President Russell M. Nelson of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, along with his wife, Wendy, recently sat down with Newsrooom and Church News for nearly one hour to reflect on a variety of themes related to the coronavirus.
Enduring Difficult Times: “Fasten Your Seat Belt, Hang on through the Bumps and Do What’s Right. Your Reward Will Be Eternal”
The COVID-19 pandemic has impacted everyone including Latter-day Saints the world over.
In addition to the health guidelines intended to decrease its spread, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has implemented precautionary measures of its own during the last several months to accommodate the ever-changing circumstances among the faith’s followers.
Although this unprecedented outbreak has changed the daily lives of Latter-day Saints, President Nelson shared advice for how the Saints can get through these challenging times.
“The road ahead will always be bumpy, but the destination will be serene and secure,” he said.
Sister Nelson described how her husband has faced these challenging times.
“He’s even more future-oriented than ever,” she said. “He is ready for the very next thing that the Lord wants to have happen, the next thing that the Lord wants him to do or to say.”
How does he handle the pressure? Simple, Sister Nelson said. “He knows that he’s not in charge. He knows the Lord’s in charge … so think of all the stress that doesn’t even build.
He finds such joy in serving the Lord, [and] joy and stress don’t coexist well together. That’s a great de-stressor.”
President Nelson said the members of the First Presidency and the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles trace their family roots from four continents. This, combined with their decades of life experience, gives them a “diverse and powerful pool of wisdom. Each has been called to be a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
Knowing this, the prophet said, is a significant source of comfort in the work they are called to do.
“We are servants of the Lord; this is His work. We do our best and we go sleep and let Him work because He’s able to do His own work."
“In all candor, I must again testify that the Lord Jesus Christ directs the affairs of His Church. Not only that, He’s turning the heart of many people throughout the world. Might I add that we’re not through with revelation or with the Restoration? More is yet ahead. The Lord will accomplish many wonderful things before He comes again. So, stay tuned. Stay well.”
President Nelson said that enduring difficult times is worth it.
“Fasten your seat belt, hang on through the bumps and do what’s right. Your reward will be eternal.”