President M. Russell Ballard: Bullet Points of Goodness

When I decided to do this study, I knew I wanted to read and study each of President Ballard’s conference messages. This is a big undertaking! There were 79 messages that President Ballard shared during his time in the Quorum of the Twelve.

As I studied I kept a running list of various things, such as themes, invitations, promises, and my own personal inspiration. It was all very similar to how I study each General Conference session. It was fascinating to see what themes were important to him. And it was also really impactful to have read his biography and then see what he spoke about during different times of his life.

Themes

SO many themes! But as I kept my running list I concluded that these were his top five:

• Jesus Christ
• Family
• Missionary Work
• Faith
• Priesthood

These were the things that touched his heart the most. The things he was most passionate about. I loved learning from him.

Favorite Messages

There are so many wonderful messages. These were the ones that hit home the most for me. These are my favorites:

• Keeping Life’s Demands in Balance (April 1987 <– Priorities)
• God’s Love for His Children (April 1988 <– Reverence for God and Creation)
• The Effects of Television (April 1989 <– Media and Family)
• Teach the Children (April 1991 <– Teaching Children)
• Be an Example of the Believers (October 1991 <– Womanhood)
• The Blessings of Sacrifice (April 1992 <– Sacrifice)
• The Joy of Hope Fulfilled (October 1992 <– Hope)
• Answers to Life’s Questions (April 1995 <– Plan of Salvation)
• “You Have Nothing to Fear from the Journey” (April 1997 <– Faith)
• The Greatest Generation of Missionaries (October 2002 <– Missionary Work)
• Pure Testimony (October 2004 <– Testimony)
• One More (April 2005 <– Missionary Work)
• O Be Wise (October 2006 <– Wisdom)
• Daughters of God (April 2008 <– Motherhood)
• Family Councils (April 2016 <– Councils)
• Return and Receive (April 2017 <– Goals)
• Remember What Matters Most (April 2023 <– Priorities)

Pledge

President Ballard gave a “pledge” in his second General Conference address. I thought it was so powerful.

“I very humbly commit to you, my dear brothers and sisters, that in my calling as a member of the Council of the Twelve, I will do everything within my power to teach the plan of our Father in Heaven for the redemption and exaltation of his children. I will strive to clarify the truths that can provide eternal life for the sons and daughters of God. I pledge to the First Presidency and to you that I will so live that if I ever should be sent to unlock the way for the restored gospel to enter a nation of the earth, I will be prepared.” (The Kingdom Rolls Forth in South America, April 1986)

Personal Applications

Just like with my regular conference study, this list is for me. These are my personal thoughts and impressions of what my heart needs to focus on:

• Church callings are blessings.
• The world is big and I have a responsibility to share the gospel.
• Search my heart and courageously assess my priorities.
• Be independent and self-reliant and give of my time and talents to building up the kingdom of God.
• Have true and deep reverence for God and His creations and take the time to appreciate them.
• Show genuine love for each of God’s children and see and inister to each of them.
• Protect my family and myself by limiting our television and screen use and be selective about what is watched.
• Pray daily for the safety and protection of the missionaries and prepare my children to have a strong testimony.
• Remember that the small and simple things will build my life.
• Stay morally clean.
• My most important work is in my home teaching my children with unwavering dedication.
• Be at peace with myself when I have done the best I can in my role as a woman, wife, and mother.
• Love and appreciate Joseph Smith and his family for all they did for the restoration of the gospel.
• Teach the principle of sacrifice and practice it.
• Trust that the Lord is in control and never lose hope.
• Pay attention to my spiritual self and take time weekly to personally evaluate my life and where I stand with the Lord.
• Remember that Heavenly Father needs my talents and strengths in my service in my home and the Church.
• There is power in councils! Lead with love and unity in family and Church councils.
• There is unity and power in working together in councils, both in the Church in my family. Counsel with my councils!
• The heavens are not sealed. God knows me and loves me. Christ’s Church has been restored.
• All of life’s questions can be answered in the gospel of Christ and when I understand the plan of happiness.
• Remember and honor the significant ministery of Hyrum Smith and learn from his example.
• Cultivate spiritual strength within myself so that I can offer spiritual nourishment to others.
• Remember the legacy of faith my pioneer ancestors had and walk forward with that same faith.
• It is my privilege and responsibility to continue living with real faith as the pioneers did in my personal journey through mortality.
• It is a sacred duty to stand for truth and right – to make a better, safer, and happier world.
• Embrace, study, and appreciate the marvelous revelations from God and increase my own spiritual education so I am ready to receive continuing revelation.
• Focus my time and energy on strengthening my family and helping the work of the Lord.
• Build a fortress of faith in my home and help my children stay morally clean.
• Safety and peace come when I work hard to live as a disciple of Christ, beware of false prophets and teachers, and am anxiously engaged in good causes.
• Increase my personal spiritual preparation so that I can intensify my service to the Lord by serving others.
• Complete conversion is essential and I need to be all in.
• Hear and respond to the counsel of our prophet promptly and positively.
• Live the doctrine of inclusion and show love and kindness – regardless of any differences.
• Be a seeker of inner peace that only comes through faith in Jesus Christ.
• Raise sons that are ready to build up and defend the kingdom. The Lord needs them.
• Have faith and courage to increase my participation in missionary work.
• Choose wisely what we listen to and what we watch as a family.
• Understand and accept the Atonement in my life and see how important my soul is to Him.
• Continue to nurture my testimony and take every opportunity to share it.
• Do all I can to protect and strengthen my family – it is what matters most and needs my time.
• Create a gospel sharing home by loving my children and letting the Spirit be felt by those who enter it.
• Be wise with my time, my priorities, and balancing my responsibilities.
• Understand the power and importance of the Holy Bible.
• Show my faith with sincerity – in how I live and how I communicate to others.
• There is no role more essential and more eternal than motherhood. Find joy and happiness in my sacred role as a daughter of God.
• Carry on the rich tradition of devoted commitment shown by generations past.
• Be wise enough to learn the lessons of the past so I can walk in the light today.
• Fathers and sons need to honor their priesthood and love one another by making their relationship an eternal priority.
• Mothers and daughters play a critical role in helping one another meet their greatest possibilties. Nurture and teach my daughters.
• Be wise and refuse the lies offered by Satan. Beware of addictive behavior and know there is hope through the Atonement of Christ.
• Do small and simple acts of kindness and service at home, at Church and in my community.
• Use the full name of the Church as the Lord has directed.
• Devote my life to my family and live in the light of the gospel of Jesus Christ.
• Every day pray for opportunities to serve those around me.
• Access the power of the priesthood and use it to strengthen my life and the lives of others around me.
• Pray personally and as a family for missionary opportunities.
• Be consistently involved in missionary work and in studying Preach My Gospel.
• Experience continuing conversion and focus on the words in the scriptures and teachings of prophets and apostles.
• The Lord needs the greatest generation of young adults by getting married, serving others, and increasing their gospel learning.
• Hold tight and stay on the Old Ship Zion. God is at the helm and has provided everything needed to arrive at our destination.
• Family councils help us with our family relationships, invite the Spirit into our homes, and serve as a protection from outside distractions.
• The Lord will never abandon His Church and He will never abandon me. Remain on the path and truth in Him.
• There is no greater goal than commiting myself to live in a way that allows me to return to my Heavenly Parents and Savior.
• My trek through life continues and I need to prove my own faith in every footstep. I need to ask myself: What are my footsteps taking me?
• Thoughtfully study the vision of the redemption of the dead and see the love of God.
• Treasure the precious gifts from God: a living prophet, faith, the Sabbath day, the sacrament, service to others, and our Savior.
• Peace, joy, and happiness come when serving the Lord and serving others.
• Slow down and remember who I am as a daughter of God and choose the things of the Spirit – that is my real, true, authentic self.
• Remember the price Joseph and Hyrum paid, along with the other early Saints, to establish the Church.
• Redouble my commitment to prayer and appreciate its power.
• Have hope in Christ and His power.
• CHOOSE the Savior. Give my love and attention to Him and my relationships with Him.
• Help prepare my children for missionary service and see the blessings missionary service will have in your life forever.
• Focus on the Savior and follow Him with faith in every footstep.
• Remember what matters most is what lasts longest.
• I am blessed to know what I know because of the Prophet Joseph Smith.

Lists of Helps

If you notice, many messages are shared with “lists” of helps. President Ballard was FULL of these. They might be a lot to go through, but I really enjoyed the quick bullet points.

Sharing the gospel with others (We Proclaim the Gospel, October 1986)

1. Prayerfully set a date by which you will have someone prepared to hear the gospel
2. Prayerfully choose a friend or someone you already know
3. Share your date and plans with someone
4. Invite your friend to hear the missionary discussions, with the help of the Spirit

Balancing life’s demands (Keeping Life’s Demands in Balance, April 1987):

1. Think about your life and set your priorities. Find quiet time regularly to think deeply about where you are going and what you will need to do to get there.
2. Set short-term goals that you can reach. Set goals that are well-balanced.
3. Through wise budgeting, control your real needs and measure them carefully against your many wants in life.
4. Stay close to your spouse, children, relatives, and friends. They will help you keep a balance in your life.
5. Study the scriptures. They offer one of the best sources we have to keep in touch with the Spirit of the Lord.
6. Many people have difficulty finding the time for sufficient rest, exercise, and relaxation. We must schedule time on our daily calendars for these activities if we are to enjoy a healthy and balanced life.
7. The prophets have taught repeatedly that families shoudl teach one another the gospel, preferably in a weekly family home evening.
8. Pray often as individuals and as families. Parents need to exercise the discipline required to elad out and motivate children to join together for regular family prayers.

Staying morally clean (Purity Precedes Power, October 1990):

1. Understand the standards of moral cleanliness. Commandments are guidance for happy living.
2. Determine that you will live by the stands of moral cleanliness. This kind of commitment is a fundamental gospel principle.
3. While you must exercise your agency and bear the responsibilties for your decisions, you need not face temptations alone.
4. Choose friends who share your standards.
5. Young men must cultivate a considerate attitude toward women of all ages.
6. Seek help from the Lord, the source of spiritual power.

Keeping a clean and unimpaired eternal perspective (Equality through Diversity, October 1993):

1. Focus on fundamentals.
2. Maintain balance.
3. Reach out to one another with love.

Being more effective with our families and in our Church callings (Strength in Counsel, October 1993):

1. Focus on fundamentals
2. Focus on people
3. Promote free and open expression
4. Participation is a privilege
5. Lead with love

Lessons from Hyrum Smith (Hyrum Smith: “Firm As the Pillars of Heaven”, October 1995)

1. Devoted himself to obtaining the word through study of the scriptures
2. Had a believing heart
3. Selfless service to others
4. Patience in adversity and affliction

Building a fortress of faith in our homes (Like a Flame Unquenchable, April 1999)

1. Gospel Information – The most important, life-changing information is the knowledge that we are truly children of God our Eternal Father.
2. Communication – Nothing is more important to the relationship between family members than open, honest communication.
3. Intervention – It is the parents’ duty to intervene when they see wrong choices being made.
4. Example – It is almost impossible for children and youth to find their way through the seas of life without the guiding light of a good example.

How to avoid being exclusive (Doctrine of Inclusion, October 2001):

1. Get to know your neighbors
2. Eliminate the phrases “nonmember” and “non-Mormon”
3. If neighbors become testy or frustrated because of some disagreement with The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints or with some law we support for moral reasons, please don’t suggest to them – even in a humorous way – that they consider moving someplace else

Participating in member missionary work (The Essential Role of Member Missionary Work, April 2003):

1. Exercise our faith and pray individually and as families, asking for help in finding ways to share the restored gospel of Jesus Christ
2. Leaders must lead by example
3. Member missionary work requires faith – real faith and trust in the Lord. It also requires genuine love

Establishing a tradition of missionary service (One More, April 2005):

1. Make sure all of our youth understand who they are
2. Teach the doctrine
3. Recognize that it may not be wise for some of our young men and young women to face the rigors and challenges of a full-time mission

Protecting, preserving, and strengthening our homes and families (What Matters Most Is What Lasts Longest, October 2005):

1. Be consistent in holding daily family prayer and weekly family home evenings
2. Teach the gospel and basic values in your home. Establish a love for reading the scriptures together
3. Create meaningful family bonds that give your children an identity stronger than what they can find with their peer group or at school or anyplace else

Serving wisely and well (O Be Wise, October 2006):

1. Focus on people and principles – not on programs
2. Be innovative. As we work to magnify our callings, we should seek the inspiration of the Spirit to solve problems in ways that will best help the people we serve.
3. Divide the work and delegate responsibility
4. Eliminate guilt
5. Thoughtfully allocate your resources of time, income, and energy
6. Every new member of the Church needs a responsibility

Improving your relationship with your father (Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship, October 2009):

1. Trust your father
2. Take an interest in your father’s life. Ask about his job, his interests, his goals.
3. Ask your father for advice.

Improving your relationship with your sons (Fathers and Sons: A Remarkable Relationship, October 2009):

1. Fathers, listen to your sons – really listen to them. Ask the right kind of questions, and listen to what your sons have to say each time you have a few minutes together.
2. Pray with and for your sons. Give them priesthood blessings.
3. Dare to have the “big talks” with your sons.

Serving and loving others (Finding Joy through Loving Service, April 2011):

1. Charity begins at home. The single most important principle that should govern every home is to practice the Golden Rule
2. Our wards and branches should be places where the Golden Rule always guides our words and actions toward each other
3. Our communities should be a pure expression of our love and concern where we can reach out to those who have need of our help
4. Missionary service – not only as full-time missionaries but also as friends and neighbors

How to not become lost (That the Lost May Be Found, April 2012):

1. Prioritize. Put everything you do outside the home in subjection to and in support of what happens inside your home.
2. Do things in the right order! Marriage first and then family.
3. Husbands and wives, you should be equal partners in your marriage.
4. Use the family resources of the Church.

Simple, eternal truths the help us stay the course through mortality (God Is at the Helm, October 2015):

1. The Church of Jesus Christ has always been led by living prophets and apostles.
2. The doctrine of the plan of salvation.
3. Heavenly Father created Adam and Eve for a lofty purpose – to create mortal bodies for God’s spirit children so they could experince mortality.
4. We should observe the Sabbath day. This helps us remain unspotted from the world, provides us with physical rest, and gives each of us the spiritual refreshment of worshipping the Father and the Son every Sunday.

Types of family councils (Family Councils, April 2016):

1. General family council consisting of the entire family
2. Executive family council consisting of a mother and father
3. Limited family council consisting of parents and one child
4. One-on-one family council consisting of one parent and one child

Important principles to understand (Hope in Christ, April 2021):

1. Scriptures and latter-day prophets confirm that everyone who is faithful in keeping gospel covenants will have the opportunity for exaltation
2. The precise time and manner in which the blessings of exaltation are bestowed have not all been revealed, but they are nonetheless assured
3. Waiting upon the Lord implies continued obedience and spiritual progress toward Him
4. God offers eternal life to all of His children
5. Our confidence in these assurances is rooted in our faith in Jesus Christ, by whose grace all things pertaining to mortality are set right

What matters most (Remember What Matters Most, April 2023):

1. A relationship with our Heavenly Father and His Son, the Lord Jesus Christ, is most important. This relationship matters most now and in eternity.
2. Family relationships are among those things that matter most.
3. Following the promptings of the Spirit in our most important relationships and in our efforts to love our neighbors as ourselves, including in our private and public ministeries.
4. Being converted to the Lord, bearing testimony of Him, and serving Him are also among the things that matter most.

Powerful Quotes

I know this is long but there is just SO MUCH I have learned and want to share.

• (This is actually a quote from President Ballard’s grandfather, that he shared with the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve in 1919, quoted by President Ballard) “I know, as I know that I live, that this is God’s work and that you are His servants…I remember one testimony, among the many testimonies which I have received…Two years ago, about this time, I had been on the Fort Peck Reservation for several days with the brethren, solving the problems connected with our work among the Lamanites. Many questions arose that we had to settle. There was no precedent for us to follow, and we just had to go to the Lord and tell Him our troubles, and get inspiration and help from Him. On this occasion I had sought the Lord, under such circumstances, and that night I received a wonderful manifestation and impression which has never left me. I was carried to this place – into this room. I saw myself here with you. I was told there was another privilege that was to be mine; and I was led into a room where I was informed I was to meet someone. As I entered the room I saw, seated on a raised platform, the most glorious being I have ever conceived of, and was taken forward to be introduced to Him. As I approached He smiled, called my name, and stretched out His hands towards me. If I live to be a million years old I shall never forget that smile. He put His arms around me and kissed me, as He took me into His bosom, and He blessed me until my whole being was thrilled. As He finished I feel at His feet, adn there saw the marks of the nails; and as I kissed them, with deep joy swelling through my whole being, I felt that I was in heaven indeed. The feeling that came to my heart then was: Oh! If I could live worthy, though it would require four-score years, so that in the end when I have finished I could go into His presence and receive the feeling that I then had in His presence, I would give everything that I am or ever hope to be!” (The Blessing of Sacrifice, April 1992)
• “No matter how difficult the trail, and regardless of how heavy our load, we can take comfort in knowing that others before us have borne life’s most grievous trials and tragedies by looking to heaven for peace, comfort, and hopefuly assurance. We can know as they knew that God is our Father, that He cares about us individually and collectively, and taht as long as we continue to exercise our faith and trust in Him there is nothing to fear in the journey.” (“You Have Nothing to Fear from the Journey, April 1997)
• “Education – particularly spiritual education – is constantly stressed by the Lord. We cannot be saved in ignorance, but the Lord can only reveal light and truth to us as we are prepared to receive it. And so it is incumbent upon each of us to do everything we can to increase our spiritual knowledge and understanding by studying the scriptures and the words of the living prophets. When we read and study the revelations, the Spirit can confirm in our hearts the truth of what we are learning; in this way, the voice of the Lord speaks to each one of us. As we ponder the teachings of the gospel and apply them in daily living, we become better prepared to receive additional light and truth.” (Marvelous Are the Revelations of the Lord, April 1998)
• “Brothers and sisters, we need to instruct one another and instill deeper faith in our hearts to fortify ourselves with the courage to keep the commandments in a world of ever-increasing wickedness. We need to become so deeply converted to the gospel of Christ that the fire of the covenant will burn in our hearts like a flame unquenchable. And with that kind of faith we will do what is necessary to remain true and worthy.” (Like a Flame Unquenchable, April 1999)
• “Brothers and sisters, the Lord expects us to do something. I believe we are expected to increase our own faith, shake off any possible feelings of apathy, and by the power of the Holy Ghost reaffirm our commitment and intensify our service to the Lord. Then, when we seek to clarify someon’s understanding of the Church, our lives – well and faithfully lived – can serve as a magnifying glass through which others can examine the impact of gospel living. Under the light of our good example, the Spirit can enlarge our understanding of the Church and its mission to all with whom we have contact.” (“How Is It with Us?”, April 2000)
• “We sometimes fail to understand that the everlasting peace Jesus promises is an inner peace, born in faith, anchored by testimony, nurtured with love, and expressed through continual obedience and repentance. It is a peace of spirit that echoes through the heart and the soul. If one truly knows and experiences this inner peace, there is no fear from worldly disharmony or discord. One knows deep down inside that all is well as far as the things that really matter are concerned.” (The Peaceable Things of the Kingdom, April 2002)
• “While we are profoundly grateful for the many members of the Church who are doing great things in the battle for truth and right, I must honestly teel you it is still not enough. We need much more help. And so, as the people of Ammon looked to their sons for reinforcement in the war against the Lamanites, we look to you, my young brethren of the Aaronic Priesthood. We need you. Like Helaman’s 2,000 stripling warriors, you also are the spirit sons of God, and you too can be endowed with power to build up and defend His kingdom. We need you to make sacred covenants, just as they did. We need you to be meticulously obedience and faithful, just as they were.” <– FOR JACOB (The Greatest Generation of Missionaries, October 2002)
• “Now, fathers, you have a vital role in this preparation process. We know that the most profound influence on helping young men prepare for the Melchizedek Priesthood, marriage, and fatherhood is the family. If your sons understand the basic doctrines required to become a faithful father, they will surely be ready to serve as a full-time missionary.” <– FOR MARK (The Greatest Generation of Missionaries, October 2002)
• “Happiness comes from understanding God and knowing that He has a plan for our eternal joy and peace. Happiness comes from knowing and loving the Savior and living our lives in accordance with His teachings. Happiness comes from strong family and Church relationships based on gospel values.” (The Essential Role of Member Missionary Work, April 2003)
• “The family is at the heart of Heavenly Father’s plan because we are all part of His family and because mortality is our opportunity to form our own families and to assume the role of parents. It is within our families that we learn unconditional love, which can come to us and draw us very close to God’s love. It is within families that values are taught and character is built. Father and mother are callings from which we will never be released, and there is no more important stewardship than the responsibility we have for God’s spirit children who come into our families.” (Let Our Voices by Heard, October 2003)
• “Only as we accept the Atonment in our lives and strive to live the gospel can we meet the challenges of life and find peace, joy, and happiness. Coming to understand this great gift is an individual pursuit for each child of God.” (The Atonement and the Value of One Soul, April 2004)
• “Simply stated, testimony – real testimony, born of the Spirit and confirmed by the Holy Ghost – changes lives. It changes how you think and what you do. It changed what you say. It affects every priority you set and every choice you make. To have a real and abiding testimony of the gospel of Jesus Christ is to be “spiritually..born of God,” to “[receive] his image in your countenances,” and to experince a “mighty change in your hearts.” (Pure Testimony, October 2004)
• “Our family-centered perspective should make Latter-day Saints strive to be the best parents in the world. It should give us enormous respect for our children, who truly are our spiritual siblings, and it should cause us to devote whatever time is necessary to strengthen our families. Indeed, nothing is more critically connected to happiness – both our own and that of our children – than how well we love and support one another within the family.” (What Matters Most Is What Lasts Longest, October 2005)
• “What matters most is what lasts longest, and our families are for eternity.” (What Matters Most Is What Lasts Longest, October 2005)
• “This is a great time to live, brothers and sisters, and it is up to us to carry on the rich tradition of devoted commitment that has been the hallmark of previous generations of Latter-day Saints…Our testimonies must run deep, with spiritual roots firmly embedded int he rock of revelation. And we must continue to move the work forward as a covenanted, consecrated people, with faith in every footstep.” (The Truth of God Shall Go Forth, October 2008)
• “Goal setting is essentially beginning with the end in mind. And planning is devising a way to get to that end. A key to happiness lies in understanding what destinations truly matter – and then spending our time, effort, and attention on the things that constitute a sure way to arrive there.” (Return and Receive, April 2017)
• “As we increase our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ’s power to give rest unto our souls by forgiving sins, redeeming imperfect relationships, healing the spiritual wounds that stifle growth, and sterngthening and enabling us to develop the attributes of Christ, we will more deeply appreciate the magnitude of the Atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ.” (Return and Receive, April 2017)
• “I testify there is no greater goal in mortality than to live eternally with our Heavenly Parents and our beloved Savior, the Lord Jesus Christ. But it is more than just our goal – it is also Their goal. They have a perfect love for us, more powerful than we can even begin to comprehend. They are totally, compeltely, eternally aligned with us. We are Their work. Our glory is Their glory. More than anything else, They want us to come home – to return and receive eternal happiness in Their presence.” (Return and Receive, April 2017)
• “We must always remember that our true happiness depends upon our relationship with God, with Jesus Christ, and with each other.” (“Lovest Thou Me More Than These?”, October 2021)
• “Brothers and sisters, I testify that as we follow Jesus Christ with footsteps of faith, there is hope. There is hope in the Lord Jesus Christ. There is hope for all in this life. There is hope to overcome our mistakes, our sorrows, our struggles, and our trials and our troubles. There is hope in repentance and being forgiven and in forgiving others. I testify that there is hope and peace in Christ. He can carry us today through difficult times. He did it for the early pioneers, and He will do it now for each one of us.” (Follow Jesus Christ with Footsteps of Faith, October 2022)
• “I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior and our Redeemer, our Advocate with the Father. Our Heavenly Father has opened the way for us to return to Him by following His Beloved Son, Jesus Christ, with faith in every footstep.” (Follow Jesus Christ with Footsteps of Faith, October 2022)