“Safety in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ,” Liahona, Jan. 2026.
Covenant Women
Safety in the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ
The path to return to God is clearly marked if we have faith and trust in our Savior.
Because of our fallen natures and circumstances of mortality, we are all prone to wander from the God we knew and loved in our premortal existence. It’s the nature of mortality. And so, He has given us ways to keep us safely anchored to Him, to seal our hearts to Him, and to help us move as safely as possible through this minefield of mortality.
During the great world wars, armed forces would hide mines, or explosives, underground. There were large fields of hidden mines, and an army might unknowingly march onto those minefields and be blown up.
After the wars, thousands of unexploded mines remained, and many people, including children, lost their lives or limbs when they unwittingly went into the minefields. Organizations dedicated to locating and marking the mines in those minefields have saved many lives.
Mortality is like a minefield. The adversary is very good at disguising dangers to look harmless and inviting, like a beautiful field. He has had thousands of years of experience doing this. He’s an expert at making paths look inviting that lead to dangerous outcomes and heartache.
Guided Safely Home
Our Father in Heaven knows how to keep us safe and has marked the path to lead us safely home. Of course, there are plenty of dangers and difficulties that are part of our mortal experience. But we can avoid choices that might bring needless burdens and heartache.
That is why our Father has given us commandments, the gift of the Holy Ghost, prophets to guide us, and powerful covenant connections with Him and our Savior through temple ordinances and covenants. Only here in the restored Church of Jesus Christ do we find all those powerful markers and safeguards that can safely guide us home.
There are great blessings in having modern-day prophets. President Hugh B. Brown (1883–1975), a former counselor in the First Presidency, told of a discussion he had with a member of the British House of Commons who had previously been a judge. This man said he thought God had not spoken to people on earth since the first century, and President Brown responded by explaining to him about Joseph Smith and the Restoration.
“The judge sat and listened intently,” President Brown recalled. “He asked some very pointed and searching questions, and at the end of the interview he said, ‘Mr. Brown, I wonder if your people appreciate the import of your message. Do you? … If what you have told me is true, it is the greatest message that has come to earth since the angels announced the birth of Christ.’”
God calls prophets because He loves His children. Through His servants, the prophets, He has revealed His plan of salvation, His plan of happiness to guide His children. The Lord shows prophets, seers, and revelators things others cannot see. They are watchmen on the tower (see Ezekiel 33:1–7) who can see afar off and sound a warning to all who will listen, often years in advance. They have a vantage point we do not have because of their communication with God as His authorized servants. It is of vital importance that we all gain deep, personal testimonies of our current prophets, seers, and revelators.
Truth in Jesus Christ
It is getting much harder to discern what is truth in our world today. There are so many voices coming from so many directions—Instagram, TikTok, Facebook, X, podcasts, cable news, and on and on. And now with artificial intelligence, or AI, on the scene, it is even harder to discern what is true and what is not—or even what is real! Deceitful deep-fake videos can make it appear that someone has said or done something that they haven’t. It is going to be extremely hard to discern truth from falsehood in years to come.
During his first conference as President of the Church in April 2018, President Russell M. Nelson taught:
“I am optimistic about the future. … But I am also not naive about the days ahead. We live in a world that is complex and increasingly contentious. The constant availability of social media and a 24-hour news cycle bombard us with relentless messages. If we are to have any hope of sifting through the myriad of voices and the philosophies of men that attack truth, we must learn to receive revelation.
“Our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ, will perform some of His mightiest works between now and when He comes again. We will see miraculous indications that God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, preside over this Church in majesty and glory. But in coming days, it will not be possible to survive spiritually without the guiding, directing, comforting, and constant influence of the Holy Ghost. …
“… I plead with you to increase your spiritual capacity to receive revelation. … Choose to do the spiritual work required to enjoy the gift of the Holy Ghost and hear the voice of the Spirit more frequently and more clearly.”
In the Old Testament book of Amos 3:7 we read, “Surely the Lord God will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.” As the voices of the world get louder and more convincing, we each need to be able to hear the quiet voice of the Spirit more frequently and clearly so that we hear and follow the direction of the Lord through living prophets.
God Loves All His Children
In both the New Testament and the Book of Mormon, we read that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever (see Hebrews 13:8; Mormon 9:9). God loves His children in our day just as much as He loved His children in ancient times, and because He loves His children, He does now what He did then. He marks the minefield of mortality with commandments to keep us on the safe road; prophets to sound the warning voice as they see dangers ahead; and priesthood covenants that connect us more securely to God.
As we put our faith in the Savior and trust Him, He will guide us safely home through the whisperings of the Holy Ghost; through ancient and modern scripture; through the voices of modern prophets, seers, and revelators; and through the deep connections with Him and our Father in Heaven made possible by temple ordinances and covenants.
Nowhere else is there such an abundance of guidance and direction, safety and protection, and relief, solace, and hope in Christ than here in the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and in His restored Church.