Brothers and sisters, we welcome you from the Church Office Building in Salt Lake City, Utah, to this Worldwide Devotional for Young Adults. We especially want to welcome those who are joining us for the very first time. We hope that these devotionals will strengthen and enrich your lives. I am Paul V. Johnson. I serve as a Seventy, and as the Commissioner of Education for the Church Educational System. Elder Robert C. Gay of the Presidency of the Seventy presides here this evening. He is accompanied by his wife, Lynette. And we are thrilled to be able to hear from both of them this evening. Due to the pandemic crisis, we are still following the guidelines of local leaders to social distance and stay at home where possible. The music for this broadcast will be recorded music from previous broadcasts with various conductors and accompanists. We express our appreciation for their talents and service. We will begin with "Press Forward Saints," hymn number 81 in the English hymnbook. Please feel free to sing along wherever you may be. We appreciate the assistance of Sumerisa Stephens, who will conduct the music, and Alissa Chard, who will be our accompanist. After the hymn, Elyse Mendenhall of the Taylorsville Utah YSA Stake will offer the invocation.

[MUSIC PLAYING: PRESS FORWARD SAINTS]

Our dear Heavenly Father, thank you for this opportunity tonight to gather as young adults across the world. Thank you for the technology that we have to be able to broadcast throughout the whole world and also all the preparation that has gone into tonight's devotional, both for Elder and Sister Gay as well as the hands that are seen, not seen, to make this devotional possible tonight. Thank Thee for the restored gospel that we have here on this earth today and also for Prophet-- President Russell Nelson, that he may guide us through these trying times. Please also bless that tonight that we may be able to have our minds and hearts opened to the Spirit. That we may be able to receive promptings and be able to have strength to act on those promptings. And we leave these things with thee in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

We will now watch a musical number from a BYU young adult choir singing "Come Thou Fount." They were directed by David Lozano Torres and accompanied by Levi Kelly. After the musical number, we will be pleased to hear from Sister Lynette Gay. She will then be followed by Elder Robert C. Gay. At the conclusion of their remarks, we will show a recording of the Utah Valley Institute choir singing "How Firm a Foundation." They were directed by Ryan Eggett, and accompanied by Linda Margetts. The benediction will then be offered by Josh Garff of the Holladay Utah YSA Stake. Elder Robert C. Gay was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 31, 2012. He currently serves as a member of the Presidency of the Seventy. Prior to his call as a General Authority, Elder Gay worked in business and nonprofit poverty relief. Sister Lynette Gay has founded and directed multiple charitable organizations, especially in Africa. She and Elder Gay both served as missionaries together in Ghana. They've been married 46 years and are parents of 7 children and grandparents to their 20 grandchildren. We will now hear from the choir.

[MUSIC PLAYING: COME THOU FOUNT]

Good evening, brothers and sisters, I'm so thankful for that song. It's one of my all time favorites, and it's given me a sense of peace and love at this time. I also want to express my humility and love for being here with you this evening. Knowing many people around the world, it's very humbling to know of the prayers that have been spoken and I want to send my love to my grandchildren; our grandchildren we haven't seen for many months. Hopefully they're listening, because they know how much we love them. And if they were here, they would testify to the fact that I love weather, all kinds of weather: sunshine, pleasant breezes, snowstorms, windstorms, thunderstorms, and even nor'easters with great swells and waves breaking on a beach. Over the last 45 years we've lived in many different parts of the United States and around the world, and each place has had its own weather challenges. In the United States, in the Midwest it was dramatic lightning storms and tornadoes; in the Southeast it was hurricanes; in the Northeast, blizzards, freezing rains, and ice storms; in the West, hot Santa Ana winds and earthquakes. In West Africa there were torrential downpours and dust storms from the Harmattan, which were the red sands from the Sahara, blowing across the country. And in Europe there was rain, sleet, snow, and sunshine, sometimes all in the same day. And then in Asia we felt the power of typhoons. All of these different weather experiences were always exciting to me! What can I say? I love weather! That being said, as much as I look forward to experiencing Mother Nature and her grandeur, I have a profound respect for the power and possible dangers always present in fierce weather events. I would never risk my life no matter the temptation or beauty I see in that force. I would never purposely choose to put myself in the middle of an open field just to observe an amazing show of lightning; I would not dive into an ocean while powerful, majestic waves are crashing dangerously on shore; and I would not tempt Mother Nature by failing to take shelter with the coming of a tornado or hurricane. I definitely recognize my own puniness compared to the full force of the weather present around me. For me the force of shifting weather is an important life metaphor. As we walk out our doors each day, you and I are greeted by not only uncontrollable physical weather events but ever-powerful spiritually weathering forces and temptations. Though the circumstances are likely different for each of you, it should cause you to ask, "How can I best prepare for the daily weathering that surrounds my life?" I believe we do this by what our prophet, President Nelson, strongly counseled at our recent conference, to follow the profound declaration that opened this dispensation when God said, "This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!' We may not fully see or comprehend what may be swirling towards us, above us, or behind us, or always be able to anticipate powerful and unseen forces coming our way, but we can be confident in our daily journey if we "hear Him." Elder Boyd K. Packer was often heard to say, "If all you know is what you see with your natural eyes and hear with your natural ears, then you will not know very much." A great truth of the First Vision is this reality: If you depend solely on your own vision and knowledge, you will be sorely limited in seeing the larger picture surrounding you and your soul may be in danger. At the recent general conference, President Nelson again said, "It has never been more imperative to know how the Spirit speaks to you than right now. In the Godhead, the Holy Ghost is the messenger. He will bring thoughts to your mind which the Father and the Son want you to receive. He is the Comforter. He will bring a feeling of peace to your heart. He testifies of truth and will confirm what is true as you hear and read the word of the Lord. I renew my plea for you to do whatever it takes to increase your spiritual capacity to receive personal revelation." Long ago, through spiritual tutoring with personal struggles and answers to prayer, I became aware of this profound reality and truth: To help us see and prepare for any swirling weather or storms, God gave us the promise and gift of the Holy Ghost and personal revelation. It is a priceless gift in our daily lives, able to "show unto [us] all things what [we] should do." When I was growing up, I thought of revelation as something only for Church Leaders, for prophets, apostles, bishops, and older people, but certainly not for me as a young person. Today I know differently and I testify this evening that personal revelation is a blessing we must seek. When our hearts and minds are humble, teachable, and open with faith in Jesus Christ, we will be taught truths and guided by the Holy Ghost. Some of you may feel you are not worthy of God's guiding voice. You may feel as Laman and Lemuel, that God will not make his voice "known" to you. Do not believe that. His spirit is available to all. Elder D. Todd Christofferson recently said, "We do not need some minimum level of capacity or goodness before God will help--divine aid can be yours every hour of every day." God will meet you where you are, without conditions. Jesus said, "Ask and ye shall receive." Of course, heaven draws even closer and more open to you as you humbly and diligently seek to understand and keep His commandments. Your life and the lives of others will be blessed as you act boldly on any and all promptings given to you by the Spirit. May I share an experience that taught me this truth years ago. Many years ago, when our oldest daughter was a student at the University of Utah, I was peacefully awakened in the middle of the night and received an immediate, calm impression about her. I was wide awake but did not feel any fear, just love for her, but I was impressed that she may be in danger. We lived in Connecticut and she was clear across the country in Utah. Then this thought came to me, Call the police. Ask them if they can send a police car to check out the area around where she lives. I hesitated for a minute, trying to understand what I was hearing, and heard the voice again, "Call the police." So I did just that. I called the police. I couldn't explain to the officer exactly why I was asking this in the middle of the night, but I told him I would really appreciate it if he would please send a car to check out the area around her house. He assured me he would, and I calmly went back to bed. I awoke the next day hardly remembering what had occurred during the night. Several days later while traveling to Utah, and while driving to our hotel, we heard on the radio that the police had arrested a man in connection with assaults that had taken place around the housing near the University of Utah campus. The report said that a young woman had been tragically murdered one evening that week. My heart stopped and I immediately remembered my middle-of-the-night call to the police several days earlier. I have no idea if that was even the same evening. And I had no idea if her sorority was one of the targeted houses. I will never know exactly what happened or occurred that night, but I do know that a quiet nudge awoke me in the middle of the night and compelled me to make a call to help ensure my daughter's safety in what was an apparently unsafe situation. The storms of life may seem overpowering at times. But there is no more powerful force than the power of the priesthood and the gift of the Holy Ghost in your life right now. On the night of His Atonement, the Savior taught that the Father's priceless gift of the Holy Ghost is given to bring peace and "comfort" to your soul, to "teach all things" and to "bring all things to your remembrance," to "guide you in all truth" and "shew you all things to come." We are given the Holy Ghost to "fill [our souls] with joy." These blessings humble and overwhelm me at times. Is it any wonder that President Nelson is inviting us to do all we can to receive personal revelation and hear the voice of God through the Holy Ghost in our lives? Have you noticed the theme of personal revelation and counsel to recognize the Spirit's gift in your life emerging from the last three years of conference? I have, and am profoundly grateful for their counsel to anchor our testimonies and life with our own personal, purposeful, and individual gifts of light and spirit. In the days and years ahead, you will have experiences that will manifest different ways the Spirit works and speaks in your life. Do not ignore these impressions. It may be a small whisper or a gentle nudge. It may be a feeling or a thought, or even direct and clear instruction. It may be a reoccurring impression of a person's name. The Holy Ghost definitely brings bursts of intelligence and understanding that enlightens our minds. I personally have experienced most of these manifestations and have learned that if a person's name or face keeps coming to mind, I need to pick up the phone and call them. I've learned to follow thoughts and promptings even when there was no specific explanation or outcome that I could see. The Spirit has warned me not to go to certain places and to turn away from certain people and certain activities. This experience of having the spirit whisper to you and talk to you is a lifetime experience; it doesn't just happen once. It will take many times for you to learn, to discern what you are hearing, and how you are being directed. Why did I choose to speak to you about this? Just as we cannot fully see or hear all forms of severe weather on the horizon and are not always aware of all the circumstances before us, if we only use our natural eyes and ears to understand the circumstances, we will not be prepared for life's forces and the storms around us. I am impressed that the only true language we all must hear, know, and understand is the language of the Spirit. May you perfect that language in your life. As you do, you will be guided, protected, and lifted in every needful way. Dear friends, my dear brothers and sisters, I am not a scholar, I am not a master of the scriptures, but I am a believer. I know that this is the true and living Church of Jesus Christ, that revelation is real, and the heavens are open to you. I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, He is your Savior, and He desires to bless you, protect you, intercede for you, guide you, and lift you. When no one else understands you, He does. He understands. I lovingly urge that you face towards the Savior each day--not away. Turn towards Him with faith in those truths you know to be true. Don't let your doubts, your fears, or those things that keep you up at night, turn you away from the protection and power of the Holy Ghost and promises of our Savior, Jesus Christ. Each of you are genuinely loved by our Heavenly Father and our Savior. I pray that God will answer your prayers as never before and grant you every gift of the Holy Ghost that you need to move forward in life, and say this with great love for each of you. There will be rough and rocky days ahead, but I promise there'll be many more beautiful, joyful, peaceful days with blue skies and warm breezes when you you turn to Him who has all power over heaven and earth, and I say this, with love, in the sacred name of our Savior, Jesus Christ, amen.

My beloved brothers and sisters, first I want to thank my wonderful wife for that wonderful counsel and advice Lynette. Thank you.

It's a tremendous blessing and opportunity to join with you this evening. We are truly living in unusual times and I truly believe you have been raised for these times. Not long ago, President M. Russell Ballard said, "I believe this is the greatest generation of young adults in the history of the Church." I honestly feel that is true. You are a special generation raised up to navigate turbulent times and to help prepare the world for the Second Coming of Jesus Christ.

He intimately knows you and loves you. Tonight as we came here to this broadcast, we were told that we had received tens and tens of thousands of tweets with questions about the spirit and about personal revelation. I hope that tonight as you listen to my wife and myself, that we're able to answer those questions.

I pray that the Holy Ghost, who is teacher, will be able to answer to the one as well as to the many. In our recent days and months as a world community, we have experienced unusual suffering, uncertainty, commotion, and challenge. These are times that have long been foretold and they will culminate in the glorious Second Coming of our Savior. Jesus, Himself prophesied of these times. He said, "You [shall also] hear of wars, and rumors of wars; see that ye be not troubled, for all I have told you must come to pass ... I speak for [mine] elect's sake; for nation shall rise against nation, ... there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places ... the love of men shall wax cold ... [A]ll shall be fulfilled." I would like to share just one perspective about all of this; it is a lesson from our Church history. Amanda Barnes Smith, her husband Warren, and their five children were new converts to the Church when they traveled to Missouri. They joined the Saints at Haun's Mill just a few days before a mob came and slaughtered many there.

Amanda's husband and 10-year-old son were among those killed. Another of her young sons was gravely injured. Amanda received a powerful revelation on how to save her wounded son. During that time of great stress, though, she wrote the following: "In our utter desolation, what could we women do but pray? Prayer was our only source of comfort; our Heavenly Father our only helper. None but He could save and deliver us. One day a mobber came from the mill with the captain's fiat. Cursing, he bellowed, 'The captain says if you women don't stop your ... praying he will send down a posse and kill every ... one of you!' And he might as well have killed us, as to stop us poor women praying in that hour of our great calamity. Our prayers were hushed in terror. We dared not let our voices be heard in the house of supplication. I could pray in my bed or in silence, but I could not live thus long. This godless silence was more intolerable than had been that night of the massacre. I could bear it no longer. I pined to hear once more my own voice in petition to my Heavenly Father. I stole down [into] a cornfield and crawled into a [stack] of corn. It was as the temple of the Lord to me at that moment. I prayed out loud and most fervently. When I emerged from the corn a voice spoke to me. It was a voice as plain as I ever heard one. It was no silent, strong impression of the Spirit, but a voice, repeating a verse of our hymn: 'That soul that on Jesus hath leaned for repose, I will not, I cannot, desert to his foes; That soul, though all hell should endeavor to shake, I'll never, no never forsake!' From that moment I had no more fear. I felt that nothing could hurt me." These times can be unsettling but know what was true for Amanda Barnes Smith is true for you. No matter the events around you, no matter the trial you might need to bear, God is at the helm. He will not forsake you and you need not fear if you are faithful and lift your voice unto Him. It is on this very thing I would like to speak to you about tonight.

As I said, I appreciate having my wife here with me tonight. She is my everything. We met years ago in high school. After our high school graduation she went to Ricks College in Rexburg, Idaho, and I went to BYU in Provo, Utah. In our first year of college I decided one weekend to drive to visit her at Rexburg. There, she taught me an invaluable lesson. She did not have a car, and it had been some time since she had been able to drive. As we left her apartment, she asked me if she could drive my car. I said, "Sure." We soon started down a hill close to where she lived. About halfway down the hill she asked me, "Is there a stop sign at the end of the street?" The stop sign was totally visible, and I immediately said, "Yes, there's a stop sign." She said, "Okay, I thought so, I just can't see it." I asked, "Why can't you see it?" She said, "Because I don't have my glasses on, and I can't see much without my glasses." I then said something like, "And why aren't you wearing your glasses?" "Because I don't like how they look on me, but I forgot I can't see everything without them." I said, "Well then, you'd better let me drive." The lesson was simple: unless you can see clearly, you will always be in danger. Now I ask you, "How are you driving your life forward?" Are you conducting your life with the glasses needed to see life's reality clearly? In the ancient city of Laodicea the Saints had no glaring or visible sins, but the Lord reprimanded them for being lukewarm in their discipleship. Prideful in their worldly accomplishments and know-how, they became increasingly self-satisfied and independent of God. Even though this city was known for being expert in eyecare, the Lord said to them, "Anoint thine eyes with eyesalve, that thou mayest see." It seems a critical question for each of us is this: Am I seeing my life through the eyes of God's truths, commandments, and covenants or through my own eyes? Am I daily hearkening to His voice received through prayer and personal revelation of the Spirit or hearkening to the voice of self or the voice of the wise of this world who shout that God's ways and even His prophets are misplaced, boring, unnecessary, uncaring, or even, in the rhetoric of the world, deceitful and hateful? Joseph Smith once said, "The Devil will use his greatest effort to trap the Saints ... He will so transform things as to make one gape at those who are doing the will of God." Without God's help and revelation you simply cannot see things as they really are and as they really will be. The adversary is intent on making you gape at those who are doing the will of God. He is intent on keeping you from seeing and understanding reality, to keep you from seeing that you are deeply beloved son and daughter of God. His desire is to legitimize the world, and have you reject or half-heartedly turn to God; and especially, to have you define yourself and your life's journey by some political, cultural, or other worldly pursuit, or just plain indifference.

I have often asked myself this question: "What made Nephi a believer, and not a Laman or Lemuel?" All three brothers were born of the same goodly parents. One night I heard my question answered. I was in Bangkok, Thailand, on an assignment with President M. Russell Ballard when he shared this scripture: "And it came to pass that I Nephi ... having great desires to know of the mysteries of God, wherefore I did cry unto the Lord; and behold he did visit me, and did soften my heart that I did believe all the words which had been spoken by my father; wherefore, I did not rebel against him like unto my brothers." There was my answer. God manifests Himself to us according to our desires. Nephi desired, above all else, to know the truths and mysteries of God and was blessed with God's presence, joy, power, and truth. Laman and Lemuel desired the trappings of the world and received its reward. If you want to be with God, you must unite your desires to His will. Where, and on what, you place your heart's desire will determine how you will be both empowered to move through and prevail in this life. Therefore, tonight I invite you to choose to frame your life by the overarching desire to become converted and to strengthen others. You may recall this is what the Savior asked of His chief Apostle, Peter, when He said, "Simon, Simon, ... Satan hath desired to have you, that he may sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for thee, that thy faith fail not: and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren."

I will never forget the time my wife and I were interviewed by a senior member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles about my willingness to serve as a mission president. My wife and I had many things going on in our lives. At the time of our interview we were involved in some very challenging family dynamics, we were engaged in large humanitarian efforts across the world that required a lot of our attention and resources, and I was a senior managing partner of a global investment business, not to speak of all the Church callings we were working on. I thought we were already doing as much as we could possibly do. As we sat there that day with this beloved Apostle and reflected on all that we had going on, we both politely said that this was probably not the best time for us to serve a mission. Without hesitation, this member of the Twelve turned to my wife and said, "Lynette, you are going to make a great missionary and companion to your husband." He then turned to me and he said, "You know, you really don't get it. The Lord is calling you to save your life. You are either going to live your life by covenant or convenience. There is never a convenient time to serve. This is a matter of faith. You either believe that the Lord will bless your life with the blessings you need as you do His priorities, or you don't." Quietly I sat there, stunned. I had just been told that the Lord was trying to save my life. I was living a good life then, but I was greatly out of balance. On that afternoon as Lynette and I left the Apostle's office, we went home to prayerfully consider how we were going to live our lives. We quickly made the choice to serve and live our lives by covenant, doing whatsoever things the Lord asked of us. A covenant life is a more balanced life, lived according to God's priorities, not our own agendas. Our lives have never been the same since. We have been completely blessed by His love and His tutoring.

If I know anything, I know that the same blessing will be yours if you faithfully stay on His covenant path. God wants to save your life. What does it mean to be converted, to live by covenant and not convenience? Jesus said, "Look unto me in every thought." As a wise teacher once told me, He did not say, 'Think of me once in a while, and my spirit will be with you.' He said, 'If ye do always remember me, ye shall have my spirit to be with you.' This means, as you remember Him, you will always have the power of Heaven to be with you to help daily in any and every small or daunting challenge you face--regardless of the hold it may have you. This includes any fear, addiction, insecurity, or any seemingly insurmountable wall before you. So ponder right now what might be the most important thing you need to do to more fully remember Him and act to do it. My best friend growing up introduced me to my wife. In high school, I baptized him a member of the Church, but he always found it difficult to fully commit to living the gospel--always justifying himself by saying that he never did anything really bad--which he didn't. Then one night at a party, he drank too much and accidentally fell off a cliff and died. He was the same age as many of you. This tragedy should have never happened and would not have happened, if covenant, not convenience, had guided my friend's life. Where do you draw the line in your life relative to the commandments of God? Perhaps some of you view your life as most of us see obeying highway speed limits. Does anyone ever really think of driving the actual posted speed limit? No, instead we want to know how many miles above the posted limit we can travel without getting a ticket. That is how my best friend lived his life. In the gospel, we should never think about how much of the world we can embrace without crossing the line. We are simply to forsake the world. Only as you take upon yourself God's covenants will you have eyes that allow you to see clearly through the clutter of this world. The Bible teaches, "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." Those that live by covenant do not by any means, live perfect lives, but they refine their lives through daily repentance. Such refinement opens them to God's richest blessings and the very powers of heaven. Is there any of you, listening tonight in these turbulent times, who does not need God's direction and power? Years ago, a business partner of mine, who had been sick, told me that President Boyd K. Packer had come by his home to give him a blessing. He said that "As I walked him to his car, President Packer said, 'Don't come back too quickly from Gethsemane. Learn the lessons there.'" My friend then asked me, "What do you think he meant?" Before I could answer, he simply added, "I believe he meant we just need to do God's will, and that's all I want to do." When my associate said those words, I knew he was right. An ultimate test of our life is whether we are going to submit to God's will or act according to our own. Elder Neal A. Maxwell long ago taught, "The submission of one's will is really the only uniquely personal thing we have to place on God's altar. But what does it mean to be willing to do God's will? From our Savior's experience in the Garden of Gethsemane, I believe we are, in part, to understand that submission to God's will means that you and I must be willing to suffer and endure to the end whatever God asks of us, even if what we are asked to endure comes through no fault of our own. This may include things like physical impairments or inclinations, wrongful accusations, judgments, or buffetings from misguided friends, leaders, or even family. In the Garden of Gethsemane, Heavenly Father asked our Savior to swallow a bitter cup of sins and afflictions that were not His. In that process Jesus became sore amazed at what lay before Him. He felt "sorrowful unto death" and prayed "if it were possible" that "the hour might pass from Him" saying to the Father, "All things are possible unto thee; take away this cup from me." But then he added this: "Nevertheless not what I will, but what thou wilt." In our day, in a revelation given to Joseph Smith, the Savior said, "Would that I might not drink the bitter cup, and shrink-- Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men." To partake and finish the Father's preparations designed for us, no matter how bitter, is part of the Father's plan to bring us everlasting joy. Do you think or believe Heavenly Father will shield you from moments of pain and suffering needed to help you become more like Him? President John Taylor said that the Prophet Joseph told him, "You will have all kinds of trials to pass through ... God will feel after you, and He will take hold of you and wrench your very heart strings. Being a disciple of Jesus Christ means that we are "submissive, meek, humble, patient, full of love, willing to submit to all things which the Lord seeth fit to inflict upon [us]." Our beloved prophet President Nelson recently said, "Difficult days are ahead. Rarely in the future will it be easy or popular to be a faithful Latter-day Saint. Each of us will be tested.... [T]hose who diligently follow the Lord 'shall suffer persecution.' That very persecution can either crush you into silent weakness or motivate you to be more exemplary and courageous in your daily lives.... How you deal with life's trials is part of the development of your faith." The Apostle Paul asked this question, "Who shall separate us from the love of Christ? shall tribulation, or distress, or persecution, or famine, or nakedness, or peril, or sword?" In today's language we might say it this way: "Will I allow a difficulty in finding someone to marry, or a desire to live in an unsanctioned relationship, or an event from Church history, or a misguided action from some leader or teacher, or my worldly desires, or loss of job, or a challenging illness, or a crushing distress keep me from diligently following the Savior and fully participating in His Church?" All your sins, all your pains, afflictions, and infirmities are part of what Elder Maxwell calls, "the awful arithmetic of the Atonement [of Jesus Christ]," an arithmetic that he said can only be calculated as "enormity multiplied by infinity." Your discomfort or challenges from life's trials will never descend below His. Therefore, Heaven's question to you is whether you will follow in the Savior's footsteps and say with Him, "Nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt"? Another way to say this may be to ask, "Will I trust God and also trust in His design for my life?" As you face challenges and trials, know that God has all power to sustain you--even when the circumstances surrounding you do not change. He promises, even in the midst of soul-searing afflictions, that He "will ... ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs ... that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord, ... do visit my people in their afflictions." Never doubt that the Lord is able to open every effectual door, reassure you through questions of faith, and help you secure work, education, and strength to live righteously or whatever else you may need to reach your fullest potential. The Savior has promised He "will provide" a way. Can anyone or anything else give you that same promise? Trust Him to tutor and sustain you as you humbly submit to His will. Years ago, President Henry B. Eyring made this penetrating observation, "If the foundation of faith is not embedded in our hearts, the power to endure will crumble." Faith is a principle of action and faith is a choice. Faith is not measured by how many meetings we attend or rituals we keep. Faith is not even the acknowledgement that God and Jesus Christ live. Your faith is the extent of your trust in and complete reliance on God and your Savior, Jesus Christ. We will all endure or crumble according to the degree of our personal trust and reliance on Them. To build faith in Them you will need to eliminate from your life any self-justifying behaviors. You will need to own your life and not let others dictate your actions and choices. Your perspectives, attitudes, reactions, feelings, thoughts, and beliefs are all things that you control. Being offended and turning away are not of God. His voice always invites us, "Follow me!" God is prepared to answer any question, comfort any struggle, and redeem any and all individuals. There is no mistake or struggle that cannot be healed through Him.

Now, all the internet searches in this world across the web's nearly billion and a half sites cannot tell you if this Church is true or if Jesus Christ lives; only God can reveal that to you. And the bottom line is this: God will not tell you one truth and tell me another. We will all get the same answers as we inquire and seek after Him with sincerity, faith, and real intent. You do this, in part, as you remove all your self-justifying stories. Years ago, while in Africa on an assignment, I heard a report of a man who was transporting two giraffes in his truck; one giraffe was considerably taller than the other. As he traveled along the highway, he drove under a bridge that went over the highway, but the bridge was not tall enough for the larger giraffe. When the truck drove under the bridge the taller giraffe's head hit the bridge and instantly died. Later the truck driver was asked why he hadn't taken better care to avoid the giraffe's death. He said, "It's not my fault. They built the bridge too low." This man's self-justification may seem ridiculous but have you ever been just as irrational in justifying your own poor choices? Do not blame low bridges for the way things are. Rather, seek to rise to your full potential by qualifying for every needed power, blessing, and miracle of heaven promised by increasing in enduring faith or trust in Him. The Lord said to Joseph Smith, "How oft you ... have gone on in the persuasions of men.... You should not have feared man more than God. Although men set at naught the counsels of God, and despise his words--Yet you should have been faithful; and he would have extended his arm and supported you against all the fiery darts of the adversary; and he would have been with you in every time of trouble." Now, I would like to expand, for a moment, beyond self-examination and leave you my witness that part of covenant living and submission to God's will is also a willingness to get outside yourself and do as the Lord said to Peter, to "strengthen your brethren." President Nelson recently said, "We are to be builders of ... faith in the Lord Jesus Christ and faith in His Church.... We are to build the Church and kingdom of God upon the earth." He has also testified that there is nothing happening on this earth right now that is more important than the gathering of Israel. There is nothing of greater consequence. Absolutely nothing. This gathering should mean everything to you. This is the mission for which you were sent to earth. Likewise, the Savior asked Peter, "Lovest thou me?" and then said, "Feed my sheep." In the gospel of John, we read where Mary and Martha sent for the Savior when their brother Lazarus became gravely ill. His disciples pleaded with him to not go because the Jews were seeking to take his life, but Jesus went to the tomb of Lazarus anyway. There our Savior wept and anguished with his friends. Then in the power of God, He commanded Lazarus to rise from the dead, saying: "Lazarus, come forth." The scriptures next record, "And he that was dead came forth, bound hand and foot with graveclothes.... [And] Jesus [said] unto them, Loose him, and let him go." My dear friends, nothing is more life giving than sharing the Light of Christ and the light of His gospel. Nothing other than the gospel of Christ can bring peace to the nations, save the world from poverty or lift another to sustained happiness. Organizations that operate on any other principles will fall short. Only the gospel can remove the graveclothes of those around you. Invite others to His light. As you do so, God promises that you will bring "salvation to [your] soul," that "your sins" will be forgiven, and that He will send His "angels round about you, to bear you up."

Now I am keenly aware that notwithstanding yours, mine, or anyone else's good intentions, the press to conform to the world's opinion and not the Lord's commandments can be immense. Peter, in absolute resolution, said to Jesus, "Though all men shall be offended because of thee, yet I will never be offended...Though I should die with thee, yet [I will] not deny thee." But shortly thereafter Peter faltered, denying the Savior three times. What are you to learn by this? I believe in part the Lord wants you to know that He understands that submission to His will, covenant living or becoming fully converted is a process, not an event. Jesus gave His life so we would not measure our lives by our weaknesses or imperfections, but so we could repent daily and grow in strength through faith into faith unshakeable. You might want to write in your hearts this insightful instruction from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland at the April 2016 General Conference. He said, "We take some solace in the fact that if God were to reward only the perfectly faithful, He wouldn't have much of a distribution list. Please remember tomorrow, and all the days after, that the Lord blesses those who want to improve, who accept the need for commandments and try to keep them, who cherish Christlike virtues and strive to the best of their ability to acquire them. If you stumble in that pursuit, so does everyone; the Savior is there to help you keep going. If you fall, summon His strength." Lynette and I were sitting with Elder Holland in Johannesburg when a young single adult sister, a returned missionary, stood and testified: "I did not come this far, only to come this far." Please remember, "no matter what challenge you are currently facing ... [to] keep going. Keep trying. Keep trusting. Keep believing. Keep growing ... Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever." You are in the palm of God's hand and He is able to deliver you through any blast furnace. Elder Holland also spoke of an additional tender mercy and assurance from the Lord that you may want to hold deep within your heart. He said, "The Spirit is not blocked by a virus or by national boundaries or by medical forecasts.... [There are] gifts from heaven that are not limited by trouble in the land or illness in the air.... He who created this marvelous world in which we live can say to any of the elements in it: 'This far and no farther.' That is what He will say to this blight we are facing. In the presence of His majesty, even subatomic-sized creations must bend--if only figuratively--and each in its own way 'confess' that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, the great Redeemer of all. Under the direction of His Father, the Savior is in charge of the destiny of this world. We are in very sure and loving hands."

I would like to close where I began. I believe you are the greatest generation of young adults in the history of this Church. You may be also the generation that faces the greatest challenges. As you reflect on the challenges that surround you, remember that God has said: "For I, the Lord, will judge all men according to their works, according to the desire of their hearts." The Spirit can help you cultivate your desires, but you alone get to choose what you desire, and you alone are accountable to God for that choice. He has also declared that "according to your desires ... shall it be done unto you. This means "[you] better want the consequences of what [you] want!" I close with this personal experience and testimony from my life. Years ago, as a college sophomore, I was studying for final exams in an apartment by myself. It was a warm day and as I was reviewing my papers, a gnat started buzzing in front of my face. The persistence of that gnat began to really annoy me. Finally, I had enough. I raised my hands and slapped them together and killed the gnat.

I cannot explain to this day what happened next: I looked down at the dead gnat in the palm of my hand and felt great compassion. I said to myself, "That gnat did not need to die. It is only dead because of my frustration and impatience." I then knelt and prayed to God to forgive me and let that gnat live again. As I finished that prayer, that gnat flew off my hand. I have asked myself for years, "Why did God do this for me?" Many answers have come but none more important than this: He wanted me to understand at the very core, that He has all power to lift me or anyone else, even the least. He wanted me to know He has complete compassion for our weaknesses, and that He numbers the very hairs on our heads. Now if He would restore a gnat, He will never forsake you--no matter where you stand. Do not be like the Laodiceans and allow complacency to rule you. This is my testimony to you. As you set aside self-rationalization and pride, as you inquire and hearken to His voice, not yours, as you act upon His ways you will see things as they really are. As you desire to strive earnestly to become converted, living by covenant and not convenience, and in submitting to God's will while strengthening others, you will find every blessing and miracle you need to succeed in this life and be enabled to return to your Father in Heaven and receive eternal joy.

Jesus Christ is our Savior. He lives. This is His Church and this will be the Church received by the Savior at His Second Coming. Our Heavenly Father is not an absentee Father. His plan is the only plan of happiness. Through the Holy Ghost, you may know the truth of all things and all things which you must do. My prayer is that you will have the courage to repent of any unrighteous desires and replace them with Godly desires to live by covenant and to submit and endure His refining hand in your life. I testify to you in your youth, as Alma tesifed to his son, Helaman, in his youth, "I do know that whosoever shall put their trust in God shall be supported in their trials, and their troubles, and their afflictions, and shall be lifted up at the last day. May God bless you all is my pray in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

[MUSIC PLAYING: HOW FIRM A FOUNDATION]

Our dear kind Heavenly Father, we are extremely grateful for this Sabbath day that we have had and for the opportunity to listen to the messages by Elder and Sister Gay. And Father, at this time, we ask Thee to please bless us that we will be able to take their messages and be able to become spiritually self-reliant and that we'll be able to increase our capacity to receive personal revelation and to live a covenant-keeping life instead of a convenient life. Father, at this time we would like to ask Thee to bless all those who have been adversely effected by the COVID-19 virus and we ask Thee to be with them at this time. And Father, in conclusion, we just want to thank Thee again for the presence of Thy spirit and ask for Thy spirit to remain with us for the rest of this day, and week, and the rest of our lives as well. We love Thee very much Heavenly Father, and are grateful for Thee and Thy son Jesus Christ and His Atonement. And we say these things in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.