A couple years back\u2014not long after President Russell M. Nelson was sustained as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints\u2014Elder Neil L. Anderson spoke of a project his wife undertook:<\/p>\n
While my wife, Kathy, has known President Nelson personally for nearly three decades and has no question about his divine mantle, upon his setting apart, she began reading all his general conference talks of the past 34 years, praying for an even deeper assurance of his prophetic role.[1]<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n
Now, unlike Sister Anderson, I do not know President Nelson personally and, to be frank, he was never one of the apostles who had really caught my attention, so I just wasn\u2019t too familiar with him, his teachings, etc.\u00a0 This was true, even though he has been in the Quorum of the Twelve longer than I\u2019ve been alive or involved in the Church.\u00a0 So, I decided that it would be a good thing for me to go through and study all his general conference addresses to get to know him better.\u00a0 I recently finished reading all of them (well, until this weekend, anyway).<\/p>\n
It was a good experience for me overall.\u00a0 I came to understand and appreciate President Nelson more fully and felt that there were some important lessons in his words that I need to follow.\u00a0 Now, because I\u2019m a blogger and enjoy analysis, part of my processing the experience is going to result in a series of blog posts that will most likely go as follows:<\/p>\n
\n
- Introductory Thoughts<\/strong><\/li>\n
- President Nelson\u2019s Favorite Topics and Phrases<\/li>\n
- Examining the Sources in President Nelson\u2019s Talks<\/li>\n
- Potential Long-Term Impact of President Nelson\u2019s Addresses<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n
My goal is both to for me continue to better understand President Nelson\u2019s teachings through the process of study and analysis, to share some of that understanding in case someone else finds it interesting, and to hopefully learn from you through discussion as we go along.<\/p>\n
Now, with that introduction being stated, here are some preliminary observations from President Nelson\u2019s general conference addresses:<\/p>\n
\n
- He has a few core topics that he brings up repeatedly over the years:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
I\u2019ll go into more detail with the post about his favorite topics and statements, but there are a few core subjects that seem particularly important to President Nelson.\u00a0 These included focusing our lives on Jesus the Christ, strengthening families, temples and temple work, the priesthood, and so forth.\u00a0 I found that there were several talks that were largely recycled from or based on previous talks and that he also does a lot of self-citation (and referring to his biography) in his footnotes. \u00a0Of course, that\u2019s to be expected after a certain point, especially when he is looking to reinforce and build upon ideas he introduced previously.[2]<\/a><\/p>\n
\n
- He likes linguistics:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Whether it be breaking down the etymology of an English word to make its use more meaningful or noting the meanings of Greek or Hebrew words used for a particular word in the King James Bible, President Nelson frequently incorporates language studies in his talks and in his footnotes.\u00a0 An example I remember him stating a couple times was that: \u201cThe word for\u00a0repentance<\/em>\u00a0in the Greek New Testament is\u00a0metanoeo.<\/em>\u00a0The prefix\u00a0meta-<\/em>\u00a0means \u2018change.\u2019 The suffix\u00a0-noeo<\/em>\u00a0is related to Greek words that mean \u2018mind,\u2019 \u2018knowledge,\u2019 \u2018spirit,\u2019 and \u2018breath.\u2019\u00a0 Thus, when Jesus asks you and me to \u2018repent,\u2019\u00a0He is inviting us to change our mind, our knowledge, our spirit\u2014even the way we breathe.\u201d[3]<\/a><\/p>\n
\n
- He quotes hymns and poetry frequently:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
President Nelson frequently uses hymn texts for talk titles and quotes in talks, as well as using the occasional piece of non-hymn poetry.\u00a0 Notably, this includes two hymns that he wrote and shared during conference addresses: \u201cHosanna<\/a>\u201d and \u201cOur Prayer to Thee<\/a>\u201d.\u00a0 The former was performed by a male chorus in the priesthood session after his remarks.\u00a0 The latter was performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir to Joseph Parry\u2019s SWANSEA tune (\u201cO Home Beloved,\u201d hymn no. 337) immediately after his general conference talk back in April 2003. \u00a0A hymn-format arrangement<\/a> was published in the Ensign <\/em>and Liahona <\/em>magazines that May.\u00a0 Mack Wilberg\u2019s arrangement of \u201cOur Prayer to Thee\u201d was also performed in the October 2018 general conference<\/a> and included on the Tabernacle Choir\u2019s spring 2019 album \u201cLet Us All Press On\u201d<\/a>.\u00a0 (I\u2019m willing to guess that it is being deeply considered as a candidate for the forthcoming hymnbook.)<\/p>\n
\n
- He generally doesn\u2019t shy away from controversial topics:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
Whether it be abortion, sexuality and sexual activity, the role of women, drug use, or other topics hotly debated in society today, President Nelson probably has a general conference talk that addresses that issue head on.\u00a0 He has gotten more subtle and focuses on these types of issues less openly in the recent past than some of the more focused and blunt addresses on these issues in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but those talks do remain as part of his legacy and an indicator of his thoughts on the subjects.\u00a0 Also, he generally seems to come from a politically conservative worldview, so the topics that he addresses and way he addresses them is shaped by that background.<\/p>\n
\n
- His career as a doctor shapes his views and focuses:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
He talks a lot about the human body and about dealing with death, drawing on his experiences as a doctor quite frequently.\u00a0 He also takes some interesting approaches to understanding the nature of the Fall of Adam and Eve through the lens of a medical professional.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
As stated above, I have felt inspired and I have received some good guidance on how to improve my life and my efforts to be a disciple of Jesus Christ by studying the teachings of President Nelson.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Some potential questions for discussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n
\n
- What has inspired you about President Nelson\u2019s teachings?<\/li>\n
- Do you have some interesting observations about his addresses?<\/li>\n
- Do you have anything you\u2019re hoping for with general conference this weekend?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
<\/p>\n
Footnotes:<\/strong><\/p>\n
[1]<\/a> Neil L. Anderson, \u201cThe Prophet of God,\u201d CR April 2018, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2018\/04\/the-prophet-of-god?lang=eng<\/a>.<\/p>\n
[2]<\/a> I\u2019ll point out that Gordon B. Hinckley openly reused an entire conference address as one of his final talks, so President Nelson isn\u2019t alone in doing that sort of thing.<\/p>\n
[3]<\/a> Russell M. Nelson, \u201cWe Can Do Better and Be Better,\u201d CR April 2019, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2019\/04\/36nelson?lang=eng<\/a>.\u00a0 See also \u201cRepentance and Conversion,\u201d CR April 2007 https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2007\/04\/repentance-and-conversion?lang=eng<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A couple years back\u2014not long after President Russell M. Nelson was sustained as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints\u2014Elder Neil L. Anderson spoke of a project his wife undertook: While my wife, Kathy, has known President Nelson personally for nearly three decades and has no question about his divine mantle, upon his setting apart, she began reading all his general conference talks of the past 34 years, praying for an even deeper assurance of his prophetic role.[1] Now, unlike Sister Anderson, I do not know President Nelson personally and, to be frank, he was never one of the apostles who had really caught my attention, so I just wasn\u2019t too familiar with him, his teachings, etc.\u00a0 This was true, even though he has been in the Quorum of the Twelve longer than I\u2019ve been alive or involved in the Church.\u00a0 So, I decided that it would be a good thing for me to go through and study all his general conference addresses to get to know him better.\u00a0 I recently finished reading all of them (well, until this weekend, anyway). It was a good experience for me overall.\u00a0 I came to understand and appreciate President Nelson […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10397,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1284],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-conference-features"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10397"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40894"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40896,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40894\/revisions\/40896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
![hymn-format arrangement<\/a> was published in the Ensign <\/em>and Liahona <\/em>magazines that May.\u00a0 Mack Wilberg\u2019s arrangement of \u201cOur Prayer to Thee\u201d was also performed in the October 2018 general conference<\/a> and included on the Tabernacle Choir\u2019s spring 2019 album \u201cLet Us All Press On\u201d<\/a>.\u00a0 (I\u2019m willing to guess that it is being deeply considered as a candidate for the forthcoming hymnbook.)<\/p>\n\nHe generally doesn\u2019t shy away from controversial topics:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nWhether it be abortion, sexuality and sexual activity, the role of women, drug use, or other topics hotly debated in society today, President Nelson probably has a general conference talk that addresses that issue head on.\u00a0 He has gotten more subtle and focuses on these types of issues less openly in the recent past than some of the more focused and blunt addresses on these issues in the late 1980s and early 1990s, but those talks do remain as part of his legacy and an indicator of his thoughts on the subjects.\u00a0 Also, he generally seems to come from a politically conservative worldview, so the topics that he addresses and way he addresses them is shaped by that background.<\/p>\n\nHis career as a doctor shapes his views and focuses:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\nHe talks a lot about the human body and about dealing with death, drawing on his experiences as a doctor quite frequently.\u00a0 He also takes some interesting approaches to understanding the nature of the Fall of Adam and Eve through the lens of a medical professional.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nAs stated above, I have felt inspired and I have received some good guidance on how to improve my life and my efforts to be a disciple of Jesus Christ by studying the teachings of President Nelson.<\/p>\n <\/p>\nSome potential questions for discussion:<\/strong><\/p>\n\nWhat has inspired you about President Nelson\u2019s teachings?<\/li>\nDo you have some interesting observations about his addresses?<\/li>\nDo you have anything you\u2019re hoping for with general conference this weekend?<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n <\/p>\nFootnotes:<\/strong><\/p>\n[1]<\/a> Neil L. Anderson, \u201cThe Prophet of God,\u201d CR April 2018, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2018\/04\/the-prophet-of-god?lang=eng<\/a>.<\/p>\n[2]<\/a> I\u2019ll point out that Gordon B. Hinckley openly reused an entire conference address as one of his final talks, so President Nelson isn\u2019t alone in doing that sort of thing.<\/p>\n[3]<\/a> Russell M. Nelson, \u201cWe Can Do Better and Be Better,\u201d CR April 2019, https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2019\/04\/36nelson?lang=eng<\/a>.\u00a0 See also \u201cRepentance and Conversion,\u201d CR April 2007 https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/study\/general-conference\/2007\/04\/repentance-and-conversion?lang=eng<\/a>.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"A couple years back\u2014not long after President Russell M. Nelson was sustained as President of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints\u2014Elder Neil L. Anderson spoke of a project his wife undertook: While my wife, Kathy, has known President Nelson personally for nearly three decades and has no question about his divine mantle, upon his setting apart, she began reading all his general conference talks of the past 34 years, praying for an even deeper assurance of his prophetic role.[1] Now, unlike Sister Anderson, I do not know President Nelson personally and, to be frank, he was never one of the apostles who had really caught my attention, so I just wasn\u2019t too familiar with him, his teachings, etc.\u00a0 This was true, even though he has been in the Quorum of the Twelve longer than I\u2019ve been alive or involved in the Church.\u00a0 So, I decided that it would be a good thing for me to go through and study all his general conference addresses to get to know him better.\u00a0 I recently finished reading all of them (well, until this weekend, anyway). It was a good experience for me overall.\u00a0 I came to understand and appreciate President Nelson […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":10397,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1284],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-40894","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-general-conference-features"],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40894","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/10397"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=40894"}],"version-history":[{"count":2,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40894\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":40896,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/40894\/revisions\/40896"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=40894"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=40894"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/timesandseasons.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=40894"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}](\"https:\/\/www.churchofjesuschrist.org\/bc\/content\/shared\/content\/images\/gospel-library\/magazine\/ensignlp.nfo:o:aad.jpg\"){kind=link}