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The Power Within Us
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First published September 1, 1988
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About the author
Russell M. Nelson
35 books230 followersRussell Marion Nelson is the 17th president and prophet of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church). Prior to his service as head of the Church, President Nelson served as president of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He is also a retired American physician and cardiothoracic surgeon.
A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Nelson received his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Utah (1945, 1947). He is a member of honorary scholastic societies Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha. He served his residency in surgery at Mass. General Hosptial in Boston and at the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded his Ph.D. degree in 1954. Shortly after medical school, he began working with the team of doctors which created the first heart-lung machine. In 1951, the machine was used in the first open-heart operation on a human being. Four years later, Nelson was the first doctor in Utah to perform successful open-heart surgery using a heart-lung machine.
Nelson served a two-year term of medical duty in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, being stationed in Korea, Japan, and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Later he worked for a year at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
Nelson returned to Salt Lake City in 1955 and was initially on the academic staff of the College of Medicine at the University of Utah, where in November of that year he performed the first cardiac operation in Utah utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass. That operation was performed at the Salt Lake General Hospital (SLGH) on an adult with an atrial septa defect.
In March 1956, Nelson performed the first successful pediatric cardiac operation at the SLGH, a total repair of tetralogy of Fallot in a four-year-old girl. In 1959, he joined the staff of the Salt Lake Clinic, became associated with the LDS Hospital, and continued to make major contributions to the development of the thoracic specialty both in the clinical sciences and as the second director of the residency program.
Nelson's surgical volume was sufficiently large that it was a critical component of the residents' experience. He was an innovative and facile surgeon responsible for many improvements in cardiac operations. He also established a research laboratory at LDS Hospital.
By the late 1960s, Nelson's experience with artificial aortic valve implantation was such that he was able to report a large series of patients with an exceptionally low operative mortality.
In a unique combination of spiritual and professional obligations, Nelson performed heart surgery on LDS Church president Spencer W. Kimball.
A native of Salt Lake City, Utah, Nelson received his B.A. and M.D. degrees from the University of Utah (1945, 1947). He is a member of honorary scholastic societies Phi Beta Kappa and Alpha Omega Alpha. He served his residency in surgery at Mass. General Hosptial in Boston and at the University of Minnesota, where he was awarded his Ph.D. degree in 1954. Shortly after medical school, he began working with the team of doctors which created the first heart-lung machine. In 1951, the machine was used in the first open-heart operation on a human being. Four years later, Nelson was the first doctor in Utah to perform successful open-heart surgery using a heart-lung machine.
Nelson served a two-year term of medical duty in the U.S. Army during the Korean War, being stationed in Korea, Japan, and at Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, D.C. Later he worked for a year at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, Massachusetts.
Nelson returned to Salt Lake City in 1955 and was initially on the academic staff of the College of Medicine at the University of Utah, where in November of that year he performed the first cardiac operation in Utah utilizing cardiopulmonary bypass. That operation was performed at the Salt Lake General Hospital (SLGH) on an adult with an atrial septa defect.
In March 1956, Nelson performed the first successful pediatric cardiac operation at the SLGH, a total repair of tetralogy of Fallot in a four-year-old girl. In 1959, he joined the staff of the Salt Lake Clinic, became associated with the LDS Hospital, and continued to make major contributions to the development of the thoracic specialty both in the clinical sciences and as the second director of the residency program.
Nelson's surgical volume was sufficiently large that it was a critical component of the residents' experience. He was an innovative and facile surgeon responsible for many improvements in cardiac operations. He also established a research laboratory at LDS Hospital.
By the late 1960s, Nelson's experience with artificial aortic valve implantation was such that he was able to report a large series of patients with an exceptionally low operative mortality.
In a unique combination of spiritual and professional obligations, Nelson performed heart surgery on LDS Church president Spencer W. Kimball.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
May 31, 2019
4.5 stars. It was great to read a book by President Nelson that was published 31 years ago! I was amazed at how "current" the book felt. It seems like President Nelson's words from 1988 are even more relevant to us today in 2019. I know I am speaking to the choir, but what a great man!
May 21, 2019
I loved this book. I don't know how you can listen to this book without seeing what a brillant, kind and loving man Russel M. Nelson is.
I loved his definition of Sacrifice and Obedience.
“Worship strengthens our power line to deity. There can be no true worship without sacrifice, and there can be no true sacrifice without a cause. The cause that earns our love and priority is the cause of Jesus Christ...”
"The word sacrifice comes from two latin roots. The first root is "sacer" which means sacred. The second half of the word sacrifice comes from the Latin root facere, which means “to do” or “to make.”
No longer do we think in terms of shedding blood or sacrificing animals. Rarely should we focus in terms of “giving up” time and means. Instead, we should now revert to the original meaning of the word—that we “make sacred.” For us, to sacrifice, we should “make sacred” every thought, every action, and our very character.
I liked the way Emlee Taylor put it in LDS Blogs, after reading this section of the book:
"Suddenly, the time I was sacrificing in making dinner for an invalid member of our ward took on a new meaning. This is a sacred time. Time that is, if I allow it, changing me and making me more sacred.
The sacrifices we are making to have our son out on a mission are shifted in my understanding. What I used to think of as us “giving up” our son for two years, instead becomes my son “being made sacred” as he serves. Our family is “being made sacred.”
Does this give you chills? It does for me. Suddenly every single moment in my day has become bright with opportunities for me to be “made sacred.”
This shift in perspective has given me spiritual insights as I go about doing chores sometimes done with an unwilling attitude."
Obedience, which means obey comes from two latin roots. The prefix "ob" means "to" or 'toward". The second half of the word comes from "oedire" meaning "to hear" or "to listen".
One cannot be obedient unless there is authoritative word to listen to. In speaking in a gospel context that means there cannot be obedience without there first being knowledge of the word of God. Moreover one cannot be obedient or disobedient to that word without exercising the divine gift of agency.
I loved his definition of Sacrifice and Obedience.
“Worship strengthens our power line to deity. There can be no true worship without sacrifice, and there can be no true sacrifice without a cause. The cause that earns our love and priority is the cause of Jesus Christ...”
"The word sacrifice comes from two latin roots. The first root is "sacer" which means sacred. The second half of the word sacrifice comes from the Latin root facere, which means “to do” or “to make.”
No longer do we think in terms of shedding blood or sacrificing animals. Rarely should we focus in terms of “giving up” time and means. Instead, we should now revert to the original meaning of the word—that we “make sacred.” For us, to sacrifice, we should “make sacred” every thought, every action, and our very character.
I liked the way Emlee Taylor put it in LDS Blogs, after reading this section of the book:
"Suddenly, the time I was sacrificing in making dinner for an invalid member of our ward took on a new meaning. This is a sacred time. Time that is, if I allow it, changing me and making me more sacred.
The sacrifices we are making to have our son out on a mission are shifted in my understanding. What I used to think of as us “giving up” our son for two years, instead becomes my son “being made sacred” as he serves. Our family is “being made sacred.”
Does this give you chills? It does for me. Suddenly every single moment in my day has become bright with opportunities for me to be “made sacred.”
This shift in perspective has given me spiritual insights as I go about doing chores sometimes done with an unwilling attitude."
Obedience, which means obey comes from two latin roots. The prefix "ob" means "to" or 'toward". The second half of the word comes from "oedire" meaning "to hear" or "to listen".
One cannot be obedient unless there is authoritative word to listen to. In speaking in a gospel context that means there cannot be obedience without there first being knowledge of the word of God. Moreover one cannot be obedient or disobedient to that word without exercising the divine gift of agency.
August 6, 2021
An excellent and valuable book. I need to reread it, especially the last chapter or two, frequently.
August 18, 2015
This is a good book of a collection of Elder Nelson's talks and thoughts about some important gospel principles. I love the overarching message of the wonder and beauty of life and our Heavenly Father's plan. He teaches about about finding joy, being obedient, praying, loving others, the importance of learning, covenants, and eternal life.
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
"The older I grow, the more I appreciate the uniqueness of an individual life. Literally, no two people are alike....As my name appears as author, I realize, to a real extend, I am the product of others. From each wonderful person I have met, I have tried to acquire a measure of goodness (p. vii)."
"I invite you to ponder things magnificent (p. 1)."
"While I marvel at a computer and admire the work it can do, I respect even more the mind of man, which developed the computer (p. 4)."
"The magnificence of man is matchless. Remember, glorious as this physical tabernacle is, the body is designed to support something even more glorious--the eternal spirit that dwells in the mortal frame of each of us. The great accomplishments of this life are rarely physical. Those attributes by which we shall be judged one day are spiritual. With the blessing of our bodies to assist us, we may develop spiritual qualities of honesty, integrity, compassion, and love (p. 13)."
"'To know isn't enough. The devils know and tremble; the devils know everything. We have to do something (President Spencer W. Kimball, p. 18).'"
"If the most important thing sin life are to k now God and to keep his commandments, then heeding this prophets and abiding their teachings should be among our most important objectives....Success is determined largely by individual desire to learn. When we crave learning as much as we want to satisfy pangs of hunger, we will achieve our desired objectives (p. 20)."
"Before every operation there is an interval for scrubbing hands for a measure period of time. Some trainees were either silent or passed the time with trivial conversations that had no substance. Those with desire filled the time with questions. I observed that students with great desire knew what they didn't know and sought to fill those voids (p. 34)."
"The fourth and very important step to the learning process is to pray for help. In my practice of surgery, I did not hesitate to communicate with the Lord in great detail, even about the technical steps in a new operative procedure that was to be performed. Often just the process of rehearsing it in my mind while engaged in prayer allowed divine direction for me to see a better way (p. 35)."
"As we edify ourselves with education for the eternities, we must search the scriptures, liken them unto us, learn the law in the kingdom of our own activities, and use the standard works as literal standards of eternal excellence against which we measure every thought and deed (p. 37)."
"On one occasion when [President Spencer W. Kimball] needed an operation that I was to perform, he first asked me for a priesthood blessing. Following that, he said, 'Now you may proceed to do that which must be done in order to make that blessing possible.' He knew and I knew that not even for God's prophet can anyone be exempted from law. Not even for God's Son could divine law be broken (p. 41)!"
"Our spiritual power line is strengthened through prayer. As we counsel with God in all our doings, he will direct us for good. Prayer is available whenever we ask for it. But the Lord places the initiative upon us. He expects us to reach for this power, just as we must insert the plug in the outlet for electricity (p. 43)."
"When someone asked how he was doing, my father simply stated, 'I'm lonely, but I'm not lonesome.' Do you know what he meant? Though he was now without his sweetheart, he was so busy assisting family and friends that he had replaced sorrow with service and had displaced self-pity with selfless love. He had found joy in following the timeless example of the Master....Remember, my dear one, not an age in life passes without temptation, trial, or torment experienced through your physical body. But as you prayerfully develop self-mastery, desires of the flesh may be subdued. And when that has been achieved, you may have the strength to submit to your Heavenly Father (p. 64)."
"My dear ones, in order to experience true joy in the morning, or at any time, at least three factors are needed. You need to feel good about the people with whom you live and work - your companions in life. You must feel good about yourself, not in any sense of conceit, but simply feel proper esteem for yourself. And possibly most important, you must feel good about your relation to God and sincerely love him (p. 75)."
"Recently another General Authority was my partner for mission tours to dusty places. On occasion when I returned from a morning shower, I found to my surprise that this considerate companion had shined my shoes. Gratefully I wondered if each of the thirty thousand missionaries now laboring in the Lord's service would have been, and would be, as kind a friend as he was to me, thoughtfully rendering simple acts of courtesy to a companion (p. 76)."
"Spiritual self-esteem beings with the realization that each new morning is a gift from God. Even the air we breathe is a loving loan from him. He preserves us from day to day and supports us from one moment to another. Therefore, our first noble deed of the morning should be a humble prayer of gratitude (p. 78)."
"Joy cometh in the morning when talents are developed. Each of us is blessed with unique potential (p. 78)."
"Quick and easy ways to come back cannot be packaged at Church headquarters and delivered to local priesthood leaders. Love cannot be conveyed remotely, even with new technology. These two great commandments must be applied by leaders of the Church locally (p. 87)."
"Let us unlabel our brothers and sisters. They are not strangers, 'but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.' Let us all learn to love God and one another (p. 88)."
"Of course, the truth isn't 'relative.' It is man's understanding of the truth that is really 'relative (p. 89).'"
"The bodies we came to receive have many physical appetites....these appetites are God-given - for survival, for our protection, and for our joy. In satisfying these appetites, we make choices....Our more important choices are those between right and wrong....It is important to know who we are, why we are here, and where we want to go. We must remember that we are sons and daughters of God (p. 123)."
Here are a few of my favorite quotes:
"The older I grow, the more I appreciate the uniqueness of an individual life. Literally, no two people are alike....As my name appears as author, I realize, to a real extend, I am the product of others. From each wonderful person I have met, I have tried to acquire a measure of goodness (p. vii)."
"I invite you to ponder things magnificent (p. 1)."
"While I marvel at a computer and admire the work it can do, I respect even more the mind of man, which developed the computer (p. 4)."
"The magnificence of man is matchless. Remember, glorious as this physical tabernacle is, the body is designed to support something even more glorious--the eternal spirit that dwells in the mortal frame of each of us. The great accomplishments of this life are rarely physical. Those attributes by which we shall be judged one day are spiritual. With the blessing of our bodies to assist us, we may develop spiritual qualities of honesty, integrity, compassion, and love (p. 13)."
"'To know isn't enough. The devils know and tremble; the devils know everything. We have to do something (President Spencer W. Kimball, p. 18).'"
"If the most important thing sin life are to k now God and to keep his commandments, then heeding this prophets and abiding their teachings should be among our most important objectives....Success is determined largely by individual desire to learn. When we crave learning as much as we want to satisfy pangs of hunger, we will achieve our desired objectives (p. 20)."
"Before every operation there is an interval for scrubbing hands for a measure period of time. Some trainees were either silent or passed the time with trivial conversations that had no substance. Those with desire filled the time with questions. I observed that students with great desire knew what they didn't know and sought to fill those voids (p. 34)."
"The fourth and very important step to the learning process is to pray for help. In my practice of surgery, I did not hesitate to communicate with the Lord in great detail, even about the technical steps in a new operative procedure that was to be performed. Often just the process of rehearsing it in my mind while engaged in prayer allowed divine direction for me to see a better way (p. 35)."
"As we edify ourselves with education for the eternities, we must search the scriptures, liken them unto us, learn the law in the kingdom of our own activities, and use the standard works as literal standards of eternal excellence against which we measure every thought and deed (p. 37)."
"On one occasion when [President Spencer W. Kimball] needed an operation that I was to perform, he first asked me for a priesthood blessing. Following that, he said, 'Now you may proceed to do that which must be done in order to make that blessing possible.' He knew and I knew that not even for God's prophet can anyone be exempted from law. Not even for God's Son could divine law be broken (p. 41)!"
"Our spiritual power line is strengthened through prayer. As we counsel with God in all our doings, he will direct us for good. Prayer is available whenever we ask for it. But the Lord places the initiative upon us. He expects us to reach for this power, just as we must insert the plug in the outlet for electricity (p. 43)."
"When someone asked how he was doing, my father simply stated, 'I'm lonely, but I'm not lonesome.' Do you know what he meant? Though he was now without his sweetheart, he was so busy assisting family and friends that he had replaced sorrow with service and had displaced self-pity with selfless love. He had found joy in following the timeless example of the Master....Remember, my dear one, not an age in life passes without temptation, trial, or torment experienced through your physical body. But as you prayerfully develop self-mastery, desires of the flesh may be subdued. And when that has been achieved, you may have the strength to submit to your Heavenly Father (p. 64)."
"My dear ones, in order to experience true joy in the morning, or at any time, at least three factors are needed. You need to feel good about the people with whom you live and work - your companions in life. You must feel good about yourself, not in any sense of conceit, but simply feel proper esteem for yourself. And possibly most important, you must feel good about your relation to God and sincerely love him (p. 75)."
"Recently another General Authority was my partner for mission tours to dusty places. On occasion when I returned from a morning shower, I found to my surprise that this considerate companion had shined my shoes. Gratefully I wondered if each of the thirty thousand missionaries now laboring in the Lord's service would have been, and would be, as kind a friend as he was to me, thoughtfully rendering simple acts of courtesy to a companion (p. 76)."
"Spiritual self-esteem beings with the realization that each new morning is a gift from God. Even the air we breathe is a loving loan from him. He preserves us from day to day and supports us from one moment to another. Therefore, our first noble deed of the morning should be a humble prayer of gratitude (p. 78)."
"Joy cometh in the morning when talents are developed. Each of us is blessed with unique potential (p. 78)."
"Quick and easy ways to come back cannot be packaged at Church headquarters and delivered to local priesthood leaders. Love cannot be conveyed remotely, even with new technology. These two great commandments must be applied by leaders of the Church locally (p. 87)."
"Let us unlabel our brothers and sisters. They are not strangers, 'but fellowcitizens with the saints, and of the household of God.' Let us all learn to love God and one another (p. 88)."
"Of course, the truth isn't 'relative.' It is man's understanding of the truth that is really 'relative (p. 89).'"
"The bodies we came to receive have many physical appetites....these appetites are God-given - for survival, for our protection, and for our joy. In satisfying these appetites, we make choices....Our more important choices are those between right and wrong....It is important to know who we are, why we are here, and where we want to go. We must remember that we are sons and daughters of God (p. 123)."
January 29, 2018
This book, which was written by President Russell M. Nelson around 25 years ago, is a topical study of various principles of interest to members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints, or anyone, for that matter. Many of the topics and council are standard, however, President Nelson (at the time Elder) provided some insights which aided me in seeing some concepts in a different perspective. For example, when he discusses the word "truth," he teaches that this word should be coupled with other words in the Bible such as mercy, kindness, spirit, light, etc. to make truth fully functional. In addition to the masterful way in which he teaches many of the gospel principals, he unostentatiously demonstrates that he lived and lives as he teaches, which shows the integrity and goodness of the author. As I finished the book, I found myself not being overly impressed, but then as the day went along I kept catching myself sharing various principles and experiences from the book. I guess it impressed me much more than I originally admitted.
December 25, 2019
Insightful and interesting. Some unique and moving stories that give a real insight into how this man’s brain works...which is so amazing. I live reading works like this of apostles and seeing how they draw conclusions about the world, people, moral principles, values, etc. And while this book isn’t super ideologically focused, it provides a deep perspective into how President Nelson sees the world and it’s inspiring for that fact regardless of the spiritual insights he’s trying to present (which are also pretty nice).
July 8, 2021
What an inspiring, creative, and thoughtful book. I really enjoyed it and learned so much from him. Who knew back then President Nelson would be our prophet today? What an awesome experience it was to listen to him teach from such a long time ago before he was our prophet.
I love how much he admires the human body.
I enjoyed his comparison of the hymn "I'll go where you want me to go" and the statue of liberty monument. Three statements,
"I'll go, I'll do, and I'll be".
I highly recommend this book and it's a short one so you can definitely find the time to read or listen.
I love how much he admires the human body.
I enjoyed his comparison of the hymn "I'll go where you want me to go" and the statue of liberty monument. Three statements,
"I'll go, I'll do, and I'll be".
I highly recommend this book and it's a short one so you can definitely find the time to read or listen.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 28, 2018
A collection of short sermons on various topics, this short volume introduces one to Russell M. Nelson's humanity and brilliance. He discusses his topics in a down-to-earth manner that gets you thinking. He also shows us through the entomology of words and concrete examples about eternal truths. A good edition for anyone's home library.
May 11, 2019
It seems that the common thread of all challenge of life is the struggle of the spirit gaining dominion over the appetites of the flesh. Once such discipline is mastered, one can really fully appreciate all of the beauties life has to offer. This book teaches this concept, among others, beautifully. I recommend.
May 15, 2019
I enjoyed this journey back in time to hear President Nelson narrate this audiobook around the time he was a newly-called Apostle. I particularly enjoyed the depths of science and medicine that are discussed in this book, as President Nelson was still so recently removed from the medical world at that time. This was a good book.
September 8, 2019
Timeless words from an Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ. His counsel is appropriate for all of God’s children. Repent and come to the Savior. Listen to the Spirit. This was written when he was first called as an apostle but it could have just as easily been written yesterday. It is easy to see how this man would become the Lord’s chosen spokesperson 30 years later.
June 30, 2019
I feel like the book started a little slow because I wasn't sure what to expect, but then it really picked up. There are so many good stories, insights, and so much advice on how to be a better disciple and follower of Christ. I highly recommend this book.
October 6, 2019
More a collection of lectures, or talks. If there was an overarching theme, I missed it. Probably because I read it in tiny little pieces over a long period of time, or because I don’t have the brain of a world renown heart surgeon, or both.
November 28, 2019
There are a lot of thought provoking chapters in this collection. My favorite is the first in which President Nelson describes the wonders of the human body...beautiful! Good examples and stories make it something you could share with your kids too!
October 13, 2020
I really enjoyed reading this. It was published in 1988.
as usual with this type of book some of the topics spoke to me more than others. I went on line and bought my own copy. That might put it in the 5 star category!
as usual with this type of book some of the topics spoke to me more than others. I went on line and bought my own copy. That might put it in the 5 star category!
October 15, 2020
This is a very short read that contains a lot of perspective on us spiritually as it relates to us physically. Written by a heart surgeon prophet it will leave you with pleasant thoughts.
Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com
Joseph McKnight
http://www.josephmcknight.com
November 17, 2024
Power
President Nelson wrote this book when he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He offers wonderful insights into the gospel and various points of doctrine. I enjoyed reading it.
President Nelson wrote this book when he was a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He offers wonderful insights into the gospel and various points of doctrine. I enjoyed reading it.
May 20, 2019
Since this is an older publication, it was interesting to see familiar themes and realize how long President Nelson has been preaching certain principles. Solid book.
October 3, 2019
Good reminder of basic gospel principles to help us stay on the covenant path
October 4, 2019
This book was written long before President Nelson was the prophet- but he sounds the same and is just as inspiring. Good read.
December 30, 2019
Excellent doctrinal book on various subjects
January 4, 2020
I love learning from the prophet! I love learning about human body and how miraculous it is from his expertise as a works renown heart surgeon.
July 31, 2020
I really enjoyed this book especially when he talks about the miracle of our body, our eyes, or ears or heart etc. this is a really worthwhile read 😍
November 12, 2020
Hard to believe that it was published in 1988 with how accurately he discusses the same challenges we experience today. It’s a great read or listen, and is very insightful.
September 30, 2021
This book was pretty good. President Nelson had a lot of profound truths and insights on doctrine.
February 14, 2023
A collection of insightful sermons that mostly play well to a 21st century audience.
March 3, 2023
Not bad advice but the theology is LDS. So there are problems with the ground work.
June 28, 2023
There are so many things in here that promote thought. It may not flow perfectly, but there's a lot of good and I want to read it again.
November 10, 2023
Very good read. Now to apply these things into action.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews