Feel compelled to share spiritual knowledge
Generate appetite for gospel sustenance- Cultivate spiritual strength
Those who yearn for true spiritual light and knowledge can find it only through the power of the Holy Ghost, said Elder M. Russell Ballard.
Speaking in the Sunday afternoon session, Elder Ballard of the Quorum of the Twelve, said the Spirit enlightens and gives understanding of the eternal purpose of life. "By the Spirit Church members know the restored gospel of Jesus Christ is true. We should, therefore, feel compelled to share our spiritual knowledge with all of our Father's children by inviting them to pull a chair up to the Lord's table and feast upon the words of Christ."
Elder Ballard said for the Church to fulfill its divine mission to assist in bringing "to pass the immortality and eternal life of man," all members need to generate an appetite for gospel sustenance. (Moses 1:39.)
"We must hunger and thirst after righteousness before we can be filled. We need to cultivate spiritual strength within ourselves before we can ever hope to engender it in others," he said. Life eternal, Elder Ballard explained, is predicated upon Church members' individual, personal knowledge of their Father in Heaven and His Holy Son.
"Simply knowing about them is not enough," Elder Ballard continued. "We must have personal, spiritual experiences to anchor us. These come through seeking them in the same intense, single-minded way that a hungry person seeks food."
Elder Ballard also said members must fortify themselves before they can offer spiritual nourishment to others.
"Once we have nourished ourselves with the good word of Christ and feasted personally at His table so that our testimony is strong and vibrant, we are obligated to join with the missionaries in the balanced effort to invite others - beginning with our families - to the spiritual banquet," he said.
Feeding the Lord's sheep, he continued, requires all Church members to awaken their interest in others.
"Today our Prophet is calling for enthusiastic and dynamic love for our Heavenly Father's children," Elder Ballard noted. "He asks us to see the spiritual hunger around us and to respond by willingly sharing our abundance."
Elder Ballard said that strong, faithful families have the best opportunity to produce strong, faithful members of the Church. "The family is where the foundation of personal, spiritual growth is built and nurtured; the Church then is the scaffolding that helps support and strengthen the family."
Elder Ballard asked leaders to emphasize that all adult members of the Church strive to become worthy to receive the ordinances of the temple.
Concluding, Elder Ballard urged all members to be better people.
"Through His prophet, God has promised to replace the spiritual hunger that plagues mankind with untold bounty from His own table," he said.
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