Elder Ronald A. Rasband on being recommended to the Lord

Elder Ronald A. Rasband (born February 6, 1951) served as a Seventy beginning in 2000.  He was the senior president of the Seventy when he was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in October 2015.

"Your temple recommend reflects a deep, spiritual intent that you are striving to live the laws of the Lord and love what He loves: humility, meekness, steadfastness, charity, courage, compassion, forgiveness, and obedience. And you commit yourself to those standards when you sign your name to that sacred document.

"Your temple recommend opens the gates of heaven for you and others with rites and ordinances of eternal significance, including baptisms, endowments, marriages, and sealings.

"To be 'recommended to the Lord' is to be reminded of what is expected of a covenant-keeping Latter-day Saint....

"When the Lord calls for us to 'redouble' our efforts, He is asking that we increase in righteousness. For example, we may expand our study of the scriptures, our family history research, and our prayers of faith that we may share our love for the Lord’s house with those preparing to receive a temple recommend, our family members in particular.

"I promise you as an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ that as you strive to redouble your righteous efforts, you will feel renewed in your devotion to God the Father and Jesus Christ, you will feel an abundance of the Holy Ghost guiding you, you will be grateful for your sacred covenants, and you will feel peace knowing you are 'recommended to the Lord.'"

- Ronald A. Rasband, "Recommended to the Lord," General Conference October 2020, Saturday morning

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I've had experiences similar to the one Elder Rasband described. I once visited a sister in her home who was in the advances stages of ALS. Her body function was lost; her speech was tremendously slurred and almost unintelligible. But her eyes shone brightly, and she wanted to renew her temple recommend even though she knew she would never be able to "use" it in the traditional way. Spirit spoke to spirit as we talked together. I don't think I ever signed a recommend with more gratitude and appreciation, more confidence that it was truly deserved, than I when I signed that one.

Would that we all felt that same profound desire to always be "recommended to the Lord." When we live our lives in a state of trust and humility, wanting to please Him above all else, we will feel His blessings in a more profound way.

May we all feel the call to "redouble" our faithfulness in keeping the commandments and growing spiritually. May we each, individually, identify the specific things we can to to accelerate progress on that path!

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2020)