"Think Celestial!" Talk Outline

Last updated on November 21st, 2023 at 03:01 pm

General Conference Applied

“Think Celestial!” by President Russell M. Nelson; October 2023 General Conference

Corresponding General Conference Applied episode show notes: S2 E1

Talk Outline

Invitations

“Today, to assist you to qualify for the rich blessings Heavenly Father has for you, I invite you to adopt the practice of ‘thinking celestial’! Thinking celestial means being spiritually minded. We learn from the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob that ‘to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.’ … When you make choices, I invite you to take the long view—an eternal view.”

Directives (“an official or authoritative instruction”)

“Put Jesus Christ first, because your eternal life is dependent upon your faith in Him and in His Atonement.”
“When you are confronted with a dilemma, think celestial! When tested by temptation, think celestial! When life or loved ones let you down, think celestial! When someone dies prematurely, think celestial. When someone lingers with a devastating illness, think celestial. When the pressures of life crowd in upon you, think celestial! As you recover from an accident or injury, as I am doing now, think celestial!”
“Please don’t let your prayers sound like a shopping list… Our prayers can be—and should be—living discussions with our Heavenly Father.”
“If you struggle with an addiction, seek the spiritual and professional help you need. Please do not let an obsession rob you of your freedom to follow God’s fabulous plan.”
“When you make decisions regarding morality, please think celestial. And if you have been unchaste, I plead with you to repent. Come unto Christ and receive His promise of complete forgiveness as you fully repent of your sins.”
“When someone you love attacks truth, think celestial, and don’t question your testimony… Please be prepared. Never take counsel from those who do not believe. Seek guidance from voices you can trust—from prophets, seers, and revelators and from the whisperings of the Holy Ghost, who ‘will show unto you all things what ye should do.’ (2 Nephi 32:5) Please do the spiritual work to increase your capacity to receive personal revelation.”

Promises

Action: “As you focus on thinking celestial,
Promise: “expect to encounter opposition.”
Action: “I am convinced… that thinking celestial
Promise: “enhanced my career.”
Action: “As you think celestial,
Promise: “your heart will gradually change. You will want to pray more often and more sincerely.”
Action: “As you think celestial,
Promise: “you will find yourself avoiding anything that robs you of your agency.”
Action: “Thinking celestial
Promise: “will also help you obey the law of chastity.”
Action: “As you think celestial,
Promise: “you will view trials and opposition in a new light.”
Action: “As you think celestial,
Promise: “your faith will increase.”

Doctrines

Plan of Salvation: “Because of the plan of salvation, we can be perfected through the Atonement, receive a fulness of joy, and live forever in the presence of God. Our family relationships can last through the eternities.”
Atonement of Jesus Christ: “Those who repent, obey the commandments, receive the saving ordinances, and keep their covenants will receive the gift of eternal life (see Articles of Faith 1:3).”
Commandments: “We have also been commanded to become as our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, in our desires, thoughts, words, and actions (see 3 Nephi 12:48). The Lord has given us eternal truths, or principles, that help govern our decisions and actions. These principles lead us to live as the Savior and receive His promised blessings.”

Principles

Our Heavenly Father: “Knowing God is so important that the Savior said, “This is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent” (John 17:3).”
Jesus Christ, Our Chosen Leader and Savior: “From the beginning, Jesus Christ has revealed the gospel, which tells us what we must do to return to our Heavenly Father. At the appointed time He came to earth Himself. He taught the plan of salvation and exaltation by His word and by the way He lived. He established His Church and His priesthood on the earth. He took our sins upon Himself. By following His teachings, we can inherit a place in the celestial kingdom. He did His part to help us return to our heavenly home. It is now up to each of us to do our part and become worthy of exaltation.”
Freedom to Choose: “When we choose to live according to God’s plan for us, our agency is strengthened. Right choices increase our power to make more right choices. As we obey each of our Father’s commandments, we grow in wisdom and strength of character. Our faith increases. We find it easier to make right choices.”
The Holy Ghost: “The Holy Ghost will witness to us that Jesus is our Savior and Redeemer (see 3 Nephi 28:11; D&C 20:27). He will reveal to us that our Heavenly Father is the Father of our spirits. He will help us understand that we can become exalted like our Heavenly Father. (See Romans 8:16–17.) The prophets of the Lord have promised, “By the power of the Holy Ghost ye may know the truth of all things” (Moroni 10:5).”
Praying to Our Heavenly Father: “Prayer is one of the greatest blessings we have while we are here on earth. Through prayer we can communicate with our Heavenly Father and seek His guidance daily. Prayer is a sincere, heartfelt talk with our Heavenly Father. We should pray to God and to no one else. We do not pray to any other being or to anything made by man or God (see Exodus 20:3–5).”
Prophets of God: “We should do those things the prophets tell us to do. President Wilford Woodruff said that a prophet will never be allowed to lead the Church astray: ‘The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place’ (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff [2004], 199).”
The Atonement of Jesus Christ: “Our sins are our spiritual debts. Without Jesus Christ, who is our Savior and Mediator, we would all pay for our sins by suffering spiritual death. But because of Him, if we will keep His terms, which are to repent and keep His commandments, we may return to live with our Heavenly Father. It is wonderful that Christ has provided us a way to be healed from our sins.”
Faith in Jesus Christ: “How can we increase our faith? The same way we increase or develop any other skill. How do we develop skills in woodcarving, weaving, painting, cooking, making pottery, or playing a musical instrument? We study and practice and work at it. As we do so, we improve. So it is with faith. If we want to increase our faith in Jesus Christ, we must work at it.”
Repentance: “As we repent, the Atonement of Jesus Christ becomes fully effective in our lives, and the Lord forgives our sins. We become free from the bondage of our sins, and we find joy.”
Sacrifice: “Only through sacrifice can we become worthy to live in the presence of God. Only through sacrifice can we enjoy eternal life. Many who have lived before us have sacrificed all they had. We must be willing to do the same if we would earn the rich reward they enjoy. We may not be asked to sacrifice all things. But like Abraham, we should be willing to sacrifice everything to become worthy to live in the presence of the Lord.”
Tithes and Offerings: “When we pay tithing we show our faithfulness to the Lord.”
Obedience: “It is better to obey the commandments because we fear punishment than not to obey them at all. But we will be much happier if we obey God because we love Him and want to obey Him. When we obey Him freely, He can bless us freely. He said, ‘I, the Lord, … delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end’ (D&C 76:5). Obedience also helps us progress and become more like our Heavenly Father. But those who do nothing until they are commanded and then keep the commandments unwillingly lose their reward (see D&C 58:26–29).”
The Law of Chastity: “Satan’s plan is to deceive as many of us as he can to prevent us from returning to live with our Heavenly Father. One of the most damaging things he can do is entice us to break the law of chastity. He is cunning and powerful. He would like us to believe it is no sin to break this law. Many people have been deceived. We must guard ourselves against evil influences.”
Temple Work and Family History: “We also go to the temple to learn more about Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ. We gain a better understanding of our purpose in life and our relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. We are taught about our premortal existence, the meaning of earth life, and life after death.”
The Final Judgment: “In reality, every day is a day of judgment. We speak, think, and act according to celestial, terrestrial, or telestial law. Our faith in Jesus Christ, as shown by our daily actions, determines which kingdom we will inherit. We have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ in its fulness. The gospel is the law of the celestial kingdom. All the priesthood ordinances necessary for our progression have been revealed. We have entered the waters of baptism and have made a covenant to live Christlike lives. If we are faithful and keep the covenants we have made, the Lord has told us what our judgment will be. He will say unto us, “Come, ye blessed of my Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world” (Matthew 25:34).”
Exaltation: “Exaltation is eternal life, the kind of life God lives… If we prove faithful to the Lord, we will live in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom of heaven. We will become exalted, to live with our Heavenly Father in eternal families… Those who receive exaltation in the celestial kingdom through faith in Jesus Christ will receive special blessings… To be exalted, we first must place our faith in Jesus Christ and then endure in that faith to the end of our lives. Our faith in Him must be such that we repent of our sins and obey His commandments… Imagine what joy each of us will have when we return to our Heavenly Father if we can say: ‘Father, I lived according to Thy will. I have been faithful and have kept Thy commandments. I am happy to be home again.’ Then we will hear Him say, ‘Well done … ; thou hast been faithful over a few things, I will make thee ruler over many things: enter thou into the joy of thy lord’ (Matthew 25:23).”

Christlike Attributes

Faith
- “I trust the Savior enough to accept His will and do what He asks. (1 Nephi 3:7)”
- “I believe that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost, I can be forgiven of my sins and sanctified as I repent. (Enos 1:2–8)”
- “I have faith that God hears and answers my prayers. (Mosiah 27:14)”
- “I have faith that God will bring about good things in my life and the lives of others as we devote ourselves to Him and His Son. (Ether 12:12)”
Hope
- “One of my greatest desires is to inherit eternal life in the celestial kingdom. (Moroni 7:41)”
- “I believe that someday I will dwell with God and become like Him. (Ether 12:4)”
Virtue
- “I focus on righteous, uplifting thoughts and put unwholesome thoughts out of my mind. (Doctrine and Covenants 121:45)”
- “I repent of my sins and strive to overcome my weaknesses. (Doctrine and Covenants 49:26–28; Ether 12:27)”
Integrity: “I do not lower my standards or behavior so I can impress or be accepted by others. (1 Nephi 8:24–28)”
Humility: “My prayers are earnest and sincere. (Enos 1:4)”
Diligence: “I focus my efforts on the most important things. (Matthew 23:23)”
Obedience: “I strive to live in accordance with the laws and principles of the gospel. (Doctrine and Covenants 41:5)”

Most Important Quote

“Here is the great news of God’s plan: the very things that will make your mortal life the best it can be are exactly the same things that will make your life throughout all eternity the best it can be! Today, to assist you to qualify for the rich blessings Heavenly Father has for you, I invite you to adopt the practice of ‘thinking celestial’! Thinking celestial means being spiritually minded. We learn from the Book of Mormon prophet Jacob that ‘to be spiritually-minded is life eternal.’

“Mortality is a master class in learning to choose the things of greatest eternal import. Far too many people live as though this life is all there is. However, your choices today will determine three things: where you will live throughout all eternity, the kind of body with which you will be resurrected, and those with whom you will live forever. So think celestial.”

Powerful Stories

“When I was a young intern, my income was $15 a month. One night, my wife Dantzel asked if I was paying tithing on that meager stipend. I was not. I quickly repented and began paying the additional $1.50 in monthly tithing.

“Was the Church any different because we increased our tithing? Of course not. However, becoming a full-tithe payer changed me. That is when I learned that paying tithing is all about faith, not money. As I became a full-tithe payer, the windows of heaven began to open for me. I attribute several subsequent professional opportunities to our faithful payment of tithes. (footnote 20: “This is not to imply a cause-and-effect relationship. Some who never pay tithing attain professional opportunities, while some who pay tithing do not. The promise is that the windows of heaven will be opened to the tithe payer. The nature of the blessings will vary.”)

“Paying tithing requires faith, and it also builds faith in God and His Beloved Son.”

The Best Footnote

Footnote 7: “It may prove to be easier to repent and progress spiritually here, while our spirit is united with our body, than in the next world between the time we die and are resurrected. As Amulek taught the apostate Zoramites, ‘This life is the time … to prepare to meet God’ (see Alma 34:32–35).”

Footnote 11: “Of course, your agency cannot override another’s agency and the attendant consequences. I was desperate to be sealed to my parents. However, I had to wait until they chose to be endowed, when they were more than 80 years of age. Then they were sealed as husband and wife, and we children were sealed to them.”

Questions for Reflection Asked by the Speaker

“So, my dear brothers and sisters, how and where and with whom do you want to live forever? You get to choose.”