“Israel, Israel, God is Calling.” That was the hymn Elder Jeffrey R. Holland requested to have the congregation sing to begin the CES Devotional that was held on September 9, 2012. This was also the title of his talk.

Elder Holland discusses how in this last dispensation, “We no longer think of Zion as where we are going to live as much as how we are going to live.” And he talks about specific ways members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints can and should live more as a Zion-like people…both in how we show love, compassion, patience, and concern for others, and also in how we uphold and share doctrine and moral principles.

Elder Holland talked about “vitriolic abuse” heaped on a basketball player by a crowd of people that included members of the Church. A fan justified this behavior by suggesting that there are times we can leave our religion behind. Elder Holland exclaimed, “You never ‘check your religion at the door.’” But then he declared that how we respond to others’ behavior requires also requires us to live our faith as disciples of Jesus Christ. Our behavior “has to reflect our religious beliefs and our gospel commitments.”

But Elder Holland explores, in various ways, that a love of others and of God also demand that we stand for the truth we believe in. “[T]his Church can never ‘dumb down’ its doctrines in response to social goodwill or political expediency. It is only on the high ground of revealed truth that gives us any footing on which to lift another who feels troubled or forsaken.” We do have to find a balance between not judging and exercising righteous, “intermediate judgments” (quoting Elder Dallin H. Oaks).

Some may wonder why it is that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while politically neutral, does sometimes speak out on social issues. Elder Holland explains to young adult members of the Church:

“You’re going to have to sensitively explain why some principles are defended, and some sins are opposed wherever they are found, because the issues and the laws involved are not social or political, but eternal in their consequence. And while not wishing to offend those who believe differently than us, we are even more anxious not to offend God,”

For a summary of his talk, see this Church News and Events article. Quotes from his talk for this post were also found in this article. You can also read about his talk here.

The talk in its entirety can be found in the following video.

The post Elder Jeffrey R. Holland’s CES Fireside Address appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

~by Michelle

There are some General Conference talks that just stay with me, even years after they are given. Elder Holland’s masterful talk: “An High Priest of Good Things to Come” is one of them. I can still remember listening to it in our little apartment back in 1999. I was having a hard time in my life. I cried through most of the talk. It’s a talk I dust off every once in a while and re-read (or in this case, listen to).

Because let’s be honest. As Elder Holland says, “Every one of us has times when we need to know things will get better.”

I know there are people feeling that way right now. How can I do this? Will I ever feel happy again? Why does it have to be so hard?

Elder Holland says:

Even if you cannot always see that silver lining on your clouds, God can, for He is the very source of the light you seek. He does love you, and He knows your fears. He hears your prayers. He is your Heavenly Father, and surely He matches with His own the tears His children shed.

In spite of this counsel, I know some of you do truly feel at sea, in the most frightening sense of that term. Out in troubled waters, you may even now be crying with the poet:

If you are having one of those times, I hope that maybe this talk and video, “Good Things to Come,” can help you a little as it has helped me.

What scriptures, concepts, quotes, videos, music help you when you are having a hard time?

The post Good Things to Come – Elder Holland appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.

With Mother’s Day around the corner in many corners of the world, this week, we’ll be sharing posts on the topic of motherhood.

We’ve shared the following video before, but think it’s worth sharing again. The text from the video comes from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland from a cherished talk called “Because She is a Mother”

The post Motherhood: An Eternal Partnership with God appeared first on Women in The Church of Jesus Christ.