President Henry B. Eyring on being nourished by the good word of God

President Henry B. Eyring (born May 31, 1933) served in the Presiding Bishopric from 1985-1992, as a Seventy from 1992-1995, then was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles. He has served in the First Presidency since 2007.

"Just as pondering the scriptures invites the Holy Ghost, so does daily pleading in prayer. If we do not ask in prayer, He will rarely come, and without our petition He is not likely to linger. 'And the Spirit shall be given unto you by the prayer of faith; and if ye receive not the Spirit ye shall not teach' (D&C 42:14). Heartfelt, constant pleading for the companionship of the Holy Ghost, with the pure intent to nourish our Father’s children, will surely bring blessings to us and to those we love and serve.

"The good word of God with which we must nourish is the simple doctrine of the gospel. We need not fear either simplicity or repetition....

"It takes a childlike heart to feel the promptings of the Spirit, to surrender to those commands, and to obey. That is what it takes to be nourished by the good word of God."

- Henry B. Eyring, "Feed My Lambs," General Conference October 1997
Click here to read or listen to the full talk

This tender talk by President Eyring was addressed to the new converts in the Church, those who are lambs instead of sheep. "The Saints of God have always been under covenant to nourish each other spiritually, especially those tender in the gospel." How do we best care for one another? He suggests that as we sincerely plead for the Lord's spirit, we will be blessed with the Holy Ghost that will aid us in our ministering. And then we can pass that gift on to the tender lambs in our midst:

The phrase "nourished by the good word of God" which President Eyring uses throughout the talk ,was first used by Jacob as he expounded on the parable of the vineyard—see Jacob 6:7. But much later, Moroni used the same words to describe how new believers should be cared for:

"And after they had been received unto baptism, and were wrought upon and cleansed by the power of the Holy Ghost, they were numbered among the people of the church of Christ; and their names were taken, that they might be remembered and nourished by the good word of God, to keep them in the right way, to keep them continually watchful unto prayer, relying alone upon the merits of Christ, who was the author and the finisher of their faith." (Moroni 6:4, emphasis added)

What a beautiful description that is of how we should love and sustain one another! As we learn to focus on "the simple doctrine of the gospel" without concern about repetition or simplicity, we will find continuing blessings for ourselves and for those we strive to serve.

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2018)