The title millennial is not a scab of leprosy but a crown of royalty. Wear it boldly with honor, courage, and reverence.
“It must be a millennial thing.” The generational label millennial is often used in a negative way, suggesting all that is wrong with the world’s young people: they are the generation that drank their childhood medicine with a spoonful of sugary self-importance, they are selfish and arrogant, they are plagued by FOMO (fear of missing out), and they only stare at four-inch screens all day. However, that isn’t President Russell M. Nelson’s definition of this generation.
Photo by LDS Media Library.
President Nelson shares a more positive take on millennials in his address “Stand as True Millennials.” The title comes with responsibility: to “gather the elect from the four corners of the earth.” Millennials were chosen for who they are and what they can do. Millennials are set apart to be different—set apart in the councils of heaven.
The responsibility for millennials may seem daunting, but President Nelson also shares how millennials can achieve their potential. To fulfill this divine calling, millennials must know who they are, prepare for the greatness ahead, discover heaven’s help, and listen to the prophets.
President Nelson promises that Heavenly Father knows millennials and is counting on them to do the impossible, which is made possible through Christ (Philippians 4:13). And they really can do it. They can be great millennials—true millennials.
Being a true millennial is not easy. Distractions abound and negative stereotypes persist. Being a millennial takes work and requires faith, but nothing parallels the honor of preparing the world for the Second Coming. President Nelson says, “Make no mistake about it—you were born to be a true millennial.”
Read “Stand as True Millenials” or watch the original address “Becoming True Millennials” to learn about President Nelson’s wisdom on the glorious mission of true millennials and about how to live up to full millennial potential.
Source: October 2016 Liahona and Ensign, LDS.org
—Alyssa Nielsen, Mormon Insights, Contributor
Find more insights
Read and watch Elder Hale’s “Meeting the Challenges of Today’s World,” a General Conference talk addressing millennials specifically and teaching them to “fly right.”
Take a look at Elder Ballard’s “The Greatest Generation of Young Adults,” a General Conference call for millennials to step up and use their unique talents.
Watch a Face-to-Face Video for Young Adults in which Elder Holland answers questions and addresses topics particularly important for the millennial generation.