Conference Talk of the Week

Overview

Elder Brian J. Holmes compares life to a steep mountain marathon and teaches that, like a blind runner tethered to a guide, we need help beyond ourselves to reach our heavenly destination. Jesus Christ is not only our guide, He is “the way,” and His way is the covenant path. As we bind ourselves to Him through covenants and stay faithful, His power and promises remain with us. He also teaches that walking with Jesus includes hearkening to and following the Lord’s living prophets and apostles, who provide the revealed witness and doctrinal stability that keep us from drifting.

Three Key Takeaways

• 1Jesus Christ alone can bring us back to the Father; He is not just a helpful guide but the only path to eternal life (“I am the way, the truth, and the life”).
• 2Covenants function like a tether that binds us to the Savior; covenant blessings come through ongoing faithfulness, and while we can choose to sever the tie, Jesus never will.
• 3To walk with Jesus is to follow His prophet, rejecting the Lord’s authorized servants is, by the Savior’s own definition, rejecting Him, and prophetic leadership protects us from “every wind of doctrine.”

Reflection Questions

• Where does my life currently feel like the “steep and narrow” part of the race, and what would it look like to rely on the Savior’s direction step by step instead of trying to manage it alone?
• In what specific ways am I staying “tightly bound” to Jesus Christ through my covenants right now, and is there any area where I’m loosening the tether through neglect or disobedience?
• When I hear counsel from the living prophet and apostles, do I treat it as the Savior guiding me, and what recent invitation have I been tempted to explain away or postpone?