are going. Let your unique identity shape each decision you make on the path toward your eternal destiny. Accountability for your choices now will bear on all that lies ahead” (Choices; October 1990).

Endure to the End

“Each of you who really wants to endure to the glorious end that our Heavenly Father has foreseen should firmly establish some personal priorities. With many interests competing for your loyalty, you need to be careful first to stay safely “on the boat.” No one can serve two masters. If Satan can get you to love anything—fun, flirtation, fame, or fortune—more than a spouse or the Lord with whom you have made sacred covenants to endure, the adversary begins to triumph” (Endure and be Lifted Up; April 1997).

Faith

“I have implicit faith in the Lord and in His prophets. I have learned not to put question marks but to use exclamation points when calls are issued through inspired channels of priesthood government” (Call to Holy Apostleship; April 1984).

“We might each ask ourselves, where is our faith? Is it in a team? Is it in a brand? Is it in a celebrity? Even the best teams can fail. Celebrities can fade. There is only One in whom your faith is always safe, and that is in the Lord Jesus Christ. And you need to let your faith show! (Let Your Faith Show; April 2014).

Joy

“In order to experience true joy... at least three factors are needed. You need to feel good about the people with whom you live and work—your companions in life. You must feel good about yourself—not in any sense of conceit, but simply a proper esteem for yourself, well deserved. And possibly most important, you must feel good about your relation to God and sincerely love him.” (Joy Cometh in the Morning; October 1986).

“My dear brothers and sisters, the joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives” (Joy and Spiritual Survival; October 2016).

Love

“I doubt that the Lord cares much which honorable vocation you choose. But He does care if you love one another and serve one another (see Mosiah 4:15; Identity, Priority, and Blessings; BYU Speech 2001).

“Giving help to others—making a conscientious effort to care about others as much as or more than we care about ourselves—is our joy. Especially, I might add, when it is not convenient and when it takes us out of our comfort zone. Living that second great commandment is the key to becoming a true disciple of Jesus Christ” (The Second Great Commandments; October 2019).

Personal Revelation

“Our Father knows that when we are surrounded by uncertainty and fear, what will help us the very most is to hear His Son. Because when we seek to hear--truly hear--Hi son, we will be guided to know what to do in any circumstance” (Hear Him; April 2020).

“We can pray to our Heavenly Father and receive guidance and direction, be warned about dangers and distractions, and be enabled to accomplish things we simply could not do on our own. If we will truly receive the Holy Ghost and learn to discern and understand His promptings, we will be guided in matters large and small” (Revelation for the Church, Revelation for Our Lives; April 2018).

Prayer

“Through prayer, we can show our love for God. And He has made it so easy. We may pray to Him any time. No special equipment is needed. We don’t even need to charge batteries or pay a monthly service fee (Sweet Power of Prayer; April 2003).

“Even more amazing than modern technology is our opportunity to access information directly from Heaven, without hardware, software, or monthly service fees” (Ask, Seek, Knock; October 2009).

Repentance

“When we choose to repent, we choose to change! We allow the Savior to transform us into the best version of ourselves. We choose to grow spiritually and receive joy--the joy of redemption in Him. When we choose to repent, we choose to become more like Jesus Christ!” (We Can Do Better and Be Better; April 2019).

Sabbath

“When I had to make a decision whether or not an activity was appropriate for the Sabbath, I simply asked myself, 'What sign do I want to give to God?' That question made my choices about the Sabbath day crystal clear” (The Sabbath is a Delight; April 2015).

Temple

“I plead with you to take a prayerful look at how you spend your time. Invest time in your future and your family. If you have reasonable access to a temple, I urge you to find a way to make an appointment regularly with the Lord--to be in His Holy house--then keep that appointment with exactness and joy. I promise you that the Lord will bring the miracles He knows you need as you make sacrifices to serve and worship in His temples” (Becoming Exemplary Latter-day Saints; October 2018).

A Challenge For You:

Was there a specific quote that stood out to you? Is there something that you have struggled with recently that President Nelson discussed in one of the quotes? Is there a quote that you could share with your family or a loved one?

I invite you to take time this week to choose one quote and then study the talk where that quote was found. As you study, pay close attention to what President Nelson is asking of you. What blessings does he mention? Does he mention any warnings? After you have studied, make a goal to apply what you have learned and make a plan to heed the counsel of our beloved prophet. I cannot think of a greater birthday gift we could offer to him than this.

Sheena Perron is the founder of Little LDS Ideas and Seek Christ Daily. Her mission is to help others become seekers of Christ through uplifting online content and events. She has been featured in the Ensign, Deseret News, and KSL Radio. Follow Sheena Perron on Instagram and Facebook