Elder Neil L. Andersen on the Lord's help in life's challenges

Elder Neil L. Andersen (1951- ) served as a Seventy beginning in 1993, and was called to the Quorum of Twelve Apostles in 2009.

"The Lord has not left us alone in our quest to return to Him. Listen to His warning words alerting us to the dangers ahead: 'Take... heed, watch and pray' (Mark 13:33). 'Beware lest ye... be deceived' (D&C 46:8). 'Be watchful and careful' (D&C 42:76). 'Beware lest ye also... fall from your own stedfastness' (2 Peter 3:17).

"No one of us is immune from the influences of the world. The Lord's counsel keeps us on guard....

"We enter the waters of baptism with joy and anticipation. The Savior beckons, 'Come unto me,' (3 Ne 9:14) and we respond, taking His name upon us. Not one of us wants this journey to be a brief flirtation with spirituality or even a notable but finite chapter. The road of discipleship is not for the spiritually faint of heart. Jesus said: 'Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind' (Matthew 22:37). 'Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me' (Mark 8:34).

"As we follow the Savior, without question there will be challenges that confront us. Approached with faith, these refining experiences bring a deeper conversion of the Savior's reality. Approached in a worldly way, these same experiences cloud our view and weaken our resolve."

- Neil L. Andersen, "Never Leave Him", Ensign, November 2010, p. 39
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This is a profound and critical testimony as we deal with the struggles of mortality: "The Lord has not left us alone in our quest to return to Him." Elder Andersen reminds us that He invites us to be faithful disciples, following him with devotion, with "all thy soul." Our commitment must not be "a brief flirtation with spirituality."

But as we do turn our lives to Him, as we truly follow His teachings and example, the blessings are very real. Then when challenges come, and they still will, we will realize that His help is present and know that truly He "has not left us alone."

(Compilation and commentary by David Kenison, Orem, Utah, 2022)
December 4, 2015