1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:18,800 Welcome to Closer to Christ through General Conference where two friends who love Jesus Christ share our own approach to studying the most recent General Conference talks. 2 00:00:18,800 --> 00:00:21,600 This is Abbey and Avery. Let's jump into it. 3 00:00:21,600 --> 00:00:36,600 Today we get to discuss the talk called God Loves All of His Children. This was done by Elder, I feel bad if I say this terrible, but it's Gregorio Icassias. 4 00:00:36,600 --> 00:00:45,200 Does that sound okay? Love it. I know that double L is definitely not rolling off my tongue, but he did such a great job on this talk and I think I'll open it for us today. Is that okay? 5 00:00:45,200 --> 00:00:46,000 Go for it. 6 00:00:46,000 --> 00:00:52,000 And invite you guys all to join us as we dive right into this. He said, 7 00:00:52,000 --> 00:00:58,000 That one of the greatest reasons your Heavenly Father sent you here at this time is so that you can realize your full potential. 8 00:00:58,000 --> 00:01:12,000 Preach my gospel teaches us that as disciples of Christ, we should avoid comparing ourselves to one another. Your spiritual abilities are unique, personal, and innate, and your Heavenly Father wants to help you develop them. 9 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:29,000 Abbey, this is something so near to my heart. I've heard spiritual gifts spoken of and used to compare and my heart just feels so sad when I hear this. First of all, I'm not a competitive person, so competing in spiritual gifts sounds foreign to me anyway. 10 00:01:29,000 --> 00:01:46,000 The way I see it, we're all members of the body of Christ or in a very simplistic way. I really like this way of looking at it. We as the body of Christ are asked to bake cookies where we each bring our spiritual gift to the table and then we each add that as the ingredient. 11 00:01:46,000 --> 00:01:53,000 What would cookies be without flour of some sort? How good would they be without sugar or a sweetener? What about vanilla extract? 12 00:01:53,000 --> 00:01:55,000 I don't even want to see that. 13 00:01:55,000 --> 00:02:05,000 That's what I'm going to say. I don't want to eat cookies without butter. A touch of salt adds that beloved kick and we need soda and powder to help them rise. An egg holds it all together. 14 00:02:05,000 --> 00:02:21,000 We are all needed. We all add value. What if the sugar cried because it wasn't smooth as the butter and decided not to be part of the cookies? We definitely miss the sugar and it goes for every single ingredient that's in the cookies, right? 15 00:02:21,000 --> 00:02:25,000 That's why it's a recipe. You can't leave something out. 16 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:36,000 I made cookies at like seven o'clock the other morning because Maddie comes to me at 1130 on Wednesday or Thursday night. She's like, Mom, can I make cookies? I'm like, it's literally way past you going to bed. 17 00:02:36,000 --> 00:02:41,000 And I was thinking, we're all leaving at seven, so if I get up really early, I can make her up some cookies before we go. 18 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:51,000 And so I was kind of nice. I usually not that rush when I'm making cookies, but it was dang early in the morning and I wanted to do that, like to show my love to her. And I don't know what she was doing with them. I forgot some butter and those cookies. 19 00:02:51,000 --> 00:03:10,000 And I was just thinking in your analogy, it's like two different things. What if you feel like you have to be all of the ingredients? That is not really sustainable. It is so much more awesome to think of like eight or nine different people being able to bring their particular spiritual gift to and do something to calm them down. 20 00:03:10,000 --> 00:03:27,000 To bring something together and do something. Yes. And number two, the other thought that swings too is if we're considering that like a community effort and everybody kind of brings their bits and parts and pieces, what if we're so insecure about the gift that we have to offer that we don't even want to come and share it? 21 00:03:27,000 --> 00:03:43,000 So what was missing in this? I do half Crisco and half butter. It makes a cookie like I like. I know some people are like, oh, you are killing people with that Crisco. But anyway, I got the Crisco. Yeah. And it was the this was what was tricky. I was halving a half recipe. 22 00:03:43,000 --> 00:03:58,000 That is so tricky. That's what I had in my head. And I know and so I was doing whatever and I was just like in a rush. And so anyway, I was like, these are not my normal cookies. They're fine, but they're not like the best. And so I'm thinking this is that person that we needed in our equation. 23 00:03:58,000 --> 00:04:09,000 We needed them part of this committee that we were going to execute this thing. We needed their gift. We're missing their gift. So I was thinking sometimes it's good to make a crappy batch of cookies because then you can sit and reflect on what was missing. 24 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:31,000 And and and I think forevermore, I'll always love those cookies for the fact that they're coming in right now for this podcast. We all have our bits and pieces. And as soon as I opened this talk, I looked right over at you because I'm like, you're definitely the one that's taken on this topic of spiritual gifts because there has been nobody that has helped me understand that more than you have about spiritual gifts. 25 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:48,000 Thank you. Being able to list out a multitude of gifts that exist. Like sometimes we try to pigeonhole it into like one of like five or six things. Yeah. And you're like, dang, I don't have any. There's a multitude of those. And oftentimes if you're like jotting a note like da da da, thank you for using your spiritual gift of blah, blah blah blah. 26 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:59,000 For your birthday. Yeah. Well, like you've done it more than one time for me. And so I'm like, oh, that that could be a gift. You've told me that I have the gift of gathering. I'm like, you do. 27 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:10,000 Well, like before myself, I just think my thing would be just like, well, I'm going to have a party and my husband like, oh, you're having a party. And I'm like, well, if it's just me wanting to have a party, then that's one thing. But if it's me gathering people, it sounds so much better. 28 00:05:10,000 --> 00:05:18,000 Amen. Much better reason to do things. And clearly your husband doesn't have the gift of gathering. He's an introvert. He has other gifts. And that's why you guys work so well together. 29 00:05:18,000 --> 00:05:36,000 Okay. So I loved how you said, Abby, you know, sometimes we can be on either end of the spectrum. Number one could be we feel like we have to be everything and do everything, which is not the Lord's way. The other one is we might not feel confident in our offering. And that's another, you know, on the other side of the spectrum. 30 00:05:36,000 --> 00:05:45,000 I love when you're saying, you know, that you learned a lot about spiritual gifts for me. I feel like the number one person I've learned about spiritual gifts is from President Nelson. 31 00:05:45,000 --> 00:05:54,000 I love that you're pointing it to the I adore. I adore his teaching style. I adore his simplicity and his clarity. He says this, and this changed my life. 32 00:05:54,000 --> 00:06:06,000 I urge you with all the purpose of my heart, sorry, with all the hope of my heart to pray to understand your spiritual gifts to cultivate, use and expand them even more than you ever have. 33 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:10,000 You will change the world as you do so. 34 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:18,000 Now this was a call of action to the women in the church and I believe it applies to all members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 35 00:06:18,000 --> 00:06:29,000 Abby, when he said that, I believe him. I believe we can change the world as we pray to cultivate, use and expand our spiritual gifts. Not only do I believe in, but I feel it is a direct call to action for each of us. 36 00:06:29,000 --> 00:06:33,000 I have put it to the test these past six years and I have grown. 37 00:06:33,000 --> 00:06:47,000 And I have seen growth and much needed experience in my own life. Like it has changed my life. I used to truly, I would sit down. I remember thinking back in 2016, I need to write a list of my spiritual gifts. 38 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:54,000 I even had like dedicated a journal to it. I didn't even, I didn't even fill the first part of one page. I didn't know what to do with it. 39 00:06:54,000 --> 00:07:05,000 As he, I feel like gave us more steps and more invitations and urgings, I was able to see, oh, I need to pray about it, expand it, cultivate it. Wow, this is a big deal. 40 00:07:05,000 --> 00:07:11,000 This isn't just like a sit down once a year and write down maybe what one or two spiritual gifts I might have. 41 00:07:11,000 --> 00:07:20,000 This is an everyday thing. Like he helped me to see that it's part of my everyday life and that I'm continually praying and saying, Heavenly Father, is this a spiritual gift of mine? 42 00:07:20,000 --> 00:07:25,000 Heavenly Father, will you help me to expand this? What does it look like to expand this spiritual gift in my life? 43 00:07:25,000 --> 00:07:36,000 And my, one of them has been this podcast. I was not a person who would number one, speak my mind, number two, think in the, Abby Wood. 44 00:07:36,000 --> 00:07:45,000 And that's why she got me to do this podcast because she invited me to, when she invited me to, the Spirit said, this would be great for you. And I went, oh shoot. 45 00:07:45,000 --> 00:08:00,000 You know what is funny? I don't want to derail your train of thought if you can hold on to it, but in the podcast, he knows that I have no problem speaking my mind, but you cannot, I cannot count the number of times that he's, he's challenged me to be like, reign me in. 46 00:08:00,000 --> 00:08:01,000 Love that. 47 00:08:01,000 --> 00:08:09,000 You can have your opinion. Some of that is for yourself and some of it you can share over, you know, over the radio waves. 48 00:08:09,000 --> 00:08:10,000 I love that, Abby. So both of us. 49 00:08:10,000 --> 00:08:20,000 Yeah, he's taken both of those things and, and grown us in those spiritual gifts. You, you to maybe magnify your voice and your testimony of him a little bit louder and me to like, lack it off. 50 00:08:20,000 --> 00:08:25,000 Hey, I love that you just did that. She just did something with her hands, meaning like on one end and on the other end of the spectrum. 51 00:08:25,000 --> 00:08:38,000 I've actually just been in this study course that I did that was 21 days. And as far as where your throat is and where we speak truth and where we use our voice to speak, you can have it be underactive. 52 00:08:38,000 --> 00:08:47,000 You can have it be healthy and you could have it un overactive, which I was like, Oh, thank you for showing me that clearly. I've been over. Sorry. I've been underactive my whole life. 53 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:55,000 And there are times when I'm overactive, but I, I seek for health and balance and, you know, being right in the middle. 54 00:08:55,000 --> 00:09:03,000 Yeah. So I just love that the heavenly father's like, he knows where we all are and he wants to bring us to be whole and healthy. 55 00:09:03,000 --> 00:09:21,000 Okay. So we all know this, but it bears repeating as we ask the Lord to help us identify and grow our spiritual gifts, be prepared to follow through with things that may feel out of your comfort zone and ask for strength and understanding as you follow through with the impressions you receive. 56 00:09:21,000 --> 00:09:31,000 Awesome. And Erica Cias reminded us in this talk that one of the most crucial missions throughout our life is to become a disciple of Jesus Christ and to follow the impressions of the spirit. 57 00:09:31,000 --> 00:09:42,000 Love that. And so, um, he promises that as we do this, God will bless our life. He will bless our current and our future families and he'll bless the lives of his children who are able to encounter you. 58 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:50,000 And Abby, have you seen the blessings of this call, um, in your own life over the past six years? 59 00:09:50,000 --> 00:10:00,000 Absolutely. A few different things are coming to mind, but let me just maybe speak the one that's coming top of mind is that, um, 60 00:10:00,000 --> 00:10:11,000 that these spiritual gifts come from our heavenly parents. They're exemplified in our savior Jesus Christ. As we choose to develop spiritual gifts, we're becoming more like our savior. 61 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:12,000 Love that. 62 00:10:11,000 --> 00:10:21,000 We're learning more about our heavenly parents. And, um, I guess because the, the, the topic of love, you know, God loves all of his children, um, 63 00:10:21,000 --> 00:10:30,000 is on top of my mind. I'm thinking what a shame it would be is if all that we do is we look at other people's gifts and wonder why we don't have that particular gift. 64 00:10:30,000 --> 00:10:31,000 That's a good point. 65 00:10:31,000 --> 00:10:45,000 Versus going to the analogy of the cookie making that each of us has, you know, gifts that we need to navigate this life. And something I've learned from you is that sometimes we don't need that gift because he's put the right person in our life that holds that gift. 66 00:10:45,000 --> 00:10:46,000 Love that. 67 00:10:46,000 --> 00:10:55,000 And so they're able to bring it in your time of need. And sometimes those gifts have taken years of challenges and experience and, um, 68 00:10:55,000 --> 00:10:56,000 Cultivating. 69 00:10:56,000 --> 00:11:10,000 Yeah, cultivating, but from gifts of experience, like they've been through that. They've developed that gift. They can come to you with that gift already established. It's a gift that if you recognize, you put a name to it, you can cultivate it, but you might need it more immediately. 70 00:11:10,000 --> 00:11:13,000 So sometimes he has to send somebody that already possesses that gift. 71 00:11:13,000 --> 00:11:14,000 Love that. 72 00:11:14,000 --> 00:11:24,000 And so you choose to look at that situation, be like, why, you know, why do they have that? I need that gift. Well, they probably needed it too. And it took some years and some time to develop. 73 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:26,000 So they're coming to present the offering. 74 00:11:26,000 --> 00:11:37,000 So I guess it's a, it's a way of approaching the spiritual gift as, um, are you looking at other people and angry that you don't have one or could you rephrase it and just say, I recognize that gift in them. 75 00:11:37,000 --> 00:11:41,000 I love that gift in them. I'm so happy for them that they have that gift. It's something that I want for myself. 76 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:46,000 And if it is something that you need in your life, you, you will be blessed with that gift. 77 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:47,000 I love that. 78 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:48,000 Through this experience. 79 00:11:48,000 --> 00:11:49,000 That's a really good point. 80 00:11:49,000 --> 00:11:58,000 So, um, I guess that's my, my long and short answer to it. How have I seen it bless my life? Because you alerted me to the idea of these spiritual gifts. I've been thinking of them more. 81 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:08,000 I've been better at recognizing what gifts other people have and not in a jealous type of a way. It's like, oh, wow, they've got that gift that they've got that gift going for them. 82 00:12:08,000 --> 00:12:15,000 And if it's something that I want for myself, then I like through mimicry, like maybe do some of the things that they're doing in an effort to try to get that gift. 83 00:12:15,000 --> 00:12:25,000 Or if I'm presented with a challenge in my life, then I would say what gifts would come in handy that I already have or who can I, you know, who can I reach out to? 84 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:33,000 There are things that are way outside of my scope when I'm dealing with health issues for my children. It's maybe kind of one of the biggest things for me. 85 00:12:33,000 --> 00:12:35,000 For sure. Because they, they go to multiple doctors. 86 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:36,000 Yep. 87 00:12:36,000 --> 00:12:43,000 There's a lot to play there. Yes. And I always consider like if I make a decision for them now, how is that going to play out way far into the future? 88 00:12:43,000 --> 00:12:46,000 My anxious personality is like always second questioning and guessing that. 89 00:12:46,000 --> 00:12:54,000 So there may be things that I'm very comfortable doing for myself, making my own health decisions, but I get kind of a stumbling block when I consider those things for my children. 90 00:12:54,000 --> 00:12:59,000 So because I have their, you don't, well, this is, this is how I'll show you that this is true. 91 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:06,000 When I have questions, when I, I know what I know what I want for my children. I know where I'm trying to get with their health. 92 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:12,000 I've asked Gail for specific things for their health that I knew was outside of my thinking ability. 93 00:13:12,000 --> 00:13:18,000 I don't have the same gifts that Gail has. So I go to Gail and I say, are you comfortable helping me with this thing? 94 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:23,000 She's like, she'll like maybe pray on it or think on it. And she'd be like, yeah, I do have something that I can help you with. 95 00:13:23,000 --> 00:13:26,000 Because Gail works with, you know, Heavenly Father in the thing that she does. 96 00:13:26,000 --> 00:13:27,000 And so do you. 97 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:30,000 Well, yeah, but all he has to do is say go to Gail. 98 00:13:30,000 --> 00:13:31,000 Yeah, exactly. 99 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:36,000 So then I go and do that. And then I have asked you for a myriad of things on the health, on the health spectrum things. 100 00:13:36,000 --> 00:13:38,000 I've, I've brought something that's on my mind. 101 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:42,000 You have helped me with my children and tell I'm comfortable with that skill on my own. 102 00:13:42,000 --> 00:13:47,000 The most tragic one was when Lily burned her feet off, like the most excruciating thing in the world. 103 00:13:47,000 --> 00:13:52,000 And I was like, I didn't even know where to start with that. But I was led to you and Kathy in that one. 104 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:58,000 Like so much. It was it wasn't panic, but it was like, I don't I don't have this skill set. I've never dealt with burns. 105 00:13:58,000 --> 00:14:05,000 You dealt with burns before. Luckily, you crossed my path within short time and you offered to teach me about wound dressing. 106 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:07,000 And on the foot, which is very specific. 107 00:14:07,000 --> 00:14:16,000 It was specific, but you got me the right equipment and you you taught us how to like use Heavenly Father to know like what you know what was needed to be done in that moment. 108 00:14:16,000 --> 00:14:17,000 And that changed from day to day. It changed. 109 00:14:17,000 --> 00:14:24,000 We did two dressings a day and and then my daughter was able to see that process and she was able to kind of be play a huge part into her. 110 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:26,000 Within a week she had like new skin. 111 00:14:26,000 --> 00:14:37,000 She was beautiful. I saved that in a file on my phone to say like to to remind myself that through tragedy, we learned a myriad of talents that we didn't have before. 112 00:14:37,000 --> 00:14:42,000 So and again, point back to you in that one. You put put me in the right direction. 113 00:14:42,000 --> 00:14:52,000 So I guess that's what I'm saying. We can be angry about it or we can use it as a jumping off point for gathering tools and getting gifts that maybe we didn't have before. 114 00:14:52,000 --> 00:15:01,000 And just to remind you, as I'm mumbling, what I was saying is that I don't always have the answers from like my kids in their health direction, but I do know the people that can point me in the right direction. 115 00:15:01,000 --> 00:15:06,000 And I would say like Gail's gift, like that's still not something I could do on my own. 116 00:15:06,000 --> 00:15:09,000 But but I know where Gail is. I know how to reach her pretty quickly. 117 00:15:09,000 --> 00:15:15,000 And and you certainly have played that part. And then I kind of use that same thing when it's out of my abilities. 118 00:15:15,000 --> 00:15:22,000 Then I will definitely ask for discernment to know like which medical professional for sure step in and help. 119 00:15:22,000 --> 00:15:25,000 There are so many different right. Yes. And you could go either way. 120 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:30,000 Literally, because of where we live, you could go to different states and you need to know which direction to go. 121 00:15:30,000 --> 00:15:43,000 Right. I will say to Abby, as you were talking and saying, you know, like when the spirit comes to your mind and says, you know, ask this person or ask this person, I will say that when we are. 122 00:15:43,000 --> 00:15:51,000 I should say this. Have you guys ever heard the short little story about the people who had just like, what is it? 123 00:15:51,000 --> 00:15:56,000 They had long arms or a spoon with a long handle. This is a cute story. It's a Chinese proverb. 124 00:15:56,000 --> 00:16:01,000 OK, that's what it is. They've got all those bounteous food in front of them. But you couldn't like yourself. 125 00:16:01,000 --> 00:16:06,000 You have to have these long spoons. How do you do it? And it's the other person has to feed you. 126 00:16:06,000 --> 00:16:12,000 So my point in that that was a very long way to get about it. But sometimes when it comes to our own. 127 00:16:12,000 --> 00:16:17,000 It's been a guess. No limitations and things like like you were saying with your kids and the health. 128 00:16:17,000 --> 00:16:23,000 You've gone through a lot of trauma with that from day one when they were diagnosed with their with their illnesses. 129 00:16:23,000 --> 00:16:29,000 And so there's a little bit of something that comes with that. And so I love when Heavenly Father reminds us to look outside yourself, 130 00:16:29,000 --> 00:16:34,000 because that person that you're asking does not have the trauma that was associated with it. 131 00:16:34,000 --> 00:16:39,000 They have fresh eyes. They have just the spirit with them. And there's not all the baggage that comes up with it. 132 00:16:39,000 --> 00:16:43,000 Like I felt the same thing like I'll reach out and ask for help or whatever. 133 00:16:43,000 --> 00:16:50,000 And I'm always so grateful that I have a fresh set of eyes and another very faithful praying friend who can help me get through this. 134 00:16:50,000 --> 00:16:55,000 Sure. And then the things that they say back to me, it's not always like, oh, that's gospel. I'm doing that thing. 135 00:16:55,000 --> 00:17:00,000 I take their advice and then I'm totally able to pray about that thing. Like, yeah, that's the right direction. 136 00:17:00,000 --> 00:17:04,000 One hundred percent. But because we're having this conversation about spiritual gifts, 137 00:17:04,000 --> 00:17:12,000 what I thought you were going to go with this this Chinese proverb is we may have spiritual gifts that we are blessed with. 138 00:17:12,000 --> 00:17:16,000 The choice whether that we're going to magnify those like sometimes I'll be lined out. 139 00:17:16,000 --> 00:17:20,000 If you go to your patriarchal blessing, you kind of know which ones are going to come your way. 140 00:17:20,000 --> 00:17:27,000 But sometimes experience is going to dictate the ones that you need if you know whether to ask for them or ask for somebody with that gift to come to your aid. 141 00:17:27,000 --> 00:17:34,000 Love that. But I wanted to say the best way to develop a spiritual gift is in the service of others. 142 00:17:34,000 --> 00:17:40,000 One hundred percent. What's the point of a spiritual gift if it's just for your own gratification? 143 00:17:40,000 --> 00:17:47,000 I love that. That's a question I would ask this to. I mean, I would interject this to as far as family history goes. 144 00:17:47,000 --> 00:17:50,000 That's another reason I love family history so much. 145 00:17:50,000 --> 00:17:57,000 And reading the stories of my people is because I've read them before and I've asked, you know, having just the lens of spiritual gifts, 146 00:17:57,000 --> 00:18:03,000 I said, Heavenly Father, please help me as I read this story, help me to know what this specific, you know, this great, great grandma, 147 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:10,000 what is her spiritual gift or what is a spiritual gift? And then when there is a and then he helps me to see it. 148 00:18:10,000 --> 00:18:13,000 Then when there is a time of need where I'm like where you said you need that friend right then, 149 00:18:13,000 --> 00:18:17,000 sometimes there's not a friend around physically that you have. 150 00:18:17,000 --> 00:18:24,000 But Heavenly Father has promised us that as we do our family history and as we turn our hearts to our fathers and mothers, 151 00:18:24,000 --> 00:18:30,000 their hearts will turn to ours and we can reach out. Sister Wendy Watson Nelson has taught us this. 152 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:35,000 We can ask Heavenly Father to dispatch our ancestors on our behalf. 153 00:18:35,000 --> 00:18:44,000 And wouldn't that be so fantastic to have the grandfather that had whatever it was used heavy machinery in in farming? 154 00:18:44,000 --> 00:18:48,000 And I am doing something brand new and whatever. And maybe that's the exact thing I need. 155 00:18:48,000 --> 00:18:53,000 That was a very random way to say it. But it's not random at all. 156 00:18:53,000 --> 00:18:57,000 Spiritual gifts are many and spiritual gifts run in families. 157 00:18:57,000 --> 00:18:58,000 They can come from familial. 158 00:18:58,000 --> 00:19:03,000 They can. Elder Renlund taught us about that. And so that's what I would love to share. 159 00:19:03,000 --> 00:19:10,000 I think it's totally awesome to think like when you need tutored in a spiritual gift to call on your ancestors to do that tutoring. 160 00:19:10,000 --> 00:19:15,000 I've definitely seen that be an amazing thing. So that was not a roundabout way. 161 00:19:15,000 --> 00:19:22,000 Last thing I will say, as you were talking, what if what if we're of that mindset that we look at others 162 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:26,000 and we begrudge the spiritual gifts that they have, the talents that they have? 163 00:19:26,000 --> 00:19:32,000 I would say no, I'm well, I'm finishing with that. This is this is I'm showing you like where my brain is going with it. 164 00:19:32,000 --> 00:19:38,000 When and when and it's a high possibility that that beautiful gift came from their ancestor. 165 00:19:38,000 --> 00:19:45,000 What I'm guessing to say is what if we what if we always worked under that premise that the gift that they have is such a beautiful thing? 166 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:52,000 If if we if we're inclined to be angry that we don't possess that thing, if we can maybe step back and think, man, for the generations, 167 00:19:52,000 --> 00:19:55,000 we knew we were going to need that gift in that person. And so they came through this family line. 168 00:19:55,000 --> 00:19:59,000 They've been tutored and cultivated through the centuries. 169 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:03,000 I just think it's another way to just to see the beauty in the spiritual gifts. 170 00:20:03,000 --> 00:20:07,000 We have the ones that we need. We can we can acquire the ones not earn. 171 00:20:07,000 --> 00:20:10,000 It's not an earning thing, but we can acquire the ones that we need in time. 172 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:13,000 We can be surrounded by people that possess the gifts that we need. 173 00:20:13,000 --> 00:20:16,000 We can learn from them as they demonstrate those gifts. 174 00:20:16,000 --> 00:20:20,000 If it's something we want to cultivate that really wasn't in our wheelhouse of even being necessary. 175 00:20:20,000 --> 00:20:23,000 And then it may become necessary later. It's like, well, you asked for that gift and you got it. 176 00:20:23,000 --> 00:20:26,000 So now you get to use it. Amen. This opportunity. Yeah. 177 00:20:26,000 --> 00:20:32,000 And then we can change the world as we do. So, oh, my gosh, that tells us that they really are an integral part. 178 00:20:32,000 --> 00:20:41,000 OK, so happy jumping to the next point is we live in a time of great opportunity, although we may face, although we face many difficulties. 179 00:20:41,000 --> 00:20:46,000 I know they are in there in part to allow us to help others feel the love of our Heavenly Father. 180 00:20:46,000 --> 00:20:49,000 This is a quote from from Elder Casillas. 181 00:20:49,000 --> 00:20:54,000 President Nelson taught in coming days, we will see. Oh, gosh. OK. 182 00:20:54,000 --> 00:20:57,000 I love this so much. We've heard this quote before. 183 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:04,000 In coming days, we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior's power that the world has ever seen. 184 00:21:04,000 --> 00:21:06,000 We have the privilege. And then he says this. 185 00:21:06,000 --> 00:21:15,000 We have the privilege to watch over people who need a helping hand and embrace a feeling of comfort or for us simply to be with them in silence. 186 00:21:15,000 --> 00:21:25,000 If we can help lighten their burdens, even if only for a moment, then we will be able to see the great manifestations of the Savior's power in their lives. 187 00:21:25,000 --> 00:21:28,000 OK, I kind of watched a light bulb kind of like blow in your mind. 188 00:21:28,000 --> 00:21:31,000 You've heard that before. I used to think of it a certain way. 189 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:36,000 And then something's changed and you're seeing it completely differently. Tell me, tell me what's going on in your brain. 190 00:21:36,000 --> 00:21:40,000 OK, so this has been one of my favorite quotes for a while where he says in the coming days, 191 00:21:40,000 --> 00:21:45,000 we will see the greatest manifestations of the Savior's power the world has ever seen. 192 00:21:45,000 --> 00:21:49,000 In my mind, I was like, oh, my gosh, the Savior is so amazing. 193 00:21:49,000 --> 00:21:53,000 And like in my mind, I see him, you know, the second coming picture where he's coming through the clouds. 194 00:21:53,000 --> 00:22:00,000 You're like, I'm just like stadium seating, stadium seating, watching this happen and just be like, wow, I'm in reverence. 195 00:22:00,000 --> 00:22:03,000 I'm in awe and I'm in great anticipation. 196 00:22:03,000 --> 00:22:13,000 And then Elder Cassius just blows the ceiling off of this and all of a sudden he invites us to ascend up to Christ 197 00:22:13,000 --> 00:22:20,000 because he says then we'll be able to if we serve our fellow men, if we honor that great second commandment, 198 00:22:20,000 --> 00:22:24,000 then we will be able to see the great manifestation. Sorry. Yeah. 199 00:22:24,000 --> 00:22:26,000 See the great manifestations of the Savior's power in their lives. 200 00:22:26,000 --> 00:22:33,000 So all of a sudden we are invited to rise up with Christ and to actually bring about the greatest things that will ever happen. 201 00:22:33,000 --> 00:22:36,000 We're not sitting in a movie theater eating popcorn, watching the sunscreen. 202 00:22:36,000 --> 00:22:40,000 We're the lead actor in the film. I love that. 203 00:22:40,000 --> 00:22:46,000 And then like, Abby, the part that like just gets me going is like, number one, I was completely surprised 204 00:22:46,000 --> 00:22:49,000 because I was just ready to sit back and watch our Savior do everything. 205 00:22:49,000 --> 00:22:57,000 And I was like, so in awe. But how much of a heavenly pattern is it for him to actually invite us to be part of that? 206 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:00,000 Yeah. And what is it going to take to be part of it? 207 00:23:00,000 --> 00:23:06,000 Maybe this is you accepting a calling when you already feel like you're drowning or you know, 208 00:23:06,000 --> 00:23:13,000 what if you've been praying for some growth in something and it happens to be that calling that he wants to offer you to develop that spiritual gift that you want? 209 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:16,000 There's a myriad of ways that this can play out. 210 00:23:16,000 --> 00:23:24,000 But I think if you're asking the right questions, the next right step is going to be presented to you 211 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:30,000 so that we can have what we need to to be in the middle of that story, to be the one that's bringing these, 212 00:23:30,000 --> 00:23:35,000 lighten other people's load, their burdens. And even if just for a moment getting to, you know, 213 00:23:35,000 --> 00:23:39,000 getting to help magnify the Savior's power in our life, in their lives. 214 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:48,000 Okay. When you said that, this thought just came to mind. I help you. Wait, I think it's you help me and I help thee and we ascend together. 215 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:51,000 That's what comes to my mind. That was like an old saying. 216 00:23:51,000 --> 00:24:00,000 Okay, so we're just going to touch on this just briefly. But Elder Cassius talked about, he said, okay, so who ministers to me? 217 00:24:00,000 --> 00:24:11,000 You know, he said, essentially, when we serve, we collect testimonies of the Lord Jesus Christ. These testimonies will revitalize us to try again in our own lives. 218 00:24:11,000 --> 00:24:18,000 The Holy Spirit will revive us and renew our testimonies to continue with our own difficulties and trials. 219 00:24:18,000 --> 00:24:24,000 He said, whenever we seek to bless the lives of others, the Lord takes mercy upon us even more. 220 00:24:24,000 --> 00:24:31,000 He strengthens us and helps us in our lives. It kind of sounds like the divine economy or losing yourself to find yourself. 221 00:24:31,000 --> 00:24:39,000 So I will just quickly touch on this. We've had conversations, Abby, about, you know, what is, what is self-care? 222 00:24:39,000 --> 00:24:42,000 Knowing where you are, knowing when you're able to say yes to a calling. 223 00:24:42,000 --> 00:24:48,000 Sometimes we really do need to step back and assess what we're allowing into our lives. 224 00:24:48,000 --> 00:24:55,000 Maybe the thing that we're taking a lot of time isn't as necessary to our eternal growth and progression than we thought it was. 225 00:24:55,000 --> 00:25:00,000 And maybe we can say yes to a calling, but there might need to be some changes that happen first. 226 00:25:00,000 --> 00:25:06,000 Also, anytime I receive a call, one of two things will happen. While the person is extending the calling to me, 227 00:25:06,000 --> 00:25:16,000 either the Holy Ghost will confirm to my heart that this is indeed for me and I will immediately say, I feel this is the calling for me and I accept now. 228 00:25:16,000 --> 00:25:24,000 Or maybe it's something I'm a little bit woe taken back by and I will say thank you for extending the calling. 229 00:25:24,000 --> 00:25:28,000 Can I please take some time to pray and think on it and I'll call you tomorrow morning. 230 00:25:28,000 --> 00:25:35,000 And in the meantime, I ask Heavenly Father to please instill in my heart, is this something that's for me? 231 00:25:35,000 --> 00:25:39,000 I don't say yes just because I'm taken off guard and I don't know what else to say. 232 00:25:39,000 --> 00:25:41,000 Or that you think that's the only answer is yes. 233 00:25:41,000 --> 00:25:47,000 I opt in with my agency. I step forward and say yes, I am accepting this calling. 234 00:25:47,000 --> 00:25:55,000 So, you know, I just maybe one of the action items would be, you know, see where you are in this process. 235 00:25:55,000 --> 00:26:02,000 Be aware of how you work with this so that next time you do receive a calling, you'll know how to best proceed. 236 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:06,000 And maybe you can almost use it as a bartering tool because if you get asked to do a calling, 237 00:26:06,000 --> 00:26:12,000 I really appreciate callings that I have no clue what I'm going to do in that calling. 238 00:26:12,000 --> 00:26:13,000 Things are all mine. 239 00:26:13,000 --> 00:26:18,000 No, well, that's mostly mine too. I've done a lot with like primary with like music and stuff. 240 00:26:18,000 --> 00:26:23,000 I'm like, at this point, if he asked me again, it's like, you know, yes, I love the children. 241 00:26:23,000 --> 00:26:25,000 I love music and I such a good way to testify. 242 00:26:25,000 --> 00:26:28,000 But there's not like a ton of growth in that calling. 243 00:26:28,000 --> 00:26:31,000 So probably that one's going to be on the shelf for a hot second. 244 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:38,000 There are every other calling, every other calling is not something that I'm naturally like inclined to be good at. 245 00:26:38,000 --> 00:26:44,000 I love callings that fit into that category because for me, what that means is tons of opportunity for growth. 246 00:26:44,000 --> 00:26:49,000 And when I said it's a bartering tool that it's like he knows I'm going to say yes. 247 00:26:49,000 --> 00:26:52,000 Your suggestion just a moment ago was that if we're inclined to say no, 248 00:26:52,000 --> 00:26:59,000 then it's a chance to look back at our life and be like, what is going on in my life that is so overwhelming 249 00:26:59,000 --> 00:27:04,000 that I don't feel like I have more to give because he's giving us a chance to assess. 250 00:27:04,000 --> 00:27:10,000 There's got to be some a few things in there that are, like you said, of least importance that we can shove off the docket. 251 00:27:10,000 --> 00:27:12,000 Totally. All of a sudden it become less important. 252 00:27:12,000 --> 00:27:16,000 And I want to testify for a fact I've taken callings that I didn't have time for. 253 00:27:16,000 --> 00:27:21,000 And he's magnified the time with the other things to be able to do them better. 254 00:27:21,000 --> 00:27:24,000 They're still on the plate. You just got them done more efficiently. 255 00:27:24,000 --> 00:27:28,000 That's what he does. So what I was going to say about barting tool is A, that he makes more. 256 00:27:28,000 --> 00:27:33,000 He's in God's economy. He makes more time for things. Somehow that works. 257 00:27:33,000 --> 00:27:35,000 He magnifies time. He magnifies time. 258 00:27:35,000 --> 00:27:45,000 And what I wanted to testify of is that that's when he has grown my spiritual gifts the most in callings that I feel no preparedness, 259 00:27:45,000 --> 00:27:50,000 no like not like you get called. You're like, hey, we like you to be the ever life study president. 260 00:27:50,000 --> 00:27:53,000 You're like, oh, I'm perfect for that calling. I've got this. I know exactly what to do. 261 00:27:53,000 --> 00:28:00,000 I'm just a primary teacher, particularly 10 year olds activity days. I'm just saying any calling. 262 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:05,000 You could list just about any calling. Most of us kind of crawl in our skin like I don't even know what I'm going to do in this calling. 263 00:28:05,000 --> 00:28:12,000 This is going to be challenging. What I'm saying is all of those are opportunities to grow spiritual gifts that probably have an inclining. 264 00:28:12,000 --> 00:28:20,000 And when you opt in and you say, yep, I'll do it, that's a chance for him to run with it and grow you in ways that you couldn't have otherwise done. 265 00:28:20,000 --> 00:28:22,000 Yes, you're opting into God's economy. 266 00:28:22,000 --> 00:28:27,000 So I'm not trying to make people feel guilty that are saying no to calling. I said no to calling once. We'll never do it again. 267 00:28:27,000 --> 00:28:33,000 I learned my lesson. Well, that's awesome. Yeah. So I'm here to testify. There's always a reason to say yes. 268 00:28:33,000 --> 00:28:39,000 You know, I'm not even going to go into that. I was in my college years, but I'm like, what a funny thing. 269 00:28:39,000 --> 00:28:45,000 I'm going to mention to you the calling was to be the ward prayer coordinator. And I was like, you would have been so great. 270 00:28:45,000 --> 00:28:57,000 Well, I'm fine. But like I was 17 years old and I was like, I'm going to go and explore the other options because I feel like everybody was like already graduated where my particular living situation was. 271 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:06,000 I felt like a family ward. No, this was a, this was a, okay. I was a single adult ward. But like I thought 17 was so different than 27 at that age. 272 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:15,000 Like that was a disconnect to me. And now at my age, I'm like, we were the same age, you know, I've grown up since, but I was like, no, I'm going to go and explore. 273 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:20,000 I'm going to find a better word for me than the boundaries of the word that I'm living in. And guess what? He taught me after I hopped for a while. 274 00:29:20,000 --> 00:29:25,000 I was exactly where I was supposed to be. And then I was like, man, I wish I could take back that. 275 00:29:25,000 --> 00:29:32,000 I said no, because what Heavenly Father was trying to do is trying to teach me before I did all of the hopping that I was exactly where I was supposed to be. 276 00:29:32,000 --> 00:29:43,000 But you wouldn't know unless now I know. So now I'm going to testify to the world that even if it's as silly as a calling that you may think it's silly as that. 277 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:52,000 I do. I think God is forgiving and I'm sure he's given me other callings that have grown me in whatever that particular calling was going to be. 278 00:29:52,000 --> 00:29:57,000 But I'll tell you why this matters is because I have been asked to be early society president. 279 00:29:57,000 --> 00:30:03,000 And I don't know that that will ever happen again, but some ministering assignments have been overwhelming for me. 280 00:30:03,000 --> 00:30:08,000 My worst fear in the world would be to teach gospel doctrine. And I've put that onto the universe. 281 00:30:08,000 --> 00:30:13,000 And then my friend Chase is like, hey, I'm like had so much on my plate and he's like, could you teach gospel doctrine? 282 00:30:13,000 --> 00:30:20,000 And I had done something. I can't remember what I had done recently. And I was like, man, that was the scariest thing in the world. So gospel doctrine didn't look that scary. 283 00:30:20,000 --> 00:30:28,000 Isn't that interesting perspective is everything. I wish I oh, I can't remember what it was. I remember to recall what that thing was. 284 00:30:28,000 --> 00:30:32,000 But anyway, timing was right. And I kind of did that thing only did it once. 285 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:37,000 But I was like, OK, that isn't the worst thing in the world because he gave me what I needed at the time because I opted in. 286 00:30:37,000 --> 00:30:45,000 I said, yes. So I guess that's that's my appeal to people. That's my action item. It's like what be prepared to say yes. Love that. 287 00:30:45,000 --> 00:30:51,000 Be prepared to make some changes in your life to sort out the things that would make it difficult to say yes. 288 00:30:51,000 --> 00:30:56,000 Yeah. And if you have a hard time doing it in real time, then maybe take the opportunity right now. 289 00:30:56,000 --> 00:31:05,000 Look at things and ask Heavenly Father, you know, where could I give before the time comes up before you're sitting across from the bishop and being on a phone call. 290 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:20,000 So, yeah, I just assess your life where you are. Where do you want to be as far as serving the Lord's children and also opting in with your own agency to have a call to live this second great commandment, which is to serve our fellow men. 291 00:31:20,000 --> 00:31:24,000 It's perfect. Do you feel like that closes up or do you have one final thought? 292 00:31:24,000 --> 00:31:28,000 I do. You know what? Final thought is actually words from Elder Cassius. And I love it. 293 00:31:28,000 --> 00:31:39,000 He said, Please remember that the Lord Jesus Christ is your Savior and understands you personally. He knows that it what it is to have to fulfill a calling and leave things behind to help the children of God. 294 00:31:39,000 --> 00:31:46,000 He has the power to bless you and everything if you believe in him and do not doubt. And I leave my testimony with that. 295 00:31:46,000 --> 00:31:51,000 Thank you so much for being here with us. We love having these conversations with you, Abby. Thanks for being here. 296 00:31:51,000 --> 00:32:01,000 We'll catch you guys next time.