In his Saturday afternoon address, Elder Russell M. Nelson of the Council of the Twelve said, "Surely wisdom will come as we listen to learn from children, parents, partners, neighbors, Church leaders and the Lord."
He elaborated on the theme of learning to listen and listening to learn, and addressed six sources of learning:- Children: He said one evening he gave orders befitting an army sergeant as he helped his youngest daughter, then 4, prepare for bed. The child looked at him and said, "Daddy, do you own me?"
He said, "To rule children by force is the technique of Satan, not of the Savior. No, we don't own our children. Our parental privilege is to love them, to lead them, and, to let them go."
- Parents: He said listening to parents can be a matter of life or death, physically or spiritually. He told of an acquaintance, whose daughter was killed in an accident on the way home from a dance, which the father felt uneasy about her attending. "Children, honor your parents, even when they cannot give a satisfactory explanation for their feelings."
- Partners: "Taking time to talk is essential to keep lines of communication intact. If marriage is a prime relationship in life, it deserves prime time."
- Neighbors: "Opportunities to listen to those of diverse religious or political persuasion can promote tolerance and learning."
- Church leaders: "Faithful members love the Savior and honor His servants, having faith in the Lord's declaration that `whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same.' " (D&C 1:38.)
He said that many turn a deaf ear to the prophet's teachings and do so at great risk.
- The Lord: "Above all, God's children should learn to listen, then listen to learn from the Lord." Elder Nelson spoke of the scriptures that teach of the Lord, and of prayer. "Listening is an essential part of prayer, he said. "Answers from the Lord come ever so quietly."
He told of a young mother in Leningrad who prayed frequently for a Bible. During a trip to Helsinki, Finland, with her husband and child, she visited a park where she found a Bible in the Russian language. She recounted her discovery to another woman who gave her a copy of a Russian-language edition of the Book of Mormon.
The young mother and her husband joined the Church and returned home, where they have helped pioneer the work in the Leningrad Branch.
Elder Nelson said her experience typifies the Savior's promise to those who seek Him: " . . . blessed are those who hearken unto my precepts, and lend an ear unto my counsel, for they shall learn wisdom; for unto him that receiveth I will give more." (2 Ne. 28:30.)