1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:14,960 Welcome to Closer to Christ through General Conference, where two friends who love Jesus 2 00:00:14,960 --> 00:00:19,180 Christ share our own approach to studying the most recent General Conference talks. 3 00:00:19,180 --> 00:00:20,180 This is Abbey and Amy. 4 00:00:20,180 --> 00:00:25,440 Let's jump into it. 5 00:00:25,440 --> 00:00:30,200 Today we're talking about God's favorite by Elder Carl D. Hearst of the Seventy. 6 00:00:30,200 --> 00:00:31,200 Welcome. 7 00:00:31,200 --> 00:00:32,200 We're so happy to have you here today. 8 00:00:32,200 --> 00:00:33,200 Welcome, Abbey. 9 00:00:33,200 --> 00:00:34,200 Thanks. 10 00:00:34,200 --> 00:00:35,200 Good to see you. 11 00:00:35,200 --> 00:00:36,200 It's been a minute. 12 00:00:36,200 --> 00:00:37,200 It has. 13 00:00:37,200 --> 00:00:38,200 It has been a minute. 14 00:00:38,200 --> 00:00:39,200 We're happy to be back. 15 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,240 Abbey jumped over to Hawaii and we're happy that she's back with us. 16 00:00:41,240 --> 00:00:42,240 I'm not. 17 00:00:42,240 --> 00:00:43,240 Okay. 18 00:00:43,240 --> 00:00:48,680 So I got to tell you, Abbey, when I was listening to this, I was thinking of you because of 19 00:00:48,680 --> 00:00:49,760 the way he started it. 20 00:00:49,760 --> 00:00:53,720 If everyone remembers, he started by talking about which of his kids is his favorite and 21 00:00:53,720 --> 00:00:55,000 he has six of them. 22 00:00:55,000 --> 00:01:00,000 Well, Abbey and I just recently had a conversation that was exactly the same thing. 23 00:01:00,000 --> 00:01:04,640 And after hearing how Elder Hearst starts out his talk, Abbey, tell me about how your 24 00:01:04,640 --> 00:01:08,960 favorite child and how you speak to it in your family. 25 00:01:08,960 --> 00:01:10,440 Tell me about what that looks like. 26 00:01:10,440 --> 00:01:13,640 So I will definitely tell each one of my children that they're my favorite. 27 00:01:13,640 --> 00:01:17,440 And then I act like it's this big secret that like, you're my favorite. 28 00:01:17,440 --> 00:01:19,000 Don't tell anybody. 29 00:01:19,000 --> 00:01:23,680 But I try to individually have those moments with them, you know, within a short matter 30 00:01:23,680 --> 00:01:24,680 of time. 31 00:01:24,680 --> 00:01:28,160 And I'll be like, I'll look at Lily and she's old enough to understand. 32 00:01:28,160 --> 00:01:29,160 I'm like, you're my favorite. 33 00:01:29,160 --> 00:01:33,040 And then I'll say to Lucy, she'll be like the six year old and I'll be like, you're 34 00:01:33,040 --> 00:01:34,040 my favorite. 35 00:01:34,040 --> 00:01:35,040 I'm like, shh. 36 00:01:35,040 --> 00:01:37,920 And so then she'll like give me a terrible wink and like, yeah, I got it, mom. 37 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:39,720 I won't tell anybody else, whatever. 38 00:01:39,720 --> 00:01:43,320 But then I kind of hide myself behind the chair in the car and I'll be like, point at 39 00:01:43,320 --> 00:01:44,320 Lily. 40 00:01:44,320 --> 00:01:45,320 I'm like, actually, you're my favorite. 41 00:01:45,320 --> 00:01:46,440 She's like, I know I am. 42 00:01:46,440 --> 00:01:47,440 You know? 43 00:01:47,440 --> 00:01:48,440 So they all believe it. 44 00:01:48,440 --> 00:01:49,440 They all believe it. 45 00:01:49,440 --> 00:01:50,440 I hope they do. 46 00:01:50,440 --> 00:01:54,160 And I decided after listening to this talk and preparing for it, I was like, I need them 47 00:01:54,160 --> 00:01:57,440 to know why they're my favorite because it's not all the same thing. 48 00:01:57,440 --> 00:02:00,080 It's not just because I gave birth to them. 49 00:02:00,080 --> 00:02:01,960 Like some of my kids are funny. 50 00:02:01,960 --> 00:02:03,160 Some of them are thoughtful. 51 00:02:03,160 --> 00:02:04,280 Some of them are emotion. 52 00:02:04,280 --> 00:02:07,480 You know, they're my like emotional movie watching buddies. 53 00:02:07,480 --> 00:02:08,640 Some of them are great little helpers. 54 00:02:08,640 --> 00:02:11,120 Some of them love hugs, you know, for different reasons. 55 00:02:11,120 --> 00:02:12,120 Yes. 56 00:02:12,120 --> 00:02:13,120 They're my favorite. 57 00:02:13,120 --> 00:02:14,120 Love that. 58 00:02:14,120 --> 00:02:15,120 They can all be my favorite at the same time. 59 00:02:15,120 --> 00:02:16,600 That's the point of this talk. 60 00:02:16,600 --> 00:02:17,600 I know, right? 61 00:02:17,600 --> 00:02:20,160 We can all be God's favorite at the same time. 62 00:02:20,160 --> 00:02:21,160 Yes. 63 00:02:21,160 --> 00:02:23,740 I love it. 64 00:02:23,740 --> 00:02:26,920 Once we did just get back from Hawaii and this talk was on my mind, this funny little 65 00:02:26,920 --> 00:02:27,920 story played out. 66 00:02:27,920 --> 00:02:28,920 We were zip lining. 67 00:02:28,920 --> 00:02:31,080 There were like seven different lines on this course. 68 00:02:31,080 --> 00:02:35,360 And the very last one, there was a family of five, three kids, and then the two parents 69 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:38,480 that were all doing the zip activity together. 70 00:02:38,480 --> 00:02:44,120 And so the guides, they can decide, they can based on your weight or like the wind speeds 71 00:02:44,120 --> 00:02:47,220 and stuff, they can decide where the brakes are going to go on the zip line. 72 00:02:47,220 --> 00:02:50,760 So they, the kids had already come across, they were standing on the platform with us. 73 00:02:50,760 --> 00:02:52,360 The parents were going to be the last two to zip. 74 00:02:52,360 --> 00:02:54,760 And so they tell the kids are like, Hey, we're going to stop your parents. 75 00:02:54,760 --> 00:02:57,880 And then we're going to, we're going to make them answer the question who their favorite 76 00:02:57,880 --> 00:03:02,280 kid is to decide if they get a come to the platform or not. 77 00:03:02,280 --> 00:03:03,280 If they get to come. 78 00:03:03,280 --> 00:03:04,280 Yeah. 79 00:03:04,280 --> 00:03:07,080 So the kids line up and we had left our cell phones back at safety. 80 00:03:07,080 --> 00:03:08,880 And so the instructor had his on him. 81 00:03:08,880 --> 00:03:10,100 So he's like, we'll film it. 82 00:03:10,100 --> 00:03:13,780 And so they stopped the parents and then they're like, who's your favorite child? 83 00:03:13,780 --> 00:03:16,580 And the dad just smiles because he knows this is just all in fun and a joke. 84 00:03:16,580 --> 00:03:18,520 And the mom like literally her face sank. 85 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:20,480 She's like, I don't want to answer this question. 86 00:03:20,480 --> 00:03:21,580 This is so terrible. 87 00:03:21,580 --> 00:03:28,740 So she tries to get away with Ali's my favorite, a 15 year old and, you know, Gabe or whatever. 88 00:03:28,740 --> 00:03:31,120 And then names the kids and like says that they're their favorite age. 89 00:03:31,120 --> 00:03:33,720 And then she really thinks they're going to like press her and like, they're not going 90 00:03:33,720 --> 00:03:40,280 to bring her in the last 10 feet until they just tell you who's the favorite child. 91 00:03:40,280 --> 00:03:43,000 And so she just says, my heart beats for each of them. 92 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:44,000 And I'm like, well, that's totally true. 93 00:03:44,000 --> 00:03:46,380 If that's mom and the guides were like, that's fair. 94 00:03:46,380 --> 00:03:47,380 That's a good answer. 95 00:03:47,380 --> 00:03:49,240 So then they asked who their favorite guides were. 96 00:03:49,240 --> 00:03:52,000 So smartly the dad answered whoever was pulling him in. 97 00:03:52,000 --> 00:03:56,480 The mom answered the guides name that was going to pull her and they all made it safely. 98 00:03:56,480 --> 00:04:01,040 But it gave me a chance to think like, you know, what my answer would be. 99 00:04:01,040 --> 00:04:04,400 And it's the fact is what the mom said is true. 100 00:04:04,400 --> 00:04:07,360 Every one of her children are her favorite child. 101 00:04:07,360 --> 00:04:09,520 It doesn't have to be a placement order. 102 00:04:09,520 --> 00:04:14,120 Elderhurst was saying that each rehearse their claims of being the most loved. 103 00:04:14,120 --> 00:04:17,400 So somewhere in there that they've got a case to make, like I know dad loves me the most 104 00:04:17,400 --> 00:04:19,040 because for sure. 105 00:04:19,040 --> 00:04:21,840 And that's great because I can just play off of memories for that. 106 00:04:21,840 --> 00:04:25,080 He says, I play this game with my children and try to take ample opportunities to tell 107 00:04:25,080 --> 00:04:27,920 each of them their own way that they are my favorite because they are. 108 00:04:27,920 --> 00:04:31,600 And it's not just because they're always obedient or always help with chores or help clean the 109 00:04:31,600 --> 00:04:34,620 rooms because in fact, none of those things are true. 110 00:04:34,620 --> 00:04:36,960 They're each my favorite because they are mine. 111 00:04:36,960 --> 00:04:41,800 Elderhurst goal is that each one of the six feels victorious and an all out wars avoided. 112 00:04:41,800 --> 00:04:42,800 That's my goal too. 113 00:04:42,800 --> 00:04:44,800 I've got that five way split. 114 00:04:44,800 --> 00:04:47,480 And I think that we're doing pretty good so far. 115 00:04:47,480 --> 00:04:48,760 Do you ever play that game with your kids? 116 00:04:48,760 --> 00:04:49,760 I don't. 117 00:04:49,760 --> 00:04:50,760 Oh, that's good. 118 00:04:50,760 --> 00:04:51,760 They never asked me. 119 00:04:51,760 --> 00:04:52,760 That's good. 120 00:04:52,760 --> 00:04:53,760 They probably all just feel that way. 121 00:04:53,760 --> 00:04:55,880 They're like, I won't talk about it because I don't want everybody to be offended that 122 00:04:55,880 --> 00:04:56,880 mom loves me the most. 123 00:04:56,880 --> 00:04:57,880 It's still the same thing. 124 00:04:57,880 --> 00:04:59,360 I think it's funny they don't ask me. 125 00:04:59,360 --> 00:05:03,760 Maybe because they're like, oh, it would be a mom, you know, grading anyway. 126 00:05:03,760 --> 00:05:04,760 Yeah. 127 00:05:04,760 --> 00:05:08,960 Well, that's great because it's more like into what Heavenly Father's is like that equal 128 00:05:08,960 --> 00:05:09,960 love is there. 129 00:05:09,960 --> 00:05:11,840 So that just means that they're more mature. 130 00:05:11,840 --> 00:05:13,040 I've got little little kids. 131 00:05:13,040 --> 00:05:14,040 That is true. 132 00:05:14,040 --> 00:05:15,040 You've got mature kids. 133 00:05:15,040 --> 00:05:16,040 That is true. 134 00:05:16,040 --> 00:05:17,040 Okay. 135 00:05:17,040 --> 00:05:20,960 So this is where he starts laying out the case from scripture and the New Testament 136 00:05:20,960 --> 00:05:25,840 and also the Book of Mormon about those who have come to feel God's love for themselves. 137 00:05:25,840 --> 00:05:26,840 I love this. 138 00:05:26,840 --> 00:05:28,480 And we know this about John. 139 00:05:28,480 --> 00:05:31,840 John describes himself as the disciple whom Jesus loved. 140 00:05:31,840 --> 00:05:32,840 I'm the one he loved. 141 00:05:32,840 --> 00:05:35,360 I mean, there were 11 others, but I'm the one he loved. 142 00:05:35,360 --> 00:05:36,360 Right. 143 00:05:36,360 --> 00:05:37,360 There were 12. 144 00:05:37,360 --> 00:05:38,360 Yeah. 145 00:05:38,360 --> 00:05:39,880 I love that because he had the pen, he gets to write the story, right? 146 00:05:39,880 --> 00:05:40,880 That's how it is. 147 00:05:40,880 --> 00:05:41,880 Fair. 148 00:05:41,880 --> 00:05:47,440 Nephi gave a similar sense when he wrote, I glory in my Jesus, which I love that. 149 00:05:47,440 --> 00:05:51,400 Of course, the Savior isn't Nephi's any more than he is John's. 150 00:05:51,400 --> 00:05:58,980 And yet the personal nature of Nephi's relationship with his Jesus led him to the tender description. 151 00:05:58,980 --> 00:06:01,120 So this is what I want to share. 152 00:06:01,120 --> 00:06:05,040 Question is, how can we come to feel God's love like these examples for ourselves? 153 00:06:05,040 --> 00:06:10,600 I was pondering on this and I went back to an Instagram post that I did a while ago and 154 00:06:10,600 --> 00:06:13,000 I tagged it under season so I could remember it. 155 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:17,000 It was the most glorious season of life, season of nature, nature. 156 00:06:17,000 --> 00:06:18,000 Yeah. 157 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:21,600 Most glorious sunrise because I don't see sunsets because of where I am with the mountain. 158 00:06:21,600 --> 00:06:22,600 Yes. 159 00:06:22,600 --> 00:06:23,600 I don't get it. 160 00:06:23,600 --> 00:06:24,600 Most beautiful sunrise I've ever seen. 161 00:06:24,600 --> 00:06:29,720 And this is what I captioned, catching a sunrise feels like God is winking at me. 162 00:06:29,720 --> 00:06:33,240 How can something seen by everyone feel so personal? 163 00:06:33,240 --> 00:06:36,040 And yet I feel seen and loved and ministered to. 164 00:06:36,040 --> 00:06:40,400 And then I just said, here's your reminder that he sees you and he will provide for today. 165 00:06:40,400 --> 00:06:46,800 Because again, it's something that everyone can see and yet I felt seen. 166 00:06:46,800 --> 00:06:48,200 I painted this sky for you. 167 00:06:48,200 --> 00:06:49,200 Yeah. 168 00:06:49,200 --> 00:06:51,520 And I know it was for everybody else, but it still just made me so happy because I felt 169 00:06:51,520 --> 00:06:52,520 seen. 170 00:06:52,520 --> 00:06:56,640 So anyway, Abby, do you have anything that you want to share with that from that? 171 00:06:56,640 --> 00:07:00,560 I love the Elder Hurst quote from the Bible dictionary right here. 172 00:07:00,560 --> 00:07:01,560 He shared this definition. 173 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:06,340 He said, our Savior's love is the highest, noblest, strongest kind of love and he provides 174 00:07:06,340 --> 00:07:08,320 until we are filled. 175 00:07:08,320 --> 00:07:11,340 And love never runs dry and we are each cherished favorite. 176 00:07:11,340 --> 00:07:16,120 So it's totally acceptable for you to believe that that was painted for you, that that sunset 177 00:07:16,120 --> 00:07:18,380 was for Amy. 178 00:07:18,380 --> 00:07:21,760 It doesn't take away from it being anybody else's sunset. 179 00:07:21,760 --> 00:07:24,120 I invited everyone into that sunset with me. 180 00:07:24,120 --> 00:07:27,600 I put the picture there like it's for me, it's for you, it's for everybody. 181 00:07:27,600 --> 00:07:29,380 We've had some amazing sunsets here. 182 00:07:29,380 --> 00:07:33,560 And when I was more into social media, there would be just post after post. 183 00:07:33,560 --> 00:07:36,800 I get on Facebook, there were four different posts of a beautiful sunset. 184 00:07:36,800 --> 00:07:39,840 And so I screenshotted all four of them and then I put them together in a collage and 185 00:07:39,840 --> 00:07:44,720 I said, this is what I love about where I live that four different people testified 186 00:07:44,720 --> 00:07:46,560 of God in the sunset. 187 00:07:46,560 --> 00:07:50,160 So I was like, we all got the message that he loved us. 188 00:07:50,160 --> 00:07:53,920 It didn't take the beauty of the sunset away that we each felt love in the sunset. 189 00:07:53,920 --> 00:07:57,440 I know certain friends remind me to show you after this is over my sunset picture because 190 00:07:57,440 --> 00:07:59,520 I was just showing it off on my plane ride home. 191 00:07:59,520 --> 00:08:04,160 I was sitting next to a former stranger and I was like, well, now I know. 192 00:08:04,160 --> 00:08:07,840 We talked for a couple hours, my husband's like, I kind of slept, but I'm pretty sure 193 00:08:07,840 --> 00:08:08,840 I heard you talk the whole time. 194 00:08:08,840 --> 00:08:09,840 Did she want to talk to you? 195 00:08:09,840 --> 00:08:12,120 I'm like, she was asking questions back. 196 00:08:12,120 --> 00:08:13,120 I don't know. 197 00:08:13,120 --> 00:08:15,520 What kind of question is that? 198 00:08:15,520 --> 00:08:19,320 Anyway, so let's see. 199 00:08:19,320 --> 00:08:20,720 He finished up that definition. 200 00:08:20,720 --> 00:08:24,880 Then he said, the challenge is that even if it is available, his charity, his love is 201 00:08:24,880 --> 00:08:26,380 available to all. 202 00:08:26,380 --> 00:08:29,960 It doesn't mean that we can and always will fill it. 203 00:08:29,960 --> 00:08:31,440 You see where the difference lies. 204 00:08:31,440 --> 00:08:32,440 So right. 205 00:08:32,440 --> 00:08:34,800 There's a difference between knowing loves there and actually filling love. 206 00:08:34,800 --> 00:08:36,400 I love that he said that. 207 00:08:36,400 --> 00:08:37,840 That struck my heart. 208 00:08:37,840 --> 00:08:38,840 That is true. 209 00:08:38,840 --> 00:08:40,280 It's a takeaway for sure. 210 00:08:40,280 --> 00:08:47,000 So Jesus through commandments has given us the roadmap to how to actually fill his love. 211 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:54,520 This is reminding me, this has taken me back to the talk that you kind of led on. 212 00:08:54,520 --> 00:08:59,640 Oh my goodness, the word slipped in my mind. 213 00:08:59,640 --> 00:09:03,880 Like when you don't have relationships that you can trust. 214 00:09:03,880 --> 00:09:04,880 Was it Trusting God? 215 00:09:04,880 --> 00:09:05,880 Yeah, that's it. 216 00:09:05,880 --> 00:09:07,240 I'm like, it's like the tip of my tongue. 217 00:09:07,240 --> 00:09:08,240 It's like right there. 218 00:09:08,240 --> 00:09:10,480 The Trusting God podcast. 219 00:09:10,480 --> 00:09:11,480 Yeah. 220 00:09:11,480 --> 00:09:16,440 Sometimes it's a mental block and sometimes you just haven't experienced love like this 221 00:09:16,440 --> 00:09:17,440 in your life. 222 00:09:17,440 --> 00:09:20,640 And so you feel like it's out of your reach. 223 00:09:20,640 --> 00:09:24,880 But I love this talk because I was like, no matter what circumstance you've come from, 224 00:09:24,880 --> 00:09:28,600 how unloved you felt your whole life, his love is perfect. 225 00:09:28,600 --> 00:09:32,440 And we just have to tap into what it's going to take to fill it because it is there. 226 00:09:32,440 --> 00:09:34,240 That's so good, Abby. 227 00:09:34,240 --> 00:09:37,440 So he's given us commandments. 228 00:09:37,440 --> 00:09:39,240 What are the first two commandments he's given us? 229 00:09:39,240 --> 00:09:41,340 So to love God and to love our neighbor. 230 00:09:41,340 --> 00:09:44,640 And that's come up dozens of times in the last two conferences. 231 00:09:44,640 --> 00:09:47,280 Right, neighbors meaning everybody. 232 00:09:47,280 --> 00:09:48,280 It has. 233 00:09:48,280 --> 00:09:51,080 I just keep hearing them like there's an echo, there's an echo, there's an echo. 234 00:09:51,080 --> 00:09:53,040 So how do those commandments play out in your life? 235 00:09:53,040 --> 00:09:55,360 As you've been thinking about it, thinking about the different conference talks that 236 00:09:55,360 --> 00:09:56,360 have come up. 237 00:09:56,360 --> 00:10:04,040 But what connection can you help us make between those first two commandments and God's love? 238 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:07,560 So this is interesting because I did like the part that he talked about where he said 239 00:10:07,560 --> 00:10:10,700 that we can love other people. 240 00:10:10,700 --> 00:10:14,560 But when we love like God does, it says that there's also like divinity in it, meaning 241 00:10:14,560 --> 00:10:16,320 part of it is his love. 242 00:10:16,320 --> 00:10:22,780 I remember one of the times was when I first started working with the young women in our 243 00:10:22,780 --> 00:10:26,600 ward and I stood up and I said, I love each one of you girls. 244 00:10:26,600 --> 00:10:29,680 And I said, I know that sounds silly because I don't know each one of you. 245 00:10:29,680 --> 00:10:33,720 I don't know what your like, like your favorite color is or what your hobby is right now or 246 00:10:33,720 --> 00:10:34,720 whatever. 247 00:10:34,720 --> 00:10:40,380 But it feels like heaven is just pouring this love down through me and it's just broadcasting 248 00:10:40,380 --> 00:10:41,380 out to you. 249 00:10:41,380 --> 00:10:44,100 Like I feel the strength of that and the truth of it. 250 00:10:44,100 --> 00:10:46,160 And so I could say those words. 251 00:10:46,160 --> 00:10:48,680 Also there have been other times when yeah, I think that's the biggest thing. 252 00:10:48,680 --> 00:10:54,920 I've moved a lot and it's such a wonderful gift to be able to, as soon as you start serving 253 00:10:54,920 --> 00:10:59,040 a different group of ladies or children or in the primary young women, whatever it is, 254 00:10:59,040 --> 00:11:00,800 your heart expands for them. 255 00:11:00,800 --> 00:11:06,160 And when you see them as God does, I feel like when we opt into serving God's children 256 00:11:06,160 --> 00:11:10,080 that we opt into part of his power of loving them well. 257 00:11:10,080 --> 00:11:11,240 I love what you're saying. 258 00:11:11,240 --> 00:11:16,080 This is absolute truth because you can choose to work off the mindset. 259 00:11:16,080 --> 00:11:19,640 Like once I get to know you, I'm sure that I'll like things about you and then I'll love 260 00:11:19,640 --> 00:11:20,640 you. 261 00:11:20,640 --> 00:11:25,000 That's the difference between just doing something for somebody with a Christ-like love and just 262 00:11:25,000 --> 00:11:26,720 giving it a whirl. 263 00:11:26,720 --> 00:11:28,840 That's where the divinity part comes into it. 264 00:11:28,840 --> 00:11:33,680 That you can start before you even do an act of service or something charitable towards 265 00:11:33,680 --> 00:11:36,760 somebody that you just automatically start out with the love. 266 00:11:36,760 --> 00:11:40,160 They don't have to love you back. 267 00:11:40,160 --> 00:11:44,640 It's still something that will expand your ability to love and to feel love. 268 00:11:44,640 --> 00:11:45,640 Even if it's not reciprocated. 269 00:11:45,640 --> 00:11:46,640 I love that. 270 00:11:46,640 --> 00:11:49,120 He talked about that as being part of the divine economy. 271 00:11:49,120 --> 00:11:50,400 I was like, yes. 272 00:11:50,400 --> 00:11:52,040 We are going to talk about that. 273 00:11:52,040 --> 00:11:53,360 I'm like, that's something you taught me. 274 00:11:53,360 --> 00:11:56,040 So we definitely have to get there. 275 00:11:56,040 --> 00:12:03,400 So I think that this provides an opportunity to say all of you listeners, stop and take 276 00:12:03,400 --> 00:12:07,160 a moment and think back to the times that you felt the deepest love for somebody and 277 00:12:07,160 --> 00:12:09,080 like what surrounded that? 278 00:12:09,080 --> 00:12:10,080 Yes. 279 00:12:10,080 --> 00:12:13,560 Probably you were serving them in some capacity. 280 00:12:13,560 --> 00:12:17,440 You were like up to your eyeballs and all of the other responsibilities and chores you 281 00:12:17,440 --> 00:12:18,760 had in your life. 282 00:12:18,760 --> 00:12:21,720 Regardless of that, you were able to accomplish the thing you were doing at the end of the 283 00:12:21,720 --> 00:12:24,480 day was probably one of the best things that you ever did. 284 00:12:24,480 --> 00:12:25,480 Amen. 285 00:12:25,480 --> 00:12:26,480 I love that, Abby. 286 00:12:26,480 --> 00:12:27,480 It's true. 287 00:12:27,480 --> 00:12:29,880 Service is such the bottom line. 288 00:12:29,880 --> 00:12:33,600 So if someone we care about seems distant from a sense of divine love, we can follow 289 00:12:33,600 --> 00:12:37,000 this pattern by doing things that bring us closer to God ourselves and then doing things 290 00:12:37,000 --> 00:12:40,880 that bring us closer to them and unspoken beckoning to come unto Christ. 291 00:12:40,880 --> 00:12:41,880 That was his words. 292 00:12:41,880 --> 00:12:43,560 That's a great thing. 293 00:12:43,560 --> 00:12:47,280 You cannot make somebody feel the love of God in their lives. 294 00:12:47,280 --> 00:12:48,280 It's impossible. 295 00:12:48,280 --> 00:12:56,380 But if you do recognize that somebody in your path isn't feeling it, certainly you can. 296 00:12:56,380 --> 00:13:00,120 You can do things that bring you closer to him and then it should expand your ability 297 00:13:00,120 --> 00:13:07,960 to open the channels of like what the spirit can provide help in that way and to know what 298 00:13:07,960 --> 00:13:14,320 comes out of your mouth isn't intended in any way to be hurting feelings or to downgrading 299 00:13:14,320 --> 00:13:16,000 their emotions or the way that they're feeling. 300 00:13:16,000 --> 00:13:20,160 They're totally justified in having whatever feelings they want to, but that doesn't mean 301 00:13:20,160 --> 00:13:21,640 that they're loved any less by God. 302 00:13:21,640 --> 00:13:29,240 And so to say, to say, you acknowledge that they're not being loved is that's never going 303 00:13:29,240 --> 00:13:30,240 to come out of my mouth. 304 00:13:30,240 --> 00:13:31,440 I know that he does love them. 305 00:13:31,440 --> 00:13:34,920 It's just giving them opportunities to have a chance to feel that. 306 00:13:34,920 --> 00:13:39,280 That's where maybe the spirit would come into play to help them to get to that point. 307 00:13:39,280 --> 00:13:43,320 I think it's the hardest thing because I think when you're feeling overwhelmed and you're 308 00:13:43,320 --> 00:13:48,240 not feeling the love, it does seem like his way to get you there is to give you an opportunity 309 00:13:48,240 --> 00:13:49,240 to serve. 310 00:13:49,240 --> 00:13:52,840 And a lot of times that comes in callings and for self-care reasons, people would say 311 00:13:52,840 --> 00:13:54,920 like you don't have to say yes to a calling. 312 00:13:54,920 --> 00:13:55,920 That's absolutely true. 313 00:13:55,920 --> 00:14:02,400 But what if you've been praying simultaneously to fill his love and a calling presents itself 314 00:14:02,400 --> 00:14:06,080 and the natural man in us makes sense of saying like, you don't have time for that because 315 00:14:06,080 --> 00:14:07,080 you don't have time for you. 316 00:14:07,080 --> 00:14:08,440 You don't have time to wash your hair. 317 00:14:08,440 --> 00:14:09,880 You don't have that. 318 00:14:09,880 --> 00:14:15,320 And he was trying to say to you, this was my opportunity to show you my love and to 319 00:14:15,320 --> 00:14:19,760 show you how I love my other children through loving them. 320 00:14:19,760 --> 00:14:21,520 That's so good, Abby. 321 00:14:21,520 --> 00:14:25,440 When you're saying that too, it reminds me of a few years ago when Reina Alberto gave 322 00:14:25,440 --> 00:14:28,720 the talk and it was about the same situation. 323 00:14:28,720 --> 00:14:35,000 And she talked about how like the clouds between you and God, when you're not feeling his love, 324 00:14:35,000 --> 00:14:36,840 it's because there are clouds between you. 325 00:14:36,840 --> 00:14:42,600 And so if we can even just recognize that those clouds are there for whatever reason 326 00:14:42,600 --> 00:14:45,080 and realize that they will part and that it will feel it again. 327 00:14:45,080 --> 00:14:48,880 And like you said, maybe the clouds are there and Heavenly Father's like, hey, here's a 328 00:14:48,880 --> 00:14:52,640 calling and it will help dissipate the clouds and we don't realize it at the moment. 329 00:14:52,640 --> 00:14:53,640 You know what I mean? 330 00:14:53,640 --> 00:14:54,640 Absolutely. 331 00:14:54,640 --> 00:14:55,640 He gets into that. 332 00:14:55,640 --> 00:14:59,680 I think we should hit on that one in just a second. 333 00:14:59,680 --> 00:15:00,920 He gave us an action item. 334 00:15:00,920 --> 00:15:01,920 Love it. 335 00:15:01,920 --> 00:15:04,660 He said, what circumstances cause you to feel God's love? 336 00:15:04,660 --> 00:15:06,660 So I had just mentioned that. 337 00:15:06,660 --> 00:15:09,880 Take a chance to recognize in your life where you felt his love the most. 338 00:15:09,880 --> 00:15:14,720 You just testified of the sunset, right? 339 00:15:14,720 --> 00:15:17,040 He says, which verse of scripture? 340 00:15:17,040 --> 00:15:19,920 Maybe you've just asked a question and you've stumbled into a scripture and you're like, 341 00:15:19,920 --> 00:15:23,880 oh my goodness, that was written for me hundreds of years ago. 342 00:15:23,880 --> 00:15:26,140 And it feels like yours. 343 00:15:26,140 --> 00:15:33,200 Was there a particular act of service that you did on behalf of somebody or received? 344 00:15:33,200 --> 00:15:34,200 Where would you be? 345 00:15:34,200 --> 00:15:35,840 What music would be playing? 346 00:15:35,840 --> 00:15:37,320 What music has made you feel that way? 347 00:15:37,320 --> 00:15:39,000 I think that's what he was asking. 348 00:15:39,000 --> 00:15:40,200 Whose company are you in? 349 00:15:40,200 --> 00:15:41,640 You met Jesus at a certain space. 350 00:15:41,640 --> 00:15:42,640 I know. 351 00:15:42,640 --> 00:15:43,640 I loved that. 352 00:15:43,640 --> 00:15:47,160 He said, general conference is a rich place to learn about connecting with Heaven's love. 353 00:15:47,160 --> 00:15:51,760 Stealing Amy's line, she says that conference to her feels like love letters from Heaven. 354 00:15:51,760 --> 00:15:52,940 Amen. 355 00:15:52,940 --> 00:15:55,920 And certainly you'll sit in conference and you'll be like, if you've asked for like what 356 00:15:55,920 --> 00:15:59,240 you can do to improve, like you may be feeling that gentle nudge of the spirit, like this 357 00:15:59,240 --> 00:16:01,480 is where you need to step up and do something. 358 00:16:01,480 --> 00:16:06,080 But for me, even if I have to make changes, even if it's going to cause some growth and 359 00:16:06,080 --> 00:16:09,160 stretch, it doesn't feel hurtful or rebukeful. 360 00:16:09,160 --> 00:16:11,800 It just feels like a gentle prod. 361 00:16:11,800 --> 00:16:14,440 So it always feels in love. 362 00:16:14,440 --> 00:16:17,760 So this could have been worded, why can't I feel God's love? 363 00:16:17,760 --> 00:16:22,360 But instead he demonstrates the perfect way to ask a question and instead says what causes 364 00:16:22,360 --> 00:16:23,440 you to feel God's love? 365 00:16:23,440 --> 00:16:24,440 Wonderful. 366 00:16:24,440 --> 00:16:25,440 It's already there. 367 00:16:25,440 --> 00:16:26,440 Right. 368 00:16:26,440 --> 00:16:27,440 Just ignore it. 369 00:16:27,440 --> 00:16:28,440 When in your life have you experienced it? 370 00:16:28,440 --> 00:16:29,440 What are those things? 371 00:16:29,440 --> 00:16:32,760 So isolate those, jot them down either in your memory or write them on paper so that 372 00:16:32,760 --> 00:16:34,320 you can go back to that for you. 373 00:16:34,320 --> 00:16:37,720 Because I think very clear, very obviously it can be different for each of us. 374 00:16:37,720 --> 00:16:39,120 Oh yeah, for sure it is. 375 00:16:39,120 --> 00:16:42,480 The what stands as a reminder that just because we aren't feeling it in this moment, it in 376 00:16:42,480 --> 00:16:45,440 no way means that love isn't there and available to us. 377 00:16:45,440 --> 00:16:46,440 Agreed. 378 00:16:46,440 --> 00:16:47,680 But he's very good at pointing out. 379 00:16:47,680 --> 00:16:49,560 He totally understands when you're not feeling. 380 00:16:49,560 --> 00:16:50,560 I agree. 381 00:16:50,560 --> 00:16:51,680 I totally felt that from him. 382 00:16:51,680 --> 00:16:53,560 It was like, wow, this is a comprehensive list. 383 00:16:53,560 --> 00:16:54,880 He's made me wonder. 384 00:16:54,880 --> 00:16:55,880 Yes. 385 00:16:55,880 --> 00:16:59,360 If he has family or in his personal life that he's like felt the blockage. 386 00:16:59,360 --> 00:17:03,240 Yes, he has to get and come on the other side of it. 387 00:17:03,240 --> 00:17:07,780 So he says, he gave an entire list of places and ways for each of us to think on and find 388 00:17:07,780 --> 00:17:09,520 the exchange of love we have been offered. 389 00:17:09,520 --> 00:17:12,480 So that's just our challenge to you from his action items. 390 00:17:12,480 --> 00:17:13,480 Find those times. 391 00:17:13,480 --> 00:17:15,980 Where'd those come from? 392 00:17:15,980 --> 00:17:18,000 Perhaps you feel a long way from the love of God. 393 00:17:18,000 --> 00:17:21,640 Maybe there's a chorus of voices of discouragement and darkness that weighs into your thoughts. 394 00:17:21,640 --> 00:17:24,640 Just telling you that you are too wounded and confused, too weak and overlooked, too 395 00:17:24,640 --> 00:17:28,400 different or disoriented to warrant heavenly love in any real way. 396 00:17:28,400 --> 00:17:31,120 If you hear those ideas, then please hear this. 397 00:17:31,120 --> 00:17:32,640 I've bolded this. 398 00:17:32,640 --> 00:17:34,160 Those voices are just wrong. 399 00:17:34,160 --> 00:17:39,300 We can confidently disregard brokenness in any way, disqualling us from heavenly love. 400 00:17:39,300 --> 00:17:43,760 If you think you can pinpoint a reason why you don't deserve his love, it's wrong. 401 00:17:43,760 --> 00:17:44,760 It's wrong. 402 00:17:44,760 --> 00:17:46,840 And that's the adversary for sure. 403 00:17:46,840 --> 00:17:47,840 Absolutely. 404 00:17:47,840 --> 00:17:48,840 He's the only one that keeps falling. 405 00:17:48,840 --> 00:17:49,840 And he's very good at it. 406 00:17:49,840 --> 00:17:53,400 It's exactly what memory to bring to your mind to make you think you're not deserving 407 00:17:53,400 --> 00:17:54,400 of his love. 408 00:17:54,400 --> 00:17:56,780 But it's not like any other relationship. 409 00:17:56,780 --> 00:17:59,080 This is a divine relationship. 410 00:17:59,080 --> 00:18:03,960 And so the parameters that we've set on love are different. 411 00:18:03,960 --> 00:18:04,960 It's not ideal. 412 00:18:04,960 --> 00:18:06,400 I'm not saying that's the way that we should love. 413 00:18:06,400 --> 00:18:07,640 We should love like God loves. 414 00:18:07,640 --> 00:18:08,980 We should be charitable. 415 00:18:08,980 --> 00:18:12,120 It should be without reciprocate. 416 00:18:12,120 --> 00:18:14,480 I only love you because it's reciprocated. 417 00:18:14,480 --> 00:18:15,480 I'm saying. 418 00:18:15,480 --> 00:18:17,440 Or if you do these things, I love you. 419 00:18:17,440 --> 00:18:20,120 That's contingent on if you follow these rules for me. 420 00:18:20,120 --> 00:18:21,120 Right. 421 00:18:21,120 --> 00:18:25,400 I love that. 422 00:18:25,400 --> 00:18:29,040 You cannot put yourself beyond the reach of God's love. 423 00:18:29,040 --> 00:18:31,000 So we think back to the definition of charity. 424 00:18:31,000 --> 00:18:34,120 God loves broken things. 425 00:18:34,120 --> 00:18:37,320 His son, our Savior, chose to be bruised, broken, torn for us. 426 00:18:37,320 --> 00:18:41,720 Jesus removes all shame from the broken because through his brokenness, he became perfect 427 00:18:41,720 --> 00:18:45,040 and he can make us perfect in spite of our brokenness. 428 00:18:45,040 --> 00:18:46,200 That's a take home for me. 429 00:18:46,200 --> 00:18:48,640 Oh, for sure. 430 00:18:48,640 --> 00:18:53,240 We're sometimes cruel and impatient toward ourselves in ways that we could never imagine 431 00:18:53,240 --> 00:18:54,920 being toward anyone else. 432 00:18:54,920 --> 00:18:59,180 There is much for us to do in this life, but self-loathing and shameful self-condemnation 433 00:18:59,180 --> 00:19:01,400 are not on that list. 434 00:19:01,400 --> 00:19:05,380 Can you imagine looking at one of your children and telling them those negative things about 435 00:19:05,380 --> 00:19:07,360 them that you're telling yourself? 436 00:19:07,360 --> 00:19:08,760 Never as a parent we would do that. 437 00:19:08,760 --> 00:19:13,020 But as children of divine birth, when we let those negative thoughts prevail in our lives, 438 00:19:13,020 --> 00:19:16,400 we are saying that about his child, which is us. 439 00:19:16,400 --> 00:19:21,640 We are his and he does not want us to feel that way about ourselves either. 440 00:19:21,640 --> 00:19:24,920 Okay. 441 00:19:24,920 --> 00:19:26,440 Oh my gosh, I love this one. 442 00:19:26,440 --> 00:19:31,120 So Isaiah 54 10 is where you find for the mountain shall depart and the hill shall be 443 00:19:31,120 --> 00:19:34,240 removed but my kindness shall not depart from me. 444 00:19:34,240 --> 00:19:39,080 Neither shall the covenant of my peace be removed, saith the Lord and have mercy on 445 00:19:39,080 --> 00:19:40,800 thee. 446 00:19:40,800 --> 00:19:45,440 I love this Abby because you and I both live around mountains and they're a pretty constant 447 00:19:45,440 --> 00:19:46,440 part of our day. 448 00:19:46,440 --> 00:19:49,600 Like our everyday life, the mountains always bear. 449 00:19:49,600 --> 00:19:51,800 So I just love that. 450 00:19:51,800 --> 00:19:53,040 That the mountain shall depart. 451 00:19:53,040 --> 00:19:55,280 Those are going to be gone before his love is gone. 452 00:19:55,280 --> 00:19:56,280 I love that. 453 00:19:56,280 --> 00:19:57,280 And guess what? 454 00:19:57,280 --> 00:19:58,280 It's not happening. 455 00:19:58,280 --> 00:20:03,240 If those mountains ever are gone, I know that he did it and I still know he loves me. 456 00:20:03,240 --> 00:20:06,280 There was a mountain here the other day. 457 00:20:06,280 --> 00:20:07,280 It's true. 458 00:20:07,280 --> 00:20:08,280 I like kind of bank on that. 459 00:20:08,280 --> 00:20:11,720 I'll promise if there's a mountain there, then either I've seen the Lord. 460 00:20:11,720 --> 00:20:12,720 You know what I'm saying? 461 00:20:12,720 --> 00:20:15,160 Like you might make me giggle because we are in a valley. 462 00:20:15,160 --> 00:20:16,880 We are surrounded like where Amy lives. 463 00:20:16,880 --> 00:20:19,240 There are two mountain ranges that are basically touching each other. 464 00:20:19,240 --> 00:20:21,760 There's a car with the between the two mountain ranges. 465 00:20:21,760 --> 00:20:25,640 And so maybe from now on, I'll look at the mountains and I'll be like still there. 466 00:20:25,640 --> 00:20:26,880 God still loves us. 467 00:20:26,880 --> 00:20:29,480 I feel that's a great. 468 00:20:29,480 --> 00:20:32,920 That's a great reminder. 469 00:20:32,920 --> 00:20:39,720 So Elder Hearst played off the symbol of the mountains also being symbolic of God's temples. 470 00:20:39,720 --> 00:20:40,720 I love it. 471 00:20:40,720 --> 00:20:41,760 It was so good. 472 00:20:41,760 --> 00:20:45,720 I really enjoy the symbolism of mountain being evidence of the certainty of God's love. 473 00:20:45,720 --> 00:20:49,600 The house of the Lord is a home of our most precious covenants and places for us to retreat 474 00:20:49,600 --> 00:20:52,560 and sink deeply into the evidence of our Father's love for us. 475 00:20:52,560 --> 00:20:55,560 I've also enjoyed the comfort that comes to my soul when I wrap myself more tightly in 476 00:20:55,560 --> 00:20:59,760 my baptismal covenant and find someone who is mourning a loss or grieving a disappointment 477 00:20:59,760 --> 00:21:03,360 and try to help them and hold and process their feelings. 478 00:21:03,360 --> 00:21:06,240 If you are willing to mourn with those that mourn and comfort those that stand in need 479 00:21:06,240 --> 00:21:11,560 of comfort and honor those baptismal covenants that you've made and he gives you an idea 480 00:21:11,560 --> 00:21:15,520 of what can be done in that tragic moment for them. 481 00:21:15,520 --> 00:21:17,120 The idea comes from him. 482 00:21:17,120 --> 00:21:22,560 There's no more sure way for me to feel of God's love than to be like his hands, his 483 00:21:22,560 --> 00:21:24,160 mouth on behalf of others. 484 00:21:24,160 --> 00:21:26,280 It doesn't have to be for myself. 485 00:21:26,280 --> 00:21:32,560 I most often is in the service of somebody else that I'm like, he cared about this thing 486 00:21:32,560 --> 00:21:39,520 that I'm going to, you know, this act of service, whatever I'm going to act out on his behalf, 487 00:21:39,520 --> 00:21:41,800 then in the same way he can do that for me. 488 00:21:41,800 --> 00:21:43,200 I make that connection. 489 00:21:43,200 --> 00:21:44,880 Everybody makes that connection, hopefully. 490 00:21:44,880 --> 00:21:45,880 Right. 491 00:21:45,880 --> 00:21:46,880 It's not just you are. 492 00:21:46,880 --> 00:21:47,880 And that is so true about you too. 493 00:21:47,880 --> 00:21:50,240 I've asked you so many times, what can I be praying for for you? 494 00:21:50,240 --> 00:21:54,720 And you say, my daughter, this or this person or hey, my aunt. 495 00:21:54,720 --> 00:21:57,480 I mean, they're always, you're always thinking of other people and blessing them that way. 496 00:21:57,480 --> 00:21:59,840 So I love that. 497 00:21:59,840 --> 00:22:03,200 Our love of God is demonstrated in our obedience to commandments. 498 00:22:03,200 --> 00:22:05,840 God's love is demonstrated in giving us commandments in the first place. 499 00:22:05,840 --> 00:22:07,440 Do you think that's true? 500 00:22:07,440 --> 00:22:08,440 I do. 501 00:22:08,440 --> 00:22:13,960 This is easy for people to understand in most obvious, like in a parent child relationship. 502 00:22:13,960 --> 00:22:16,800 If you're a parent, it's just like, do whatever you want. 503 00:22:16,800 --> 00:22:19,760 Things are going to work out like free range. 504 00:22:19,760 --> 00:22:20,760 That's a way. 505 00:22:20,760 --> 00:22:22,000 I think we range child. 506 00:22:22,000 --> 00:22:23,000 I don't know. 507 00:22:23,000 --> 00:22:25,560 Free range is the right way to say it. 508 00:22:25,560 --> 00:22:31,040 But if you're currently don't have children, if you don't have children, think about your 509 00:22:31,040 --> 00:22:32,040 own childhood. 510 00:22:32,040 --> 00:22:36,000 Were your parents the type that were just like, do whatever you want, touch the hot 511 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:39,600 stove, run out in the street, stay up to whatever time you want? 512 00:22:39,600 --> 00:22:42,120 Or was there like a set of expectations? 513 00:22:42,120 --> 00:22:43,680 So it's on a very different scale. 514 00:22:43,680 --> 00:22:50,600 But I have often seen the way that love plays out with expectations as parents and naturally 515 00:22:50,600 --> 00:22:54,800 as they age, like what we're able to give them parameters of safety and like whatever 516 00:22:54,800 --> 00:23:00,000 fences were able to create for them to try to keep them safe diminish. 517 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:04,800 But we have to hope that they've seen in the lesson of life that they were gates to not 518 00:23:04,800 --> 00:23:09,840 block them in, but to protect them as they were maturing to the ability to get to where 519 00:23:09,840 --> 00:23:10,840 they're at. 520 00:23:10,840 --> 00:23:15,920 And so it's easy for me to say commandments equal love in God's eyes. 521 00:23:15,920 --> 00:23:19,080 He says, this is the way to create the greatest happiness. 522 00:23:19,080 --> 00:23:24,160 You stay within the confines of, you know, don't murder, don't steal, cheat, whatever. 523 00:23:24,160 --> 00:23:30,160 I mean, they're bigger things, but then we kind of have to say, okay, what thing he maybe 524 00:23:30,160 --> 00:23:35,000 doesn't line out exactly, you know, step by step, what that's going to be to achieve that 525 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:36,000 commandment. 526 00:23:36,000 --> 00:23:37,640 But the fact of the matter is you peel it away. 527 00:23:37,640 --> 00:23:42,960 Those commandments were to create some peace and safety and a way to become more like him. 528 00:23:42,960 --> 00:23:43,960 I love that. 529 00:23:43,960 --> 00:23:46,920 And I mean, as parents, we'd be lying if we didn't act like we didn't want our kids to 530 00:23:46,920 --> 00:23:47,920 turn out like us. 531 00:23:47,920 --> 00:23:48,920 Right. 532 00:23:48,920 --> 00:23:49,920 Or better. 533 00:23:49,920 --> 00:23:50,920 Better than. 534 00:23:50,920 --> 00:23:53,600 I think that naturally can come. 535 00:23:53,600 --> 00:23:54,880 Okay. 536 00:23:54,880 --> 00:23:57,440 So as you were talking about this, Abby, and I said, yes, I agree. 537 00:23:57,440 --> 00:24:01,320 Because you said our love of God is demonstrated in our obedience. 538 00:24:01,320 --> 00:24:02,320 Oh, sorry. 539 00:24:02,320 --> 00:24:05,420 God's love is demonstrated in giving us commandments in the first place. 540 00:24:05,420 --> 00:24:12,040 So when I think of that, the reason that I see his commandments as love is because of 541 00:24:12,040 --> 00:24:17,320 his very nature and the way he gives it to us now gives us those the ability to be like 542 00:24:17,320 --> 00:24:18,320 him. 543 00:24:18,320 --> 00:24:24,640 Because he says he says this, Amy, if you want to be like me, here are some commandments. 544 00:24:24,640 --> 00:24:29,120 He doesn't say if you don't do all these commands, you are the worst. 545 00:24:29,120 --> 00:24:30,120 You are shamed. 546 00:24:30,120 --> 00:24:31,560 You are not worthy. 547 00:24:31,560 --> 00:24:35,440 That would be living the quote, living the gospel, but in Satan's way. 548 00:24:35,440 --> 00:24:36,720 And I'm not okay with that. 549 00:24:36,720 --> 00:24:37,720 Right. 550 00:24:37,720 --> 00:24:38,800 Like it feels different. 551 00:24:38,800 --> 00:24:44,520 So that is why I feel like often or opt out my love here, regardless guidance the whole 552 00:24:44,520 --> 00:24:45,520 way. 553 00:24:45,520 --> 00:24:46,520 Do you know what I mean? 554 00:24:46,520 --> 00:24:47,520 I agree. 555 00:24:47,520 --> 00:24:51,360 I think the word the commandment says love God and love your neighbor. 556 00:24:51,360 --> 00:24:53,920 For me, I could insert instead of love God. 557 00:24:53,920 --> 00:24:56,480 I not not replace that. 558 00:24:56,480 --> 00:24:57,480 It's worded perfectly. 559 00:24:57,480 --> 00:25:02,740 But with this talk in mind that I'm putting the words in that, like, recognize my commandments 560 00:25:02,740 --> 00:25:03,740 and keep my commandments. 561 00:25:03,740 --> 00:25:05,400 That's how you show love for me. 562 00:25:05,400 --> 00:25:08,080 Keep my commandments and then just do it for yourself. 563 00:25:08,080 --> 00:25:13,560 Like do you know, do that as you're looking out for your fellow men around you, whoever 564 00:25:13,560 --> 00:25:17,440 you have stewardship over or stewardship. 565 00:25:17,440 --> 00:25:19,320 Sometimes, but even shoulders. 566 00:25:19,320 --> 00:25:20,960 Yeah, that's more like the circle. 567 00:25:20,960 --> 00:25:21,960 Circle of input. 568 00:25:21,960 --> 00:25:24,720 Like how we've talked about like the water drop, like whoever, whoever you can reach. 569 00:25:24,720 --> 00:25:27,880 I love that. 570 00:25:27,880 --> 00:25:31,960 So we just mentioned it's easy for people to understand this relationship that we have 571 00:25:31,960 --> 00:25:39,480 between God and commandments and obedience to the commandments in either our own childhood 572 00:25:39,480 --> 00:25:43,860 upbringing or in the relationship that we're cultivating as we're raising children. 573 00:25:43,860 --> 00:25:45,760 So both different scenarios. 574 00:25:45,760 --> 00:25:49,240 What's the difference between homes where there are rules and expectation compared to 575 00:25:49,240 --> 00:25:50,600 homes without? 576 00:25:50,600 --> 00:25:53,720 Well, the first would be like absolute chaos. 577 00:25:53,720 --> 00:26:00,960 I feel like on one end of the spectrum, absolute chaos and probably also missing quite a few 578 00:26:00,960 --> 00:26:01,960 and anarchy. 579 00:26:01,960 --> 00:26:02,960 Yeah. 580 00:26:02,960 --> 00:26:06,800 Is that yeah, anarchy and the kids are going to miss really important growth steps that 581 00:26:06,800 --> 00:26:11,640 they're just not getting because there's no guidance on the other end. 582 00:26:11,640 --> 00:26:16,800 And control, which in my mind, that can also be Satan's plan because he wants to control 583 00:26:16,800 --> 00:26:17,800 the outcome. 584 00:26:17,800 --> 00:26:21,880 It's also Satan's plan being on the other end of let the kids do whatever they want. 585 00:26:21,880 --> 00:26:22,880 They'll be fine. 586 00:26:22,880 --> 00:26:23,880 Both of them. 587 00:26:23,880 --> 00:26:26,080 He's happy with both ends of that spectrum. 588 00:26:26,080 --> 00:26:29,680 Better opportunities are found within like the middle ground of that. 589 00:26:29,680 --> 00:26:37,400 We give our children the ability to make some choices. 590 00:26:37,400 --> 00:26:46,280 But like when we know to prevent harm that we can give them a rule that should keep them 591 00:26:46,280 --> 00:26:51,320 within the safety of that, we would be dumb to not do that. 592 00:26:51,320 --> 00:26:52,320 Right. 593 00:26:52,320 --> 00:26:53,320 Okay. 594 00:26:53,320 --> 00:26:56,920 So back to this thought that we both loved. 595 00:26:56,920 --> 00:27:00,360 Being loved is not the same thing as feeling loved. 596 00:27:00,360 --> 00:27:01,360 So amazing. 597 00:27:01,360 --> 00:27:05,080 He said, perhaps you're wrestling with grief, depression, betrayal, loneliness, disappointment 598 00:27:05,080 --> 00:27:09,000 or other powerful intrusions into your ability to feel God's love for you. 599 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:14,880 If so, these things can dull or suspend our ability to feel as we might otherwise feel. 600 00:27:14,880 --> 00:27:19,000 For a season at least, perhaps you will not be able to feel his love and knowledge will 601 00:27:19,000 --> 00:27:21,640 have to suffice. 602 00:27:21,640 --> 00:27:26,120 That's where your own record, your own keeping of times that you have felt it if you're in 603 00:27:26,120 --> 00:27:28,480 the moment where you can't is helpful. 604 00:27:28,480 --> 00:27:29,480 I agree with that. 605 00:27:29,480 --> 00:27:34,360 I wonder if you could experiment patiently with different ways of expressing and receiving 606 00:27:34,360 --> 00:27:35,640 divine love. 607 00:27:35,640 --> 00:27:37,540 Here's the more action items he gave us. 608 00:27:37,540 --> 00:27:41,960 Could you take a step back from whatever is in front of you and maybe another and maybe 609 00:27:41,960 --> 00:27:46,840 another until you see a wider landscape, wider and wider still if necessary, until you are 610 00:27:46,840 --> 00:27:50,640 literally thinking celestial because you are looking at the stars and remembering worlds 611 00:27:50,640 --> 00:27:52,840 without numbers and through them their creator. 612 00:27:52,840 --> 00:27:57,360 When we're right on top of a problem, right in the middle of a problem, it can be so much 613 00:27:57,360 --> 00:28:00,480 harder to see what he wants us to see. 614 00:28:00,480 --> 00:28:06,520 Thinking celestial does require you to take a few hundred steps back sometimes to look 615 00:28:06,520 --> 00:28:07,600 at the bigger picture. 616 00:28:07,600 --> 00:28:14,160 Yeah, this is challenges very much right now, but it's a drop in the bucket when I consider 617 00:28:14,160 --> 00:28:17,680 the growth that's going to come from it and that will be on the other side of it eventually. 618 00:28:17,680 --> 00:28:18,680 For sure. 619 00:28:18,680 --> 00:28:22,680 I also, you know, again, thinking celestial for me, it doesn't just mean think for when 620 00:28:22,680 --> 00:28:24,360 I want to be in the celestial kingdom. 621 00:28:24,360 --> 00:28:30,160 It means like bring the celestial thinking and feeling to my here and now. 622 00:28:30,160 --> 00:28:34,480 Bring it here and help that to be part of my life right now that I can feel joy now. 623 00:28:34,480 --> 00:28:35,480 Do you know what I'm saying? 624 00:28:35,480 --> 00:28:36,480 Despite the circumstances. 625 00:28:36,480 --> 00:28:37,480 Despite the circumstances. 626 00:28:37,480 --> 00:28:40,920 Which what other thing would we say that is but love, divine love. 627 00:28:40,920 --> 00:28:44,640 That we can, that he, without removing the actual problems in front of our face, that 628 00:28:44,640 --> 00:28:49,760 thing that brings us sorrow and grief doesn't necessarily change, but our attitude towards 629 00:28:49,760 --> 00:28:52,520 it or our ability to feel through it is different. 630 00:28:52,520 --> 00:28:54,640 Love that Abby. 631 00:28:54,640 --> 00:28:56,140 So you mentioned sunsets. 632 00:28:56,140 --> 00:29:00,600 You mentioned birdsong and the sun or breeze or rain on your skin. 633 00:29:00,600 --> 00:29:02,440 Amen to all of that. 634 00:29:02,440 --> 00:29:05,320 I feel like Maria is singing to me. 635 00:29:05,320 --> 00:29:06,320 The hills are alive. 636 00:29:06,320 --> 00:29:10,520 The mountains are alive. 637 00:29:10,520 --> 00:29:17,440 Perhaps the most comfort of faithful friends will, perhaps the comfort of faithful friends 638 00:29:17,440 --> 00:29:18,440 will help. 639 00:29:18,440 --> 00:29:20,700 Maybe music or serving. 640 00:29:20,700 --> 00:29:25,360 So just a reminder, have you kept a journal, a record of times when your connection with 641 00:29:25,360 --> 00:29:33,400 God was clear to you because that is what may save you during one of these more difficult 642 00:29:33,400 --> 00:29:36,080 times when you're wrestling with grief or depression or betrayal. 643 00:29:36,080 --> 00:29:37,080 It's true. 644 00:29:37,080 --> 00:29:40,880 And it's so great because you totally believe yourself. 645 00:29:40,880 --> 00:29:42,360 It's not someone else saying it. 646 00:29:42,360 --> 00:29:43,360 You know what I mean? 647 00:29:43,360 --> 00:29:45,400 Where you're like, they don't know, they haven't been there, whatever. 648 00:29:45,400 --> 00:29:46,400 It's you. 649 00:29:46,400 --> 00:29:47,400 They're not me, but they are you. 650 00:29:47,400 --> 00:29:48,400 Right. 651 00:29:48,400 --> 00:29:50,340 That's why it's so valuable. 652 00:29:50,340 --> 00:29:53,200 The best source of information to get from. 653 00:29:53,200 --> 00:29:57,800 Or his suggestion is also if you can't fill it yourself or if you haven't recorded for 654 00:29:57,800 --> 00:30:03,320 your time, is there a close friend that you could invite to share their source of divine 655 00:30:03,320 --> 00:30:07,080 connection as you're searching for your own relief and understanding? 656 00:30:07,080 --> 00:30:10,080 There are definitely opportunities. 657 00:30:10,080 --> 00:30:11,400 I'm hoping that you find these. 658 00:30:11,400 --> 00:30:13,560 If you haven't found them, they're out there. 659 00:30:13,560 --> 00:30:17,960 It may take some searching, but there are people that are meant to be in our path and 660 00:30:17,960 --> 00:30:23,160 they can have the right words for you to comfort your soul and to help you feel that connection. 661 00:30:23,160 --> 00:30:27,520 You would probably be in such a deep part of grief that you would have a hard time believing 662 00:30:27,520 --> 00:30:33,560 that anybody would want to hear the challenge that you're going through. 663 00:30:33,560 --> 00:30:35,120 I guess that's why I kind of love Relief Society. 664 00:30:35,120 --> 00:30:40,680 If you open yourself up to the opportunity to share somewhere in there, you may tap into 665 00:30:40,680 --> 00:30:45,560 another sister's emotions that have totally come over that trial and would know the spirit 666 00:30:45,560 --> 00:30:50,080 would clue them in that now is my opportunity to have this conversation and I can share 667 00:30:50,080 --> 00:30:51,480 what's on my heart with her. 668 00:30:51,480 --> 00:30:52,480 For sure. 669 00:30:52,480 --> 00:30:55,640 It's a room filled with women in all different seasons. 670 00:30:55,640 --> 00:30:57,200 That's the beautiful thing about it. 671 00:30:57,200 --> 00:30:58,200 It is. 672 00:30:58,200 --> 00:30:59,200 I love it. 673 00:30:59,200 --> 00:31:03,160 Just today when I went to church, we were struggling this past weekend, lots of tears 674 00:31:03,160 --> 00:31:04,680 and grief and sadness. 675 00:31:04,680 --> 00:31:12,620 And I walk into church and the very first talk, she starts it with the exact promise 676 00:31:12,620 --> 00:31:17,720 from President Nelson that I had been living that, but I didn't remember that President 677 00:31:17,720 --> 00:31:20,680 Nelson said it number one and I didn't remember what talk it was in. 678 00:31:20,680 --> 00:31:24,680 And she just went through the whole thing and again, that is another time when I totally 679 00:31:24,680 --> 00:31:25,680 feel heavenly. 680 00:31:25,680 --> 00:31:26,680 It's like that sunset. 681 00:31:26,680 --> 00:31:29,440 Well, and she testified that she knew that she was assigned that talk because it was 682 00:31:29,440 --> 00:31:30,840 something that she needed to focus on. 683 00:31:30,840 --> 00:31:31,840 And I was like, well, that was for me. 684 00:31:31,840 --> 00:31:32,840 It was for Amy today, right? 685 00:31:32,840 --> 00:31:35,840 You can be multiple members in a congregation. 686 00:31:35,840 --> 00:31:36,840 Oh, for sure. 687 00:31:36,840 --> 00:31:37,840 It's like the sunset. 688 00:31:37,840 --> 00:31:41,120 I felt it, she felt it, and there could be anyone else who needed it that would feel 689 00:31:41,120 --> 00:31:43,120 it was just that specific to them. 690 00:31:43,120 --> 00:31:45,440 She did a great job on that talk. 691 00:31:45,440 --> 00:31:46,440 So good. 692 00:31:46,440 --> 00:31:53,320 I already said that, but I already said it out of my own mouth. 693 00:31:53,320 --> 00:31:54,320 I wrote this down. 694 00:31:54,320 --> 00:31:58,000 It said, this is why sharing experiences in our Relief Society or elders quorum or over 695 00:31:58,000 --> 00:32:00,320 the pulpit is so useful. 696 00:32:00,320 --> 00:32:04,480 That testimony goes on to teach others how we felt God's love. 697 00:32:04,480 --> 00:32:09,880 And it might be, it's a reminder to us as we've written it down, we've created a stamp 698 00:32:09,880 --> 00:32:10,880 in our memory. 699 00:32:10,880 --> 00:32:15,640 We've created a moment that we recognized God's love, but more important, somebody else's 700 00:32:15,640 --> 00:32:20,160 ears that maybe have been blocked from that and currently unable to fill that, maybe you 701 00:32:20,160 --> 00:32:24,060 testifying of it will be that thing that gives them a glimmer of hope and possibly fill that 702 00:32:24,060 --> 00:32:27,220 again for themselves or be the start of it. 703 00:32:27,220 --> 00:32:34,320 So never be afraid to share, even if people don't like the things you're sharing. 704 00:32:34,320 --> 00:32:38,280 So I wonder if Jesus were to choose a place where you and he could meet, a private place 705 00:32:38,280 --> 00:32:40,600 where you'd be able to have a singular focus on him. 706 00:32:40,600 --> 00:32:45,600 Might he choose your unique place of personal suffering, the place of your deepest need 707 00:32:45,600 --> 00:32:47,240 where no one else could go. 708 00:32:47,240 --> 00:32:52,040 Somewhere you feel so lonely that you must truly be all alone, but you aren't quite a 709 00:32:52,040 --> 00:32:58,480 place to which perhaps only he has traveled, but actually has already prepared to meet 710 00:32:58,480 --> 00:33:00,480 you there when you arrive. 711 00:33:00,480 --> 00:33:04,300 If you're waiting for him to come, might he already be there and within reach? 712 00:33:04,300 --> 00:33:05,480 This feels like a guided visualization. 713 00:33:05,480 --> 00:33:07,320 Do you have one for this? 714 00:33:07,320 --> 00:33:08,680 No, but I can write one. 715 00:33:08,680 --> 00:33:11,200 I thought the same thing and then our week just went, pssh. 716 00:33:11,200 --> 00:33:12,640 Yeah, you get a pass. 717 00:33:12,640 --> 00:33:16,640 This week is tricky, but if she does create a visualization, I know that I've done it 718 00:33:16,640 --> 00:33:21,880 in other visualization programs and it kind of, it's a way to pray that it doesn't feel 719 00:33:21,880 --> 00:33:23,800 like a blockade. 720 00:33:23,800 --> 00:33:27,320 So we always pray to our heavenly father, but it's through his son, Jesus Christ. 721 00:33:27,320 --> 00:33:32,680 And so often the visualization has you sitting on a bench talking with like Jesus Christ. 722 00:33:32,680 --> 00:33:36,720 So it's not just like this very formal, like, are you there? 723 00:33:36,720 --> 00:33:37,720 Can you hear me? 724 00:33:37,720 --> 00:33:40,280 You're literally having a conversation with him in your mind. 725 00:33:40,280 --> 00:33:44,080 And it kind of breaks through the barriers of how personal your relationship and what 726 00:33:44,080 --> 00:33:48,200 you can ask for and what you can receive comes through Jesus Christ as we're praying to 727 00:33:48,200 --> 00:33:49,200 heavenly father. 728 00:33:49,200 --> 00:33:50,200 Agreed. 729 00:33:50,200 --> 00:33:51,200 Totally. 730 00:33:51,200 --> 00:33:52,200 So we'll be watching and I'll be anxious to see that. 731 00:33:52,200 --> 00:33:57,080 Get on that with all of your free time. 732 00:33:57,080 --> 00:34:00,560 If you do fill filled with love in the season of your life, please try and hold. 733 00:34:00,560 --> 00:34:01,560 This is cute. 734 00:34:01,560 --> 00:34:04,440 Hold on to it as effectively as a sieve holds water. 735 00:34:04,440 --> 00:34:06,160 Splash it everywhere you go. 736 00:34:06,160 --> 00:34:11,280 One of the miracles of divine economy is that when we try to share Jesus's love, we find 737 00:34:11,280 --> 00:34:14,960 ourselves being filled up in a variation of the principle that whosoever will lose his 738 00:34:14,960 --> 00:34:17,600 life for my sake shall find it. 739 00:34:17,600 --> 00:34:23,480 Amy is the first one that I can remember teaching me about the divine economy or God's economy, 740 00:34:23,480 --> 00:34:25,160 as we called it. 741 00:34:25,160 --> 00:34:26,480 Any thoughts to share on that? 742 00:34:26,480 --> 00:34:27,600 Yeah, I just love it. 743 00:34:27,600 --> 00:34:31,800 Like what I've learned about it, I took this part and tacked it into a little word doc that 744 00:34:31,800 --> 00:34:33,400 I just have of all the things. 745 00:34:33,400 --> 00:34:39,080 Anytime I learned about God's economy and now another word divine economy is that yes, 746 00:34:39,080 --> 00:34:43,360 one of the first principle that I wrote was is that it's powered by love. 747 00:34:43,360 --> 00:34:44,920 And so this totally goes with it. 748 00:34:44,920 --> 00:34:51,120 Like this is 100% and it's economy as in if you hold things for yourself, then there is 749 00:34:51,120 --> 00:34:53,120 not currency. 750 00:34:53,120 --> 00:34:54,800 Right? 751 00:34:54,800 --> 00:34:57,280 And it actually is with money, like a service. 752 00:34:57,280 --> 00:34:58,280 This is totally true. 753 00:34:58,280 --> 00:35:00,840 This is if it's a savings account, like it's great. 754 00:35:00,840 --> 00:35:03,560 You're going to earn like 0.1% on it. 755 00:35:03,560 --> 00:35:06,580 But if the Lord needs it in circulation, he needs it in circulation. 756 00:35:06,580 --> 00:35:08,480 So it's of course you're prayerful about it. 757 00:35:08,480 --> 00:35:09,480 But you know what I mean? 758 00:35:09,480 --> 00:35:12,720 Like it does take resources to build to build God's kingdom. 759 00:35:12,720 --> 00:35:14,720 I love that. 760 00:35:14,720 --> 00:35:17,920 Because it does feel like Satan's tool is to make you feel so overwhelmed with life 761 00:35:17,920 --> 00:35:19,840 that you can't see past yourself. 762 00:35:19,840 --> 00:35:23,740 And to be so fearful that you have to I mean, you listened and you held on to your money 763 00:35:23,740 --> 00:35:25,320 or you listened and you held on to this. 764 00:35:25,320 --> 00:35:27,600 It's like, okay, listen and hold on to it. 765 00:35:27,600 --> 00:35:31,640 And then when the time is right, put that back in, like give it to someone who needs 766 00:35:31,640 --> 00:35:33,120 it, it will come back to you. 767 00:35:33,120 --> 00:35:36,960 Have you ever seen that visual and somebody goes and they like collect water like they 768 00:35:36,960 --> 00:35:40,960 have those yoke across their shoulders and they're carrying like a pot of water and one 769 00:35:40,960 --> 00:35:42,280 is cracked in some way. 770 00:35:42,280 --> 00:35:46,360 So they when they walk back from the well, they lose water quite a bit. 771 00:35:46,360 --> 00:35:51,720 But on that side of the road as time goes on, like the flowers are like blooming stuff. 772 00:35:51,720 --> 00:35:53,560 So yeah, that's hard work to collect water. 773 00:35:53,560 --> 00:35:56,000 And that it's like hard to think about losing the water. 774 00:35:56,000 --> 00:36:02,040 But like what beauty you've spread or if you think of that in place of God's love, like 775 00:36:02,040 --> 00:36:07,760 is it so bad that, you know, we share some of that and what comes out of the sharing 776 00:36:07,760 --> 00:36:13,960 kid it like that, Abby. 777 00:36:13,960 --> 00:36:19,760 For me in the season of my life, I thought a lot, a lot on raising children, being a 778 00:36:19,760 --> 00:36:20,840 mother. 779 00:36:20,840 --> 00:36:23,240 That's where I'm at in life. 780 00:36:23,240 --> 00:36:26,840 And I think, you know, sometimes you'll be tired at the end of some days and you maybe 781 00:36:26,840 --> 00:36:28,040 need a reset. 782 00:36:28,040 --> 00:36:31,840 But anything that I'm doing for my children or spouse, honestly, the things that are making 783 00:36:31,840 --> 00:36:34,080 my life the most meaningful. 784 00:36:34,080 --> 00:36:38,800 Now, if I was in a stage where I wasn't married or I didn't have children, I've got, you 785 00:36:38,800 --> 00:36:40,360 know, friends in that category. 786 00:36:40,360 --> 00:36:43,980 I watch what they do with their time and they're doing different opportunities of service. 787 00:36:43,980 --> 00:36:46,720 They're looking for experiences outside of themselves. 788 00:36:46,720 --> 00:36:52,640 They could just choose to just not do anything for anybody. 789 00:36:52,640 --> 00:36:53,880 There's no real growth in that. 790 00:36:53,880 --> 00:36:59,560 So I would say majority of my friends that don't, aren't juggling, you know, children 791 00:36:59,560 --> 00:37:05,600 and marriage currently are looking for ways to have the same end goal. 792 00:37:05,600 --> 00:37:06,600 Becoming more like Jesus Christ. 793 00:37:06,600 --> 00:37:07,600 For sure. 794 00:37:07,600 --> 00:37:08,600 In whatever way they can. 795 00:37:08,600 --> 00:37:10,640 That's a lot of charity opportunities. 796 00:37:10,640 --> 00:37:11,640 Yes. 797 00:37:11,640 --> 00:37:15,320 Okay, Abby, what do you have for us in closing? 798 00:37:15,320 --> 00:37:17,040 Should we just steal his testimony? 799 00:37:17,040 --> 00:37:18,040 I loved it. 800 00:37:18,040 --> 00:37:19,040 It was good. 801 00:37:19,040 --> 00:37:22,620 He said, being filled with God's love shields us in life storms, but also makes the happy 802 00:37:22,620 --> 00:37:23,620 moments happier. 803 00:37:23,620 --> 00:37:28,680 Our joyful days when there is sunshine in the sky are made even brighter by the sunshine 804 00:37:28,680 --> 00:37:29,800 in our souls. 805 00:37:29,800 --> 00:37:33,700 Let's look for and treasure experiences of filling his love and power in our lives. 806 00:37:33,700 --> 00:37:38,560 The joy of the gospel is available to all, not just the happy, not just the downcast. 807 00:37:38,560 --> 00:37:42,480 Joy is our purpose, not the gift of our circumstances. 808 00:37:42,480 --> 00:37:46,720 We have every good reason to rejoice and be filled with love towards God and amen. 809 00:37:46,720 --> 00:37:47,720 Let's get full. 810 00:37:47,720 --> 00:37:50,040 And he said that in the name of Jesus Christ. 811 00:37:50,040 --> 00:37:51,040 Amen. 812 00:37:51,040 --> 00:37:52,040 Amen. 813 00:37:52,040 --> 00:37:55,480 Thank you so much, Abby, for being with us and for talking today. 814 00:37:55,480 --> 00:37:56,480 We'll catch you on the next one. 815 00:37:56,480 --> 00:38:00,240 This one's coming out a little later than our normal, but based on the week that Amy's 816 00:38:00,240 --> 00:38:02,280 had, this is pretty good. 817 00:38:02,280 --> 00:38:03,280 So we'll catch you. 818 00:38:03,280 --> 00:38:04,280 Catch on the next one. 819 00:38:04,280 --> 00:38:05,280 Catch you next time. 820 00:38:05,280 --> 00:38:28,920 We'll catch you next time.