Counsel to Teens and their Parents from Apostles of the Lord


Live broadcast of Elder Ballard, Rasband, Robbins, and Costa’s devotional in Gilbert, Arizona on January 28th, 2017.
REMEMBER, these are MY notes – not the complete talks or exact quotes. Any mistakes are my own, not mistakes of the speakers themselves.

To the Youth:
Elder M. Russell Ballard –
One word that would change your life to have in the back of your mind. “I Nephi being young, strong…DESIRE…” (1 Nephi 2:16)

– Desire to know.
– Desire to keep the commandments
– Be willing to listen to God’s counsel.

Elder Rasband –
Look at lds.org/youth tonight before you go to bed.
The Church has accounts on social media (including Instagram and Snapchat). The Church is meeting you where you are. Post or tweet Elder Rasband. 🙂
There is a dark side to the internet and social media too. Everything you read/see on the internet is not true. If you made sometime daily to to study standard works, especially for Youth booklet, and preach my Gospel – I promise you will be blessed in your life.
Elder M. Russell Ballard is the great, great grand nephew of Joseph Smith. He is the great-great-grandson of Hyrum Smith. His grandfather, Melvin J. Ballard, was an apostle. So, he has the blood of prophets running through his veins. He is not just talking about Joseph Smith as an apostle, but as his descendent.

Elder Ballard –
Question: How do I stay strong while preparing for my mission? it is hard to keep the commandments, stay virtuous, and active. A: Your desire will make the difference. You will have the will power if you desire to stay clean and be a worthy missionary.
– Be a hard worker
– Make your prayers more meaning full
Q: Do Young Women have to go on missions? A: NO. It is up to her, the promptings of the Holy Ghost in your hear. Pray and ask when you get older (19). If you don’t go on a mission, make your life a great mission. your example will be your mission. Young men, stay faithful as a deacon, a teacher, a priest, and then stand tall when your bishop approaches you about going on a mission. The way you (all teens) present yourself and the light in your eyes helps you to be a great member missionary. If your friends ask you a question that you don’t know the answer to, you say, “I know 2 guys who can answer that question for you. When would it be good to meet them?”
Q: My brother came home from his mission early because of anxiety. What can I do to prevent that from happening to me? A: Learn to talk face to face. Don’t text to ask someone on a date. And for your brother, tell him that all disciples of Jesus Christ are missionaries.
Q: Do I keep asking inactive friends if they want to come to church? A: Pray about it. Maybe an activity coming up or the missionaries would be just right for them. Caring about them, which you obviously do, is a wonderful step.
Q: How can I be a good missionary to my non-member dad? A:Give him a hug and say, “Daddy, would you consider joining the church so that we can be sealed together as a family?” Love him, pray for him. You can also study Preach My Gospel, which was written to missionaries. You will have the inspiration of heaven with a sincere heart. Prepare yourselves to be missionaries. We need you then and we need you when you come home.

Lynn G Robbins –
Q: What do I do when I feel so sad? A: We will all have tough days. D&C 46: gifts are given by the Spirit of God. They include Christ like attributes too. 9 virtues are in chapter 6 of Preach My Gospel. We can pray for these attributes and you can develop them. The more you become like Christ the happier you will be. You can wake up, as Christ must have, happy knowing what good you can do that day. happiness is the most attractive accessory you can have. SMILE. “If thou art sorrowful – call on the Lord thy God” D&C 136:29 “Men are that they might have joy.” 2 Nephi 2:25.
Q: Do I have a testimony? A: Not a “special experience,” but those experiences are so rare. That isn’t the way that it comes. The light of Christ is with you constantly, so you may not notice it. You are so use to it, every day many times. Underling your scriptures is revelation, the light is discernible. It is real. He hears your prayers.

Elder Costa –
Q: How do I deal with peer pressure? A: “It is better to prevent than to fix.” The Costa family motto
If you are in a bad situation (such as a party with drinking or inappropriate behavior)? Leave or help improve the situation? LEAVE. Choose your friends wisely. In their family they have a code. When his kids call him and give the code, he knows to go to their rescue and the child can blame the parents for having to leave. Peer pressure is real. 1 Nephi 3:7 You can do it! Stand tall. Look for the help of the Lord!

Elder Rasband –
When you have a question ask, How would Jesus Christ answer that question? Go to the topical guide
Q: How do I know if I am forgiven? D&C 58:42 “ He who has repented of his sins, The Same is forgiven.” The adversary laces us with guilt. It causes us to slow down, to dwell in the pst. Turn yourselves to Christ. Forgiving others is a Christlike attribute. Matt 6:14-15. If I forgive others, the Father will forgive me. Don’t carry grudges. Suppress anger and move forward.

Elder Ballard –
Q: Dating before 16? A: Do you believe Spencer W. Kimball was a prophet?
Don’t let others/world label you to one single friend. A goodnight kiss is one thing. Other kinds of kisses are dangerous. We aren’t going to let the world dictate how we live. We’ll let the Lord dictate how we live.
Q: 17 and never asked out? Be beautiful. Lighten up. This has everything to do with fun. Be patient.

Recently Elder Oaks and Elder Ballard spoke to young adults to answer their questions. SEE IT HERE.

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