President Henry B. Eyring on the spiritual gift of nurturing

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.

"As daughters of God, you have an innate and great capacity to sense the needs of others and to love. That, in turn, makes you more susceptible to the whisperings of the Spirit. The Spirit can then guide what you think, what you say, and what you do to nurture people so the Lord may pour knowledge, truth, and courage upon them....

"Your practical challenge is to know whom to nurture, how, and when. You need the Lord’s help. He knows others’ hearts, and He knows when they are ready to accept your nurturing. Your prayer of faith will be your key to success. You can depend upon receiving His guidance....

"So you will take more time to pray, to ponder, and to meditate on spiritual matters. You will have knowledge of truth poured out upon you and grow in your power to nurture others in your family....

"You can know whom to nurture in your family. If you pray with real intent, a name or a face will come to your mind. If you pray to know what to do or what to say, you will feel an answer. Each time you obey, your power to nurture will grow."

- Henry B. Eyring, "Women and Gospel Learning in the Home," General Conference October 2018
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In his address to the General Women's Session of the recent conference, President Eyring shared his feelings with the sisters about their special gift of nurturing. Though women have an "innate" capacity in this area, men can also develop the gift, so it is good counsel to all of us.

The process described in the first paragraph is profound. It starts with the desire "to sense the needs of others and to love." Women have a particular gift in that area. When we feel that kind of desire, we are more open to guidance from the Holy Ghost that will help us find the ways to nurture others more effectively. Then we can apply the prompting:

Through prayer, pondering, and meditation, we will be guided to those most in need and most willing to receive our nurturing efforts. As we seek those prompting, we will be blessed in moving forward. And then faithful obedience brings a greater capacity to receive guidance and to serve effectively in the future: "Each time you obey, your power to nurture will grow."

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