‘Come, Follow Me’ for May 5-11: What have Church leaders said about Doctrine and Covenants 45? – Church News

This week’s “Come, Follow Me” study guide covers Doctrine and Covenants 45, which includes the Savior’s admonition to ‘stand in holy places’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:32).
Following are a few quotes from past and present Church leaders about these sections of the Doctrine and Covenants.
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“Today, we are surrounded by countless voices, each declaring their own truths and philosophies. Like Korihor in the Book of Mormon, many of these voices claim there is no Christ, that no one can know the future, that we cannot believe in things we cannot see, and that every man prospers according to his genius and conquers according to his strength (see Alma 30). Following such voices will lead us astray. A greater danger, however, may come from entertaining these ideas, which may cause us to be passive and casual in our discipleship. However, those who are spiritually strong and heed the promptings of the Holy Ghost will not be deceived (see Doctrine and Covenants 45:57).”
— Elder Robert H. Simpson, Area Seventy, in the March 2025 Liahona article, “Follow the Prophet”
“Taking ‘the Holy Spirit for [our] guide’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:57) is possible and is essential for our spiritual growth and survival in an increasingly wicked world. Sometimes as Latter-day Saints we talk and act as though recognizing the influence of the Holy Ghost in our lives is the rare or exceptional event. We should remember, however, that the covenant promise is that we may always have His Spirit to be with us. This supernal blessing applies to every single member of the Church who has been baptized, confirmed and instructed to ‘receive the Holy Ghost.’”
— Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2006 general conference, “That We May Always Have His Spirit to Be with Us”
“When you were confirmed a member of the Church, you received the right to the companionship of the Holy Ghost. He can help you make good choices. When challenged or tempted, you do not need to feel alone. The Holy Ghost will help you know right from wrong. ‘For they that are wise … have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:57).”
— The late President Thomas S. Monson, then the second counselor in the First Presidency, October 1990 general conference, “The Lighthouse of the Lord”
“The parable of the 10 virgins, five wise and five foolish, has both a spiritual and a temporal application. Each of us has a lamp to light the way, but it requires that every one of us put the oil in our own lamps to produce that light. It is not enough to sit idly by and say, ‘The Lord will provide.’ He has promised that they who are wise and ‘have taken the Holy Spirit for their guide’ will have the earth given unto them (Doctrine and Covenants 45:57–58). It is further promised that ‘the Lord shall be in their midst, and his glory shall be upon them, and he will be their king and their lawgiver’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:59).”
— The late President James E. Faust, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 1986 general conference, “The Responsibility for Welfare Rests with Me and My Family”
“In our daily lives, endless reports of criminal violence, famine, wars, corruption, terrorism, declining values, disease, and the destructive forces of nature can engender fear and apprehension. Surely we live in the season foretold by the Lord: ‘And in that day … the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:26). …
“Correct knowledge of and faith in the Lord empower us to hush our fears because Jesus Christ is the only source of enduring peace. … His power and peace are real. He is our Redeemer, and I witness He lives. And because of Him, our hearts need not be troubled or afraid, and we will be blessed to hush our fears.”
— Elder David A. Bednar of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2015 general conference, “Therefore They Hushed Their Fears”
“It is true, we live in a time foretold in the scriptures as a day of ‘wars, rumors of wars, and earthquakes in divers places’ (Mormon 8:30), when ‘the whole earth shall be in commotion, and men’s hearts shall fail them’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:26).
“But how does this affect us as members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints? Are we living with apprehension, fear and worry? Or have we, amidst all of our challenges, not reason to rejoice?”
— Elder Dieter F. Uchtdorf of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 2007 general conference, “Have We Not Reason to Rejoice?”
“We live in these days of the Lord’s ‘marvellous work and a wonder’ (Isaiah 29:14; see 2 Nephi 25:17). We have been blessed to bring the gospel to our families and our posterity and to assist in preparing for the Second Coming of the Savior. The Lord described the purposes of the Restoration ‘to be a light to the world, … to be a standard for [us, His] people … and to be a messenger before [His] face to prepare the way before [Him]’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:9). Our responsibility is not trivial; it is not by chance that we are who we are; the keeping of our covenants in these days of destiny will be a badge of honor throughout all the eternities.”
— Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2009 general conference, “Come unto Him”
“While we are powerless to alter the fact of the Second Coming and unable to know its exact time, we can accelerate our own preparation and try to influence the preparation of those around us.
“A parable that contains an important and challenging teaching on this subject is the parable of the 10 virgins. Of this parable the Lord said, ‘And at that day, when I shall come in my glory, shall the parable be fulfilled which I spake concerning the ten virgins’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:56).
“Given in the 25th chapter of Matthew, this parable contrasts the circumstances of the five foolish and the five wise virgins. All 10 were invited to the wedding feast, but only half of them were prepared with oil in their lamps when the bridegroom came. The five who were prepared went into the marriage feast, and the door was shut. The five who had delayed their preparations came late. The door had been closed, and the Lord denied them entrance, saying, ‘I know you not’ (v. 12). ‘Watch therefore,’ the Savior concluded, ‘for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man cometh’ (v. 13).
“The arithmetic of this parable is chilling. The 10 virgins obviously represent members of Christ’s Church, for all were invited to the wedding feast and all knew what was required to be admitted when the bridegroom came. But only half were ready when he came.”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2004 general conference, “Preparation for the Second Coming”
“Those who view every calamity and measure every new assertion or discovery against the standard of revealed truth … can be steady and at peace. God is in His heavens, and His promises are sure. ‘Be not troubled,’ He has said to us concerning the destructions that will precede the end of the world, ‘for, when all these things shall come to pass, ye may know that the promises which have been made unto you shall be fulfilled’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:35). What an anchor to the soul in these troubled times!”
— President Dallin H. Oaks, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, April 2003 general conference, “Give Thanks in All Things”
“Amidst the bustle of the secular world, with its certain uncertainty, there must be places that offer spiritual refuge, renewal, hope and peace. There are indeed such places. They are both holy and sacred. They are places where we meet the divine and find the Spirit of the Lord.
“Three times in the Doctrine and Covenants, the Lord counsels His people to ‘stand in holy places’ (see Doctrine and Covenants 45:32; 87:8; 101:22). The context of His counsel is all the more significant as we look at the current condition of our world. Desolating disease, persecution, and war have an all-too-familiar face and have imposed themselves into our daily experience.”
— Elder Dennis B. Neuenschwander, then a General Authority Seventy, April 2003 general conference, “Holy Place, Sacred Space”
“Latter-day revelations provide understanding. They teach that in our day, amidst strife and catastrophe and pestilence, there are two kingdoms locked in grim struggle for the souls of men — Zion and Babylon. More than once they repeat the injunction to ‘stand in holy places’ for a refuge from these storms of latter-day life (Doctrine and Covenants 45:32). Prominent among such holy places, and key to all the others, is the temple of the Lord.”
— Elder Lance B. Wickman, then a General Authority Seventy, October 1994 general conference, “‘Stand Ye in Holy Places’”
“During this conference and on many other occasions we will be taught by the Lord’s anointed servants. These prophets, seers and revelators receive revelation relative to the kingdom to which their mantle entitles them. We follow the Brethren. Finally, we prepare ourselves to receive an endowment in the temple. If we remain faithful, this endowment literally gives us additional power to overcome the sins of the world and ‘stand in holy places’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:32).”
— The late Elder Glenn L. Pace, then the second counselor in the Presiding Bishopric, October 1992 general conference, “Spiritual Revival”
“As members of the Church, each of us needs to model what it truly means to be a believing and behaving Latter-day Saint. Our example will have a powerful effect on others, making the restored gospel become much more relevant, meaningful, convincing and desirable to them. Let us, each one, radiate to others the joy, confidence, love and warmth of being part of the true Church of Christ. Our discipleship is not something to be endured with long face and heavy heart. Nor is it something to be jealously clutched to our bosoms and not shared with others. As we come to understand the love of the Father and the Son for us, our spirits will soar and we will ‘come to Zion, singing with songs of everlasting joy’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:71).”
— The late President M. Russell Ballard, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1999 general conference, “Beware of False Prophets and False Teachers”
“Wisdom is to be found in pure intelligence — in that divine light which can guide people in all countries, all climes and all continents. The Lord has promised that ‘a light shall break forth among them that sit in darkness, and it shall be the fulness of my gospel’ (Doctrine and Covenants 45:28). …
“The light of the gospel of Jesus Christ beams as the hope of the world. Missionaries and members courageously proclaim its brilliance. Wise students throughout the world heed its light and enrich their education by adding the curriculum of Church seminaries and institutes. The Lord hides His wisdom from no one.”
— President Russell M. Nelson, then a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, October 1992 general conference, “Where Is Wisdom?”

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