The Prophet Says Now Is When We Choose How We Will Live Forever

In the context of eternity, President Russell M. Nelson said this life is “hardly a nanosecond.” But “what a crucial nanosecond it is!” That’s because our choices today determine what kind of lives we will live forever.

The leader of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints spoke on Sunday evening from a packed Conference Center in Salt Lake City, Utah, to young adults around the world. He was joined by his wife, Sister Wendy Nelson, who also spoke. To encourage young adults to gather before and after the broadcast, buildings on Temple Square have been open since 3 p.m. and will stay open until 9 p.m. local time.

All young adults ages 18–30 and those in their last year of seminary within a 1.5-hour radius of the Conference Center were encouraged to participate.

Read President Nelson’s Full Talk: Choices for Eternity

Read Sister Nelson’s Full Talk: One Question That Can Change Your Life

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President Nelson highlighted three absolute truths that this university-age audience should make the foundation of their spiritual education: 1) Each of us will die; 2) because of Jesus Christ, each of us will be resurrected and become immortal; and 3) we will each be judged for the choices we make now.

To help them live their best lives, the prophet encouraged the audience with three more fundamental truths:

1. Know Who You Are

“Child of God” is the most important label that a human being has, the prophet said. For Latter-day Saints, the next most important are “child of the covenant” and “disciple of Jesus Christ.”

“Tonight, I plead with you not to replace these three paramount and unchanging identifiers with any others, because doing so could stymie your progress or pigeonhole you in a stereotype that could potentially thwart your eternal progression,” President Nelson said.

People tag themselves or others with a variety of labels — nationality, political persuasion, education and other things. But, the prophet said, these descriptors are minor and can even become divisive.

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“The adversary rejoices in labels because they divide us and restrict the way we think about ourselves and each other,” President Nelson said. “How sad it is when we honor labels more than we honor each other. … Any abuse or prejudice towards another because of nationality, race, sexual orientation, gender, educational degrees, culture, or other significant identifiers is offensive to our Maker! Such mistreatment causes us to live beneath our stature as His covenant sons and daughters!”

The lesser labels we embrace, as important as they are, should never replace or take priority over one’s true identify as a child of God, child of the covenant and disciple of Christ.

“Make no mistake about it: Your potential is divine,” President Nelson said. “With your diligent seeking, God will give you glimpses of who you may become. … As you embrace these truths, our Heavenly Father will help you reach your ultimate goal of living eternally in His holy presence.”

2. Know What Heavenly Father and His Son Have Offered You

“In short, They have offered you everything!” President Nelson said. “Heavenly Father’s plan for His children allows us to live where and how He lives and ultimately to become more and more like Him. His plan literally makes the richest blessings of all eternity available to us, including the potential for us to become ‘joint-heirs with Christ’ (Romans 8:17).”

God will do “everything He can, short of violating your agency, to help you not miss out on the greatest blessings in all eternity,” President Nelson said.

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3. Know the Truth Related to Your Conversion

The prophet urged young adults to own their spirituality and pursue perpetual religious growth.

“If you have questions — and I hope you do — seek answers with the fervent desire to believe,” he said. “Learn all you can about the gospel and be sure to turn to truth-filled sources for guidance. We live in the dispensation when ‘nothing shall be withheld’ (Doctrine and Covenants 121:28). Thus, in time, the Lord will answer all our questions.”

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If young adults do these things, the prophet promised them “spiritual growth, freedom from fear, and a confidence that you can scarcely imagine now. You will have the strength to have a positive influence far beyond your natural capacity. And I promise that your future will be more exhilarating than anything you can presently believe.”

Sister Nelson’s Remarks: One Question That Can Change Your Life

Sister Nelson invited the audience to ask this question: “What would a holy young adult do?”

She said this query can yield significant fruit in one’s life quest.

“[It] can increase your confidence, decrease your anxiety, motivate you, lift your mood and your sights, increase your productivity, increase your focus and clarity of thinking, help you resist temptation, help you detect deception, increase your gratitude, decrease the stress in your life, increase your capacity to love, and help you make better decisions,” she said.

Sister Nelson encouraged young adults to, as the Doctrine and Covenants teaches, “practice … holiness before [God] continually.”

“As you live your life in crescendo, trying to be just a little more holy day by day — and quickly repenting when you mess up — you will find joy in this life and eternal life in the world to come. And you will begin to experience, in a most profound and unforgettable way, exactly what our Savior Jesus Christ promised when He said: ‘I am able to make you holy’ (Doctrine and Covenants 60:7).”