Prepare now for salvation and exaltation
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Latter-day apostles are responsible for helping people prepare for their potential salvation and exaltation, said Elder Russell M. Nelson in his Saturday morning conference address.
Salvation means to be saved from physical and spiritual death. Through Christ's resurrection and His Atonement, all have the potential to overcome physical and spiritual death by living in obedience to the gospel and by serving the Lord.
"To be exalted — or to gain exaltation — refers to the highest state of happiness and glory in the celestial realm," Elder Nelson said. "These blessings can come to us after we leave this frail and mortal existence. The time to prepare for our eventual salvation and exaltation is now."
Such preparation, he added, begins by first hearing and understanding the gospel. For that reason, the gospel of Christ is taken "to every nation, and kindred, and tongue and people."
Elder Nelson explained that the development of faith is an individual matter. So is repentance. "Only as an individual can one be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost. Each of us is born individually; likewise, each of us is 'born again' individually. Salvation is an individual matter."
Individual progression is fostered in the family. The home is to be God's laboratory of love and service where there exists love between husbands and wives and parents and children.
"Throughout the world, the family is increasingly under attack," Elder Nelson said. "If families fail, many of our political, economic and social systems will also fail. And if families fail, their glorious eternal potential cannot be realized."
Elder Nelson spoke of the importance of spouses being faithful to one another. He said that focus should be fixed on the temple where families can enjoy God's highest blessings; families can be forever.
"No man in the Church can obtain the highest degree of celestial glory without a worthy woman who is sealed to him," Elder Nelson said. "This temple ordinance enables eventual exaltation for both of them."
Members are subject to release in Church callings. "But we cannot be released as parents. From the first days of human history, the Lord has commanded parents to teach the gospel to their children."
The Church is to assist and not to replace parents in their responsibilities to teach their children, Elder Nelson added. In this day of rampant immorality and addictive pornography, parents have a sacred responsibility to teach their children the gospel.
"Do not try to control your children" he said. "Instead, listen to them, help them to learn the gospel, inspire them and lead them toward eternal life."
Elder Nelson also spoke of the important role of grandparents and ancestors.
"The final responsibility to prepare for salvation and eventual exaltation rests upon each person, accountable for individual agency, acting in one's own family, bearing another sacred title of mother, father, daughter, son, grandmother or grandfather."
