At the BYU devotional on Tuesday, Elder Neil L. Andersen, a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, shared with students the importance of settling their faith and commitment to Jesus Christ.
His message was split into four main ideas: what it means to settle faith in God, how to remain settled, how to strengthen a settled heart and what blessings come from a settled heart.
What Settling Means
Elder Andersen began by defining the word “settle” as reaching a conclusive decision, finding rest and remaining firm in that choice.
To introduce this idea, he shared an inspired addition the Prophet Joseph Smith made to Luke 14 about the commitment to follow Jesus Christ: “Wherefore, settle this in your hearts, that ye will do the things which I shall teach, and command you.”
Elder Andersen then explained his understanding of a settled heart as weighing the blessings and sacrifices of following Jesus Christ and making a firm decision of the path one’s life will take.
“You have chosen in your mind and spirit, that this will absolutely be the path your life will take,” Elder Andersen shared.
As members of the Church, he highlighted that this life decision means following the teachings of Jesus Christ, keeping covenants and remaining committed to His restored gospel.
How to Remain Settled
“You live in a world of information and misinformation overload,” Elder Andersen said. “You live in a world of commotion and unsurprising confusion.”
With many distractions competing for attention, making the Savior the focus in life “requires an unusual clarity of purpose, a humility and a firmness of mind,” Elder Andersen said. When distractions arise, disciples can “courageously choose the road of discipleship.”
Elder Andersen then shared a lesson from President Oaks about navigating questions through reason and revelation. He explained that disciples can study and seek answers while recognizing that they do not need an answer to every question to remain committed to Jesus Christ.
“Reason has the first word; revelation has the last word,” Elder Andersen quoted President Oaks.
How to Strengthen a Settled Heart
Elder Andersen taught that as faith in Jesus Christ grows, important truths can become firmly grounded in the heart. He shared a list of these truths, including that God is the Eternal Father and that His children were sent to earth for an important purpose.
He emphasized that students should not only believe these truths but live by them, encouraging them to “embrace the actions that follow.”
Elder Andersen also shared two ways to gain the spiritual strength to “settle this in your hearts.”
First, think more about the Savior Jesus Christ through prayer, reflecting on His Atonement and applying His teachings. He explained that deepening their confidence and faith in Jesus Christ can help disciples become more settled in their hearts.
Second, he encouraged students to “embrace more completely the Book of Mormon” and to read it from beginning to end, even if they’ve already read it. He taught that doing so can strengthen faith in Jesus Christ and in His restored gospel.
What Blessings Come From a Settled Heart
Elder Andersen concluded by sharing the blessings that come from “settling this in your hearts.”
He taught that a settled heart brings greater faith and trust in Jesus Christ, spiritual strength to dismiss temptations and deceptions, greater clarity of one’s own purpose, and profound freedom as one chooses to follow Him.
