Insights from a Prophet’s Life Quotes

“the rest of your life, your most difficult challenge will probably be to follow the prophet. There is going to be an increasing gap between his counsel and what the world insists is acceptable and reasonable. There will likely be moments when you don’t agree with something he says. But I hope you’ll remember what I’m telling you today, that your greatest safety will be in following the prophet. The prophet will always see things you can’t see and help you avoid pitfalls you otherwise might not recognize in time.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“when you love the Lord more than you love your spouse, your capacity to love will increase and you will increasingly love your spouse even more.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“In other words,” he later explained, “whenever a blessing is received, it’s because a law has been obeyed. And that means certain procedures will always work—not just most of the time, not just some of the time, but every single time without exception.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“After Laurie was born, Russell and Dantzel were waiting for the nurse to bring their new baby to them. Dantzel had been under anesthetic during delivery and hadn’t yet seen her little girl. Suddenly she said, “I hear our baby crying.” “You’re kidding,” Russell replied. “You haven’t even seen her yet.” But Dantzel insisted, “That’s our baby. I know her voice.” She asked Russell to check, so he walked into the corridor and down to a large cart that carried babies in their bassinets from the nursery to their mothers’ rooms. There was only one baby crying. “They all looked alike to me, so I checked the I.D. tag and found that the one crying was labeled ‘Baby Girl Nelson, Room 571.’ That was an inspiration to me. Dantzel knew her child’s voice even before she had ever heard it. I couldn’t help but think about the Savior’s statement that ‘my sheep know my voice.’” In this case, the “shepherd” knew the voice of her sheep.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“On one occasion a medical colleague chastised Dr. Nelson for failing to separate his professional knowledge from his religious convictions. “That startled me,” he admitted, “because I did not feel that truth should be fractionalized. Truth is indivisible” (Hafen, Disciple’s Life, 165).”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“Don’t worry about me, Brother Nelson, for I know why I was sent to the earth—to gain experiences and work out my salvation. I can work out my salvation with my mind and not with my legs. I’ll be all right!” Russell recorded afterward that “the faith of that young man has motivated me ever since”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“Not long ago I heard a mission president ask a group of his elders and sisters what they thought the most difficult commandment to live would be after they were released as full-time missionaries and then throughout their lives. Their answers were varied, with many revolving around the challenge to live the law of chastity. The mission president listened intently, and after the missionaries had each shared his or her response, he said: “You will each have challenges, and, for some of you, temptations with morality will be among them. But I invite you to consider something: Throughout the rest of your life, your most difficult challenge will probably be to follow the prophet. There is going to be an increasing gap between his counsel and what the world insists is acceptable and reasonable. There will likely be moments when you don’t agree with something he says. But I hope you’ll remember what I’m telling you today, that your greatest safety will be in following the prophet. The prophet will always see things you can’t see and help you avoid pitfalls you otherwise might not recognize in time.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“As leaders have sought revelation, the guidance received over the past few years is to strengthen the sacrament meeting, honor the Sabbath day, and encourage and assist parents and individuals to make their homes a source of spiritual strength and increased faith—a place of joy and happiness.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“One beautiful winter morning when Utah’s deep powder snow was perfect for experienced skiers, he and Elder W. Craig Zwick headed to a nearby resort for a day on the slopes. As they hopped on the four-person chairlift for their umpteenth ride up the mountain, a young man skied up and got on with them. They remarked how wonderful it was that Monday morning to be out in the fresh Utah snow, and the young man responded, “Yes, but my life is in a shambles.” Elder Zwick remembered, “I felt like saying, ‘This is your lucky day,’ and about then the man realized he was on the chairlift with President Nelson and gasped. “In about four minutes,” Elder Zwick related, “President Nelson taught that young man the importance of the Book of Mormon and promised that if he would read it every day, his problems wouldn’t go away but they would be alleviated. That is how clearly he taught” (Church News/KSL Interview, January 5, 2018).”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“There is always a test. Are you willing to do really hard things? Once you’ve shown you’re willing to do your part, He will help you.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“With every person there comes a new complement of love, and there is no limit to it,” Elder Nelson summarized. “A newborn baby is the most helpless individual in all of life. When a colt is born, it can walk on its feeble legs. When an elephant is born, it can walk. But an infant can’t do anything but cry. That very nature of dependency upon the father and mother allows you to serve them, and that service is what galvanizes the love. If they were self-sufficient, I don’t think you could love them as much. Family is the supreme blessing in life.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“They all looked alike to me, so I checked the I.D. tag and found that the one crying was labeled ‘Baby Girl Nelson, Room 571.’ That was an inspiration to me. Dantzel knew her child’s voice even before she had ever heard it. I couldn’t help but think about the Savior’s statement that ‘my sheep know my voice.’” In this case, the “shepherd” knew the voice of her sheep.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“My life is ready for inspection,’ Mickey said. ‘Let’s proceed.’” “Those words, ‘My life is ready for inspection,’ have stayed with me ever since,” Russell said years later. “He meant it most sincerely, and I have often contemplated the power of being able to face the next world with that kind of spiritual confidence.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“Russell Nelson learned about the incontrovertibility of divine law in the operating room, and he learned to respect the power and blessings that result from obeying law. “In other words,” he later explained, “whenever a blessing is received, it’s because a law has been obeyed. And that means certain procedures will always work—not just most of the time, not just some of the time, but every single time without exception. That takes the pressure off an individual who is willing to study the laws that govern the physical body and be obedient to them. Otherwise we’d be crazy to take these patients down to death and back every day”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“When like-minded men who are all dedicated and committed to the same cause have a difference of opinion, that just means we need more information,” President Nelson explained. “We don’t need to debate it longer at that point, we need to go back and study it more and gather more information, because we don’t yet have enough information to agree.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“The Lord likes effort. He could have said to Moses, ‘I’ll meet you halfway.’ But Moses had to go all the way to the top of Mount Sinai. He required effort from Moses and Joshua and Joseph Smith and from all of the subsequent Presidents of the Church. He requires effort from bishops and stake Relief Society presidents and elders quorum presidents. There is always a test. Are you willing to do really hard things? Once you’ve shown you’re willing to do your part, He will help you.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“She seemed born to be a mother and chose to love almost everything about it.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson

“Often help from the Lord came in unexpected ways. The time came in Poland to open a mission there, but how do you open a mission without a mission president who can speak Polish? And where does one find such a person? This was on Elder Nelson’s mind when, on October 27, 1989, he attended the inauguration of BYU President Rex E. Lee in Provo, Utah. At a reception celebrating President Lee’s appointment, Elder Nelson just happened to meet Walter Whipple, a professor of Polish in the department of Germanic and Slavic Languages. Dr. Whipple had just returned to BYU after a teaching stint in Poland. Who became the first mission president in Poland? President Walter Whipple, who was also a professional organist and accomplished cellist. “The Lord doth provide,” Elder Nelson summarized. “I’ve seen this over and over again. When we didn’t know what in the world to do next, the Lord stepped in and handed the answer to us on a silver platter. We would have had to be blind not to see it.”
― Sheri Dew, Insights from a Prophet’s Life: Russell M. Nelson