If we are not ashamed of Jesus Christ, then He will not be ashamed of us.
Dear BYU students and friends, how grateful my wife, Christy, and I are to be here with you today. As the choir sang “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful,”1 I thought that that refers to you. Thank you for your faithfulness.
The experiences Christy and I had at Brigham Young University absolutely transformed our lives and the lives of most of our children and their spouses. President C. Shane Reese assures us that BYU is already transforming you. He can hardly restrain himself from sharing some of the great things that you are accomplishing. He is proud of you, and so are we!
After our BYU experience, we moved to Philadelphia for graduate school. One day a classmate said to me, “Tony, you’re a bit strange. You follow religious behavioral rules that I do not understand. And you are so young to be married with three children—which I cannot even begin to fathom.”
At the time I may have felt slightly embarrassed by his assessment of me as some sort of “weirdo.” Now I see his observations as a great compliment.
A Peculiar People
The apostle Peter wrote:
Ye are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should shew forth the praises of him who hath called you out of darkness into his marvellous light.2
Peter teaches that the Savior has called His chosen disciples—you and me—to be a peculiar people.
In the King James Version of the Holy Bible, the word peculiar appears a total of seven times.3 Peculiar can have two meanings, one modern and one biblical.
Our modern usage of peculiar includes synonyms such as eccentric, odd, quaint, strange, and unique.4 At a BYU devotional, Elder Bruce R. McConkie of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained, “We are not freaks, but normal, wholesome people who enjoy life. . . . But we are, nonetheless, peculiar.”5 Content creators love the views our peculiarity generates—just consider recent movies, TV series, and social posts that have mischaracterized Latter-day Saints.
A second meaning of peculiar can be drawn from the original languages of biblical text. President Russell M. Nelson taught this meaning at a BYU devotional. He explained:
In the Old Testament, the Hebrew term from which peculiar was translated is cgullah [segullah], which means “valued property,” or “treasure.”
In the New Testament, the Greek term from which peculiar was translated is peripoiesis, which means “possession,” or “an obtaining.”6
Because the King James Bible missed this “valued possession” nuance, updated translations of the New Testament change “peculiar people” into “a people belonging to God.”7 I love this idea that peculiar people belong to God!
I now declare the linguistics lecture complete.
Today, as we seek to understand our identity as “peculiar,” I invite you to ponder two questions:
- First, from the modern meaning: “Am I willing to be judged as peculiar or odd in the eyes of the world?”
- Second, from the biblical meaning: “Am I willing to become a peculiar or valued treasure belonging to Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ?”
We’ll come back to these two questions a little later.
The Lord’s Invitation and Promised Blessing
A lifelong commitment to being peculiar will require us to overcome our social fears. Social fears refer to the anxiety we might feel when we anticipate being scrutinized and judged by others.8 Overcoming our fears of being judged as peculiar or odd will require us to exercise faith in the Lord’s promises.
Through His prophet Moses, the Lord extended us an invitation with a promise:
If ye will obey my voice indeed, and keep my covenant, then ye shall be a peculiar treasure unto me above all people.9
Now it is time for a mathematics lesson:
What a simple equation to receive blessings and joy from Jesus Christ! President Russell M. Nelson has taught, “The future is bright for God’s covenant-keeping people.”10
To illustrate the blessings and joys that flow from keeping covenants, I will share some personal experiences. The road through mortality has been unique for Christy and me, just as yours has been and will be. I am not suggesting that your road should match ours. In sharing these experiences, please know that Christy and I are not perfect (just ask our children). Like you, we rejoice in the gift of repentance and strive to do a little better each day.
1. Obey Peculiar Commandments to Keep Temple Endowment Covenants
My first suggestion for becoming a valued treasure unto the Lord is to obey peculiar commandments to keep temple endowment covenants. By “peculiar commandments” I mean both strange to the world and valuable to the obedient. Many of you have already received your endowment, and most of you have entered into the covenant of baptism, which includes a commitment to keep God’s commandments.11
Why does God give us commandments? Because He loves us and wants us to find joy. He sees more than we can see. He promises that keeping the commandments brings happiness in this life and in the world to come.12
Why do we obey God’s commandments? Because we love Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.13 We seek to know Them14 and desire to receive spiritual and temporal blessings from Them.15 Our mindset evolves from “I have to” toward “I get to.”
Knowing that commandments are given in love and kept out of love, I will now highlight five highly visible commandments that might make covenant-keeping Latter-day Saints seem peculiar to our friends, the media, academics, and people around the world.
The Word of Wisdom
The Word of Wisdom is one element of keeping the covenantal law of obedience. Prophets have declared that our body is a temple.16 To protect our bodies and our spirits from the evil designs of conspiring men in our day, Jesus Christ has provided a code of health with great promises to His Saints.17
In contrast, the world views the body primarily as a source of pleasure with the counsel to “eat, drink, and be merry.”18 Our choices to abstain from substances such as coffee, alcohol, and recreational drugs seem odd to many. For example, at a recent BYU home football game, the TV commentator quoted a former Boise State and University of Washington coach: “I still can’t believe that alcohol isn’t allowed in that stadium. Those fans are crazy.”19 And we’re proud of you, by the way.
My employer transferred our family to Beijing just a few years after I had finished graduate school. As I arrived to develop clients for our consulting firm, business leaders from the United States and Europe advised that, to be successful, I would need to take Chinese executives to karaoke bars and consume a lot of alcohol. I chose not to do that, and yet our firm still succeeded.
You may be tempted to break the Word of Wisdom to fit in socially, to try something new, or to obtain a work promotion. You may think that just a little sip will not hurt. I assure you that it will—spiritually, and perhaps physically as well. I testify the Lord will bless you with “wisdom and great treasures”20 as you choose to be peculiar in joyfully living the Word of Wisdom.
Tithing
Tithing is one of the ways we keep the covenantal law of sacrifice. In every dispensation the Lord has commanded His covenant people to pay tithing, whether in fruits or flocks or funds.
Tithing is strange to a modern economy focused on consumption and often funded by debt. To the worldly-minded, the math does not work. How can one hundred minus ten equal more than one hundred? The math works because the Lord has promised to open “the windows of heaven”21 to those who live this law. The house of the Lord is where the heavens can really open up to us, and tithing is a requirement to enter His temple.22
A Chinese business magazine once featured me in a cover article. The journalist asked many questions about my employment and—surprisingly, in an officially atheist nation—about my religion. I was fascinated to see that the final article led with a long section on tithing.23 Why this lead? Because my commitment to this seemingly illogical practice would be intriguing to Chinese executives.
Christy and I witness that the Lord keeps His promises to His covenant people. Show your love for the Lord by sacrificing to live the peculiar law of tithing and by waiting patiently for the windows of heaven to open to you.
The Sabbath Day
The Sabbath day is fundamental in keeping the covenantal law of the gospel. President Nelson has taught that the Sabbath day is not about rules of “dos and don’ts” to follow but is a sign of our love for our Heavenly Father and the Savior.24 President Nelson promised, “A sacred Sabbath truly is a delight.”25
In contrast, much of the world views Sunday as a day for pleasure—shopping, sports in the community and on TV, recreation such as camping and fishing, and many other activities. Our weekly church attendance and our focusing on more spiritual pursuits makes us stand out.
Less than a year into my career, I was assigned to a project team led by John. John liked to get a jump start on the week with a four-hour team meeting every Sunday afternoon. This made me extremely uncomfortable, but as a new associate, I was afraid to push back.
A month or so into the project, the managing partner asked me to come to his office. He inquired as to how I was settling in.
I gathered my courage and told him: “I love the work; I will labor sixteen hours a day Monday to Friday when required, but Christy and I prioritize our family. We really need Saturday for our children’s sports and Sunday to be with God and our family.”
I then said, “If this is not acceptable, I am happy to pursue other employment.”
He simply responded, “I will talk to John.”
The Sunday meetings ended, and I stayed with this firm for my entire career.
A time may come in your future when you will need to decide about your peculiar Sabbath-day sign to God. I testify that keeping the Sabbath day holy really can be a delight and a joyful respite from the cares of the world.
Moral Cleanliness
Moral cleanliness is essential in keeping the covenantal law of chastity. The scriptures teach that living the law of chastity is essential for both a single person and a married couple to qualify for the Spirit, exercise faith, retain a remission of sins, and be confident to stand in the presence of God.26
Through His prophets, the Lord has declared:
Physical intimacy between husband and wife is intended to be beautiful and sacred. . . .
Only a man and a woman who are legally and lawfully wedded as husband and wife should have sexual relations.27
The Book of Mormon uses the word whoredoms about thirty times to describe severe violations of the law of chastity.28 In stark contrast, the world uses all kinds of words to rationalize sexual behavior outside of marriage—words such as hooking up, living together, soft swinging, and, my favorite, ethical nonmonogamy. Cleverly packaging old sins in new words does not remove the negative consequences of sin. “Wickedness never was happiness.”29
I have spent most of the last thirty-five years traveling the world for work and Church service, usually alone. Christy knew that I would keep this covenant of chastity, and I knew that she would too. We viewed properly wearing our temple garments as a protection against temptation. I witness that a successful marriage and a joyful life are based on mutual trust.30
Be peculiar and keep this covenant of moral cleanliness. If you are not currently experiencing the confidence and joy that flow from a chaste life, turn to Jesus Christ and visit with your bishop.
Service
Service is one aspect of keeping the covenantal law of consecration. Jesus Christ told Peter, “When thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren.”31 The Savior commands us to love our neighbor.32 He invites each of us to commit time in ministering to the temporal and spiritual needs of others. We can minister as we fulfill Church callings. We can also serve outside the Church, helping others see that we serve all of God’s children, not just the peculiar people in our ward.
The world promotes that once you are off work, it is time to focus on recreation, gaming, or binging on the latest TV series. The world cannot understand a lay ministry of women and men leading the Church while maintaining normal family, professional, and community lives.
I testify that when we exercise our faith to consecrate our time and talents to serve in Church callings and in the community, the Savior magnifies us and transforms us beyond our innate capabilities. We experience joy in serving. President Nelson has taught, “The Lord uses the unlikely to accomplish the impossible.”33
Covenantal Power
Now, a few of you may be thinking, “Can I really obey all five of these peculiar commandments for the rest of my life in order to keep my endowment covenants?” Let me assure you—as “children of the covenant”34—you can!
President Nelson has promised:
Because of our covenant with God, He will never tire in His efforts to help us, and we will never exhaust His merciful patience with us. Each of us has a special place in God’s heart. He has high hopes for us. . . .
. . . He will do everything He can, without infringing on our agency, to help us keep [our covenants].35
| Peculiar Commandments | Related Temple Endowment Covenants |
| Word of Wisdom | Law of Obedience |
| Tithing | Law of Sacrifice |
| Sabbath Day | Law of the Gospel |
| Moral Cleanliness | Law of Chastity |
| Service | Law of Consecration |
2. Exercise Peculiar Faith to Make and Keep Eternal Marriage Covenants
My second suggestion for becoming a valued treasure unto the Lord is to exercise peculiar faith to make and keep eternal marriage covenants. This covenant with God binds a couple together as eternal companions and binds them to their posterity.
As I address this topic, I do realize that marriage may not come to some of you in this mortal life. But prophets have promised that all blessings of marriage and posterity will eventually come to all those who keep their baptismal and endowment covenants.36
Why does God invite us to participate in the covenant of eternal marriage? He said, “It is not good [for a man or a woman to] be alone.”37 He wants to give us a glimpse of the joy that heavenly parents experience.
Marriage
The Lord has proclaimed through prophets: “The family is ordained of God. Marriage between man and woman is essential to His eternal plan.”38 In the world today, many see marriage as an outdated tradition. Some want to be married but are held back by fears or misplaced priorities.
Some of you here today may fear repeating the divorce of your parents or of other people you know and love. You may be thinking: Please don’t talk to me about eternal families. The family I grew up in is not like the ones described in Church hymns. My parents were not “kind and dear,”39 my home was not “a heaven on earth,”40 and roses did not “bloom beneath our feet.”41
Let me assure you that the Lord can help you. Move forward with faith in Him and do not let yourself be paralyzed with fear that you might make a big mistake that ends in divorce. You can break the cycle. My parents did—both came from homes of divorce, and they have now been married for sixty-five years.
Misplaced priorities are another challenge to marriage in our modern society. A report coauthored by BYU’s Wheatley Institute states that marriage has shifted from the “cornerstone” of a successful life to the “capstone.”42 Let me illustrate.
When marriage is the cornerstone, milestones such as finishing education, securing employment, and owning a home are achieved during the early years of marriage. This was the pattern for Christy and me. We married at age twenty-one, right after my mission. While at BYU, all we could afford to eat were boiled macaroni noodles with a little tomato juice on top. But we were as happy as kids on Christmas morning. There was joy in the journey together.
When marriage is the capstone, it is purposely delayed until after education, employment, and home ownership are completed. I emphasize “purposely delayed”—of course while you seek an eternal companion you will pursue education and employment. But for Latter-day Saints, a purposeful delay in marriage often leads to a decline in covenant-keeping and Church participation.
President Nelson taught:
Material possessions and honors of the world do not endure. But your union as wife, husband, and family can. . . . No sacrifice is too great to have the blessings of an eternal marriage.43
Some of you here today are already married. You will find joy as you continually strengthen your relationship as equal partners.
For those not married, I hope you are exercising faith, sustaining hope, and maintaining cheer as you patiently seek to find an eternal companion. As a mission president, I told departing missionaries that many persons might be an attractive and fun life companion, but your eternal companion also needs to be your best friend. Recognizing your best friend probably requires more than one date. Blindingly obvious, right? President and Sister Reese are thrilled that so many of you have participated in the activities they sponsor for Date Night with the Reeses. Feel free to disregard unique BYU pressure: going on a date does not mean you need to decide by nightfall about getting married.
Be peculiar and prioritize finding an eternal companion and then strengthening your marriage.
Children
The Lord commanded Adam and Eve to “multiply, and replenish the earth.”44 Modern prophets teach us that this commandment remains in force.45 The Church will not tell you when to have children or how many to have.46 But prophets will consistently teach the happiness of parenting.
As with marriage, the fears and priorities of the world suspend childbearing. Some in the world fear that having children impacts the carbon footprint and environmental sustainability.47 The Lord says, “The earth is full, and there is enough and to spare.”48 Others fear for their mental health in parenting, pointing to a 2024 advisory released by the United States Surgeon General.49 A 2023 Pew Research Center study found that 71 percent of adults said, “Having a job or career they enjoy is extremely or very important for people to live a fulfilling life,” compared to only 26 percent who prioritized having children.50
These worldly perspectives overlook the consistent connection in the scriptures between children and joy.51
While we were living in Philadelphia, our ward included several married graduate students in many disciplines. We were all in our twenties, and most of us had at least one child. In the Ivy League, such behavior was truly peculiar. My classmates in the business school could not comprehend our having our third child while Christy and I were still twenty-seven. Most of them did not even have a steady boyfriend or girlfriend.
However, at our twenty-year reunion, my then forty-five- to fifty-year-old classmates—who now had small children of their own—made comments such as, “I thought you were so odd. Now I know the joy and fatigue of parenting. I wish I had taken that step earlier in my career.”
While Christy and I acknowledge that raising kids is not easy, we witness that our greatest joy in life is found in our children. President Nelson promised, “You will gain joy and rejoicing in your posterity.”52 Be peculiar in exercising faith to bear children as President Nelson has counseled.
God’s Love
Of all the titles God can rightfully claim, He invites His children to address Him as Father. As a young parent, I came to know my Heavenly Father better. Our first child was two or three and just beginning to learn right from wrong. One day he had done something wrong, and I felt myself getting a little upset.
Then he ran to me for a hug while saying, “Daddy, I’m sorry.”
In an instant my disappointment melted away. In that moment I came to understand in a way I had not previously the great love Heavenly Father has for His children and how quickly He forgives and forgets. Marriage and children offer an opportunity to feel what our heavenly parents feel.
I testify of the spiritual growth and true joy that come from receiving and being faithful to the crowning covenant in the house of the Lord—being sealed to your eternal companion—and then, if so blessed, from being able to “raise up [children] unto the Lord.”53
We Have Been Purchased by Jesus Christ
I now return to the two questions I asked you about twenty minutes ago.
Discipleship at a Cost
The first question is “Am I willing to be judged as peculiar or odd in the eyes of the world?” If I am, then I must overcome social fears from choosing to follow Jesus Christ. If we are not ashamed of Jesus Christ, then He will not be ashamed of us.54
The Savior’s invitation to discipleship forewarns of a cost: “Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.”55 The cost of taking up our cross might include being judged as a peculiar people with a different lifestyle.
Let me highlight that we do not need to intentionally go out of our way to be different. Living commandments and keeping covenants will make us peculiar enough. But we cannot afford to be inwardly focused and Church-exclusive in our relationships. We desire to be the type of people those not of our faith want to spend time with and maybe even quietly want to be more like.
President Nelson invited us
to stand out; be different from the world. . . .
. . . And if you are sometimes called “weird,” wear that distinction as a badge of honor and be happy that your light is shining brightly in this ever-darkening world!56
Bought at an Infinite Price
The second question I invited you to ponder was “Am I willing to become a peculiar or valued treasure belonging to Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ?” If so, I will choose to obey His voice and keep His covenants, which include those in the temple endowment and marriage sealing.
I emphasize the inescapable centrality of the Atonement of Jesus Christ in our becoming His peculiar treasure. No matter how rigorous our righteous efforts are in trying to keep every single covenant, we cannot become that treasure on our own. Each of us has “sinned, and come short of the glory of God.”57 We must press forward in faith, “relying wholly upon the [grace and] merits of him who is mighty to save.”58
Paul taught, “Ye are bought with a price.”59 Peter explained that the price of our redemption was “the precious blood of Christ.”60 You and I are Jesus Christ’s valued treasure because He purchased us at the infinite price of His own blood that was shed in Gethsemane and again on Calvary.
We Are God’s Treasure
If we choose to joyfully keep our covenants with the Lord—and are willing to be judged by the world as a peculiar people—then Jesus Christ will claim us as His peculiar or valued treasure when He pleads our cause before the Father.61
My dear BYU friends, I testify that you are beloved by your Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. They know you by name. To our Father and His Son, you are indeed “a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, an holy nation,” a people belonging to God. You have access to Their great power when you choose to keep your covenants.
I close with the words of then Elder Russell M. Nelson when he addressed BYU students thirty years ago. He declared:
For us to be identified by servants of the Lord as his peculiar people is a compliment of the highest order. . . .
. . . We are God’s treasure, reserved for our particular place and time.62
I bear witness of Jesus Christ and of our living prophet. I express my love to each of you, God’s peculiar treasure, in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.
© by Intellectual Reserve, Inc. All rights reserved.
Notes
1. “Oh, Come, All Ye Faithful,” Hymns, 2002, no. 202.
2. 1 Peter 2:9; emphasis added.
3. See “peculiar people” in Deuteronomy 14:2; 26:18; Titus 2:14; 1 Peter 2:9. See “peculiar treasure” in Exodus 19:5; Psalm 135:4; Ecclesiastes 2:8.
4. Merriam-Webster online dictionary, s.v. “peculiar.”
5. Bruce R. McConkie, “The Ten Commandments of a Peculiar People,” BYU devotional address, 28 January 1975.
6. Russell M. Nelson, “A More Excellent Hope,” BYU fireside address, 8 January 1995.
7. New International Version (NIV, 1995) of 1 Peter 2:9; the 2011 revision of the NIV reads, “God’s special possession.” Examples of updated translations include the English Standard Version (ESV): “a people for his own possession”; the New American Standard Bible (NASB): “a people for God’s own possession”; and the New King James Version (NKJV): “His own special people.”
8. See Francisca Alves, Diana Vieira Figueiredo, and Paula Vagos, “The Prevalence of Adolescent Social Fears and Social Anxiety Disorder in School Contexts,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 19, no. 19 (1 October 2022): 12458; doi.org/10.3390/ijerph191912458 (30 September 2022).
9. Exodus 19:5; emphasis added. See the similar instruction and promised blessing recorded in Deuteronomy 26:16–19.
10. Russell M. Nelson, “What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget,” Liahona, May 2021; see Doctrine and Covenants 82:14.
11. See Mosiah 18:10; see also Doctrine and Covenants 20:37, 77.
12. See Mosiah 2:41.
13. See John 14:15; 1 John 5:3.
14. See John 14:21; 17:3; Mosiah 5:13; Doctrine and Covenants 132:24.
15. See Doctrine and Covenants 82:10; 130:20–21.
16. See 1 Corinthians 6:19.
17. See Doctrine and Covenants 89. See also “Word of Wisdom and Healthy Practices,” General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, May 2024 (Salt Lake City: Church of Jesus Christ, 2024), 38.7.14 (p. 426). Also see question 11 in “Temple Recommend Interview Questions,” General Handbook, 26.3.3.1 (p. 227).
18. 2 Nephi 28:7, 8; see also verse 9.
19. Chris Petersen on BYU fans during FOX pregame, quoted by Mitch Harper in a social media post on X (@Mitch_Harper, 12 October 2024, 2:00 p.m. MDT).
20. Doctrine and Covenants 89:19.
21. Malachi 3:10; see verses 7–12.
22. See Doctrine and Covenants 97:10–16. See also question 10 in “Temple Recommend Interview Questions,” General Handbook, 26.3.3.1 (p. 227).
23. See Lin Gang, “The McKinsey Story,” Capital Markets Magazine (China), September 2002, 8–13.
24. Russell M. Nelson, “The Sabbath Is a Delight,” Ensign, May 2015.
25. Nelson, “The Sabbath Is a Delight.”
26. See Doctrine and Covenants 63:16; 121:45.
27. “Birth Control” and “Chastity and Fidelity,” General Handbook, 38.6.4 and 38.6.5 (pp. 415–16).
28. For example, see Jacob 2:23, 28; Mosiah 12:29; Alma 30:18; 3 Nephi 5:3.
29. Alma 41:10.
30. See “The Family: A Proclamation to the World” (23 September 1995).
31. Luke 22:32.
32. See Matthew 19:19; 22:39; Mark 12:31, 33; Luke 10:27.
33. Russell M. Nelson, “The Lord Uses the Unlikely to Accomplish the Impossible,” BYU–Idaho devotional address, 27 January 2015.
34. 3 Nephi 20:26; see also verse 25.
35. Russell M. Nelson, “The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona, October 2022.
36. See Russell M. Nelson, “Celestial Marriage,” Ensign, November 2008. See also Joseph Fielding Smith, Doctrines of Salvation, comp. Bruce R. McConkie, 3 vols. (Salt Lake City: Bookcraft, 1954–56), 2:76–77.
37. Genesis 2:18; Abraham 5:14; see also Moses 3:18.
38. “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”
39. “I Am a Child of God,” Songbook, 2–3.
40. “Home Can Be a Heaven on Earth,” Hymns, 2002, no. 298.
41. “Love at Home,” Hymns, 2002, no. 294.
42. See Alan J. Hawkins, Jason S. Carroll, Anne Marie Wright Jones, and Spencer L. James, “Capstones vs. Cornerstones: Is Marrying Later Always Better?” Report: 2022 State of Our Unions, National Marriage Project, BYU Wheatley Institute, and BYU School of Family Life, 8 February 2022, wheatley.byu.edu/capstones-vs-cornerstones-is-marrying-late-always-better.
43. Russell M. Nelson, “Set in Order Thy House,” Ensign, November 2001.
44. Genesis 1:28; Moses 2:28; Abraham 4:28.
45. See “The Family: A Proclamation to the World.”
46. See “Birth Control,” General Handbook, 38.6.4 (p. 415).
47. See Tom Woodman, “Having a Child Is the Grandest Act of Climate Destruction,” Spectator, 16 October 2021, spectator.co.uk/article/having-a-child-is-the-grandest-act-of-climate-destruction.
48. Doctrine and Covenants 104:17.
49. See Parents Under Pressure: The U.S. Surgeon General’s Advisory on the Mental Health and Well-Being of Parents, Office of the United States Surgeon General, Washington, DC, 28 August 2024, hhs.gov/sites/default/files/parents-under-pressure.pdf.
50. Kim Parker and Rachel Minkin, “Public Has Mixed Views on the Modern American Family,” Family and Relationships, Pew Research Center, 14 September 2023, 7; see also pages 8, 32, pewresearch.org/social-trends/2023/09/14/public-has-mixed-views-on-the-modern-american-family.
51. For example, see Psalm 127:3–5; 2 Nephi 2:23; Moses 5:10–11.
52. Russell M. Nelson, “Lessons from Eve,” Ensign, November 1987.
53. 1 Nephi 7:1.
54. See Mark 8:38.
55. Mark 8:34.
56. Russell M. Nelson, in Russell M. Nelson and Wendy W. Nelson, “Hope of Israel,” worldwide youth devotional, 3 June 2018.
57. Romans 3:23.
58. 2 Nephi 31:19.
59. 1 Corinthians 6:20.
60. 1 Peter 1:19.
61. See Doctrine and Covenants 45:3–5.
62. Nelson, “A More Excellent Hope”; emphasis in original.
Anthony D. Perkins, a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, delivered this devotional address on December 3, 2024.
