1 00:00:00,000 --> 00:00:11,000 [♪ Music & Voice Over & Outro Music Plays. 2 00:00:11,000 --> 00:00:15,300 Welcome to Closer to Christ through General Conference, where two friends who love Jesus Christ 3 00:00:15,300 --> 00:00:18,900 share our own approach to studying the most recent General Conference talks. 4 00:00:18,900 --> 00:00:22,500 This is Abbey and Amy. Let's jump into it. 5 00:00:22,500 --> 00:00:28,000 Today we're going to talk about Ye Are My Friends by Elder David L. Buckner of the Seventy. 6 00:00:28,000 --> 00:00:33,000 Abbey, this was such a great talk. So, let's just jump right into it. 7 00:00:33,000 --> 00:00:39,000 Our world tries to define friend groups with isms and aights, but the Savior's divine example 8 00:00:39,000 --> 00:00:44,500 as the great unifier teaches us that unity, love, and belonging can be found in the foundation 9 00:00:44,500 --> 00:00:47,000 of the relationships among all of God's children. 10 00:00:47,000 --> 00:00:52,500 The Savior's declaration, Ye Are My Friends, is found in John 15, 14-15. 11 00:00:52,500 --> 00:00:57,500 It can be powerful, clear, and an urgent message that we need to hear to inspire action 12 00:00:57,500 --> 00:01:01,000 for attention for each of us who desire to be one of His followers. 13 00:01:01,000 --> 00:01:02,500 I love that, Abbey. 14 00:01:02,500 --> 00:01:07,000 He jumps right in from that awesome opening to where we can find. 15 00:01:07,000 --> 00:01:12,000 Ye Are My Friends, that did come from John 15, 14-15, but in more modern-day scripture. 16 00:01:12,000 --> 00:01:16,500 It's present in the Doctrine and Covenants quite a bit in section 88. 17 00:01:16,500 --> 00:01:24,000 So, to set the backstory of it, December 1832, appearances of trouble among the nation were becoming more visible 18 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,000 than at any other time since the organization of the church. 19 00:01:27,000 --> 00:01:31,500 Latter-day Saint leaders in Kirtland, Ohio gathered for a conference, and they prepared, 20 00:01:31,500 --> 00:01:35,500 they prayed separately and vocally to the Lord to reveal His will unto them. 21 00:01:35,500 --> 00:01:42,000 And I think they were, I'm listening to a church history podcast, and it's like totally coordinated with this stuff. 22 00:01:42,000 --> 00:01:49,500 You know, back when Jesus came, when Jesus was walking on earth, the Jews had been down by the Romans, 23 00:01:49,500 --> 00:01:54,000 and they kind of thought that their Savior was going to come, and there was going to be a battle to free them from that, right? 24 00:01:54,000 --> 00:01:58,500 But He came for more of like spiritual ailments and to conquer death, right? 25 00:01:58,500 --> 00:02:01,500 And I feel like the saints were in this similar situation. 26 00:02:01,500 --> 00:02:06,000 They were being persecuted on every side and looking for a Zion and looking to gather, 27 00:02:06,000 --> 00:02:15,000 and every time they were doing that, they became victims of political problems, you know? 28 00:02:15,000 --> 00:02:19,000 Hey, they're going to outnumber us shortly, we've got to kick them off of this land, we've got to kick them off of this land. 29 00:02:19,000 --> 00:02:20,500 They're like, this is where the Lord's told us to be. 30 00:02:20,500 --> 00:02:25,000 And they really thought that they were going to be called to rise up an army and fight against it. 31 00:02:25,000 --> 00:02:26,000 That was never his way. 32 00:02:26,000 --> 00:02:35,000 I mean, even Zion's camp, you know, as they united in that way, they ended up being a, they never had to fight actually with that. 33 00:02:35,000 --> 00:02:39,500 It pulled together some of who would end up being the great leaders of our faith. 34 00:02:39,500 --> 00:02:40,500 For sure. 35 00:02:40,500 --> 00:02:41,000 In the end of it. 36 00:02:41,000 --> 00:02:43,500 So anyway, that's the time period that we're talking about. 37 00:02:43,500 --> 00:02:48,000 And things were, I mean, things were very bad for the saints at this time. 38 00:02:48,000 --> 00:02:57,000 So they take it to prayer, and the faithful members during this difficult time were responded to in what we know as Doctrine and Covenant, section 88. 39 00:02:57,000 --> 00:03:03,000 In that section, the Lord comforts them and addresses the saints three different times with two powerful words. 40 00:03:03,000 --> 00:03:05,000 He calls them my friends. 41 00:03:05,000 --> 00:03:08,000 And so this plea is recorded in scripture. 42 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,000 They're often referred to this section as the olive leaf. 43 00:03:11,000 --> 00:03:14,000 This is where the Lord declares a message of peace to the saints. 44 00:03:14,000 --> 00:03:21,000 Revelation emphasizes his love and compassion and closeness to his people, even in or specially in times of tribulation. 45 00:03:21,000 --> 00:03:32,000 He considers the faithful not merely as servants, but as cherished companions, echoing his words in the New Testament, like you did at the beginning, John 15 verses Fortune 15 referenced earlier. 46 00:03:32,000 --> 00:03:40,000 I love that because it took it from, you know, his time on earth in the New Testament, and he makes it like, oh, it's connected to my rage. 47 00:03:40,000 --> 00:03:48,000 This in modern time, you've considered people your friends. So what is it going to take to be numbered among those that you call your friend? 48 00:03:48,000 --> 00:04:00,000 So this revelation brought comfort and guidance to the saints as they faced difficulties and prepared for the great work ahead and knowing, you know, what happened, what ensued from the time in Kirtland to Salt Lake Valley. 49 00:04:00,000 --> 00:04:03,000 And then obviously some like a rough start and patch there too. 50 00:04:03,000 --> 00:04:04,000 Right, since then as well. 51 00:04:04,000 --> 00:04:09,000 You're going to need to be reminded of this olive leaf doctrine. 52 00:04:09,000 --> 00:04:10,000 Wow, that's so good. 53 00:04:10,000 --> 00:04:20,000 So I would say he spent a good portion of his time pointing out that there is a big difference between Jesus Christ calling someone a friend and then the way that the world defines what a friend is. 54 00:04:20,000 --> 00:04:23,000 So I think this would be a great place to ask this question. 55 00:04:23,000 --> 00:04:28,000 How does the Savior's definition of friendship differ from the world's definition of friendship? 56 00:04:28,000 --> 00:04:31,000 That's such a good question, Abby. 57 00:04:31,000 --> 00:04:44,000 So the Savior's definition of a friend differs significantly from the world's definition as it emphasizes covenant relationship, sacrifice and divine love rather than just mutual affection or companionship. 58 00:04:44,000 --> 00:04:48,000 So I think we should break that down because. 59 00:04:48,000 --> 00:04:49,000 Such a good topic, right? 60 00:04:49,000 --> 00:04:55,000 I know. This is definitely one I could see like so many people coming to the table with such good advice. 61 00:04:55,000 --> 00:04:58,000 How they've navigated friendships, how they've, you know, had some. 62 00:04:58,000 --> 00:04:59,000 In religious society. 63 00:04:59,000 --> 00:05:00,000 Yeah, totally. 64 00:05:00,000 --> 00:05:01,000 Maybe elders. 65 00:05:01,000 --> 00:05:02,000 Oh, elders form. 66 00:05:02,000 --> 00:05:03,000 With the different ages, right? 67 00:05:03,000 --> 00:05:04,000 Like, it's true. 68 00:05:04,000 --> 00:05:05,000 At different seasons of your life. 69 00:05:05,000 --> 00:05:06,000 You have so many different perspectives. 70 00:05:06,000 --> 00:05:11,000 How those friendships have shaped you into understanding more about the way that the Savior defines friendship. 71 00:05:11,000 --> 00:05:12,000 Love that. 72 00:05:12,000 --> 00:05:17,000 So, like, let's maybe talk about the characteristics of a friendship as defined by the Savior. 73 00:05:17,000 --> 00:05:25,000 I would submit that one of the first things is that it's based on love and obedience to God because if we go a little deeper into John 15, 14, it says, 74 00:05:25,000 --> 00:05:34,000 You are my friends if you do whatsoever I command you. So to me, that's saying friendship with Christ involves us aligning our will with God. 75 00:05:34,000 --> 00:05:41,000 And then we demonstrate that love through our discipleship or like actually what actions that we do based on the knowledge that we have from him. 76 00:05:41,000 --> 00:05:54,000 I love that. I would also say that in most cases, I would say almost all of them, that when you're aligning your will with God's, that would mean allowing room for forgiveness. 77 00:05:54,000 --> 00:06:06,000 And I would think that if both people were looking to Christ, then both of their focus would be on having resolution and a continued friendship. 78 00:06:06,000 --> 00:06:09,000 There's a word for that. I would say that's like selfless love. 79 00:06:09,000 --> 00:06:10,000 Yes. 80 00:06:10,000 --> 00:06:13,000 Like you can make mistakes, but you know that the intention wasn't to make mistakes. 81 00:06:13,000 --> 00:06:16,000 And so you're able to forgive a little bit differently. 82 00:06:16,000 --> 00:06:21,000 Love that. So Jesus said, Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 83 00:06:21,000 --> 00:06:27,000 That was in John 15, 13, when he's talking about selfless love. 84 00:06:27,000 --> 00:06:37,000 That's a good scripture reference. I love that these are scripture based and maybe people will be able to pull these up or maybe you can guide them in these spots of where we're coming up with some different ideas. 85 00:06:37,000 --> 00:06:47,000 I would say that friendship as defined by Jesus Christ would come with maybe covenants and there'd be an eternal linkage to it. 86 00:06:47,000 --> 00:06:53,000 So when I'm thinking about my relationship with Jesus Christ, I've made covenants with him. 87 00:06:53,000 --> 00:06:59,000 So our relationship's not fleeting. It's not transactional. You do this and you get this for it. 88 00:06:59,000 --> 00:07:00,000 Right. 89 00:07:00,000 --> 00:07:07,000 But it's loyal and there's trust there and we're sharing a purpose. We're doing these things as we're trying to build the kingdom of God. 90 00:07:07,000 --> 00:07:13,000 I love that, Abby. Another one that comes to mind is inclusive and redeeming. 91 00:07:13,000 --> 00:07:23,000 So the Savior calls, when he calls all of us to be his friends, he's offering mercy and reconciliation, which there we come again to the word reconciliation, right? 92 00:07:23,000 --> 00:07:27,000 Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden and I will give you rest. 93 00:07:27,000 --> 00:07:32,000 This friendship is rooted in his desire to save and to lift others. Isn't that so different? 94 00:07:32,000 --> 00:07:37,000 It's not selective. She's not like, I'm just going to be friends with you and you. I hear the word popping out all. 95 00:07:37,000 --> 00:07:38,000 Everyone. 96 00:07:38,000 --> 00:07:40,000 The invitation was to everybody, not a select few. 97 00:07:40,000 --> 00:07:45,000 I love that. So good. So yes, inclusive and redeeming is that's beautiful. 98 00:07:45,000 --> 00:07:58,000 It is beautiful. And if we think about anybody that's come and walked on the face of this earth, did trust our Savior enough to venture this path, this earth life, versus being part of the third of the host of heavens that didn't. 99 00:07:58,000 --> 00:08:04,000 And I think a lot of that was based on a belief and trust in a friendship with our Savior. 100 00:08:04,000 --> 00:08:15,000 100% and some of us were like, oh yeah, he's got us. I'm totally doing it. And some of us were like, I don't really know about this, but maybe, but I think it stems back to a trusting friendship. 101 00:08:15,000 --> 00:08:23,000 So we had that then in the pre-existence and we have to remember that when we come through the veil and with the encumbrances of life. 102 00:08:23,000 --> 00:08:36,000 Also, I would submit to say I've never even thought of this before, but I just had the thought of what a beautiful comparison there would be between Christ and then between Lucifer. 103 00:08:36,000 --> 00:08:47,000 Because Lucifer would be the example of the worst friend in your entire life because he was a liar and he had no intention of doing what he said he was going to do. Do you know what I mean? 104 00:08:47,000 --> 00:08:58,000 And I would suggest what I was kind of not struggling with per se, but the word friend, as I've listened back to the podcast, there's a lot of times that I'll have a story of somebody and be like, a friend. 105 00:08:58,000 --> 00:09:06,000 Then I'm like, what if they listen back and they're like, we're not friends, but I just kind of have this assumption. If we've met and we've talked and you don't specifically hate me, then I consider you a friend. 106 00:09:06,000 --> 00:09:08,000 You're friends with everyone, Abby. I feel that. 107 00:09:08,000 --> 00:09:20,000 It's possible to be friendly with everybody, but I do recognize that they may not feel that same way. But depending on the circumstances that brought you together and what life experiences you shared, maybe it's a deeper friendship more than a fleeting one. 108 00:09:20,000 --> 00:09:29,000 And I guess as we are going to delve into how the world defines friendships, I want to say they're not a bad place to start into a friendship. 109 00:09:29,000 --> 00:09:42,000 But when I think about my lasting friendships, the ones that matter, the ones that I want to preserve, they definitely take on the elements of the characteristics that we just discussed on friendship as defined by the Savior. 110 00:09:42,000 --> 00:09:50,000 So I don't want to specifically say, okay, the way the world defines friendship is Satan's plan and path for friendships. 111 00:09:50,000 --> 00:10:04,000 It's not quite there, but I can definitely see those types of friendships that mirror that relationship would be very manipulative friendships. And like you would say, transactional, you'd be like, I'll be your friend if you give me your lunch money. 112 00:10:04,000 --> 00:10:06,000 That makes sense. 113 00:10:06,000 --> 00:10:14,000 So it's definitely something to consider because this whole talk is meant to be reflective on what kind of relationships we're forming with other people. 114 00:10:14,000 --> 00:10:23,000 Because you're born to a family, there's something there, but let's say, I don't know what's the biggest family you can think of, like 24 kids? 115 00:10:23,000 --> 00:10:29,000 Probably there's more than that. But let's say like a family of five, mom and dad at seven, like those are seven people that are family. 116 00:10:29,000 --> 00:10:39,000 They have to like you eventually in theory. But most of the people we're going to interact with in this life is going to be some form of friendship. You weren't born related. 117 00:10:39,000 --> 00:10:40,000 For sure. 118 00:10:40,000 --> 00:10:49,000 So let's maybe delve into how the world may help how that differs and how the world views friendship. I'll submit the first one. 119 00:10:49,000 --> 00:11:06,000 Like I said before, I think that sometimes they have a conditional backing or their transactional meaning a worldly friendship is oftentimes based because you share interests or mutually benefit like you're going to make a baseball team or volleyball team. 120 00:11:06,000 --> 00:11:11,000 For sure. You're not going to pick me for your volleyball team. We aren't going to be friends because we play volleyball together. 121 00:11:11,000 --> 00:11:16,000 I would be the last person I would pick for a volleyball team. So I'd be like, no, I'm going to have to pass on that. 122 00:11:16,000 --> 00:11:24,000 But you obviously would become friends with a team that you put together that was softball related or whatever, a quilting group, etc. 123 00:11:24,000 --> 00:11:29,000 So anyway, you share an interest, you mutually benefit from each other. It's convenient. 124 00:11:29,000 --> 00:11:36,000 And as life changes and gets busier, maybe that becomes less of a priority than that friendship can often fade in those circumstances. 125 00:11:36,000 --> 00:11:41,000 And you have seasons, which I totally look through and I'm like, oh, that was a great season and now that's over. 126 00:11:41,000 --> 00:11:46,000 I would call those like limited friendships or temporal friendships like this valuable in the time. 127 00:11:46,000 --> 00:11:58,000 But yeah, like you said, your life stages, if you happen to have a couple of kids and none are in school, like you'll make your best friends at the park, like another random parent that's sitting there with their kid at the park. 128 00:11:58,000 --> 00:12:03,000 And you'll make French about it for convenience. But maybe once you leave the park bench, you're never going to see him again. 129 00:12:03,000 --> 00:12:09,000 Or, you know, a year later, you're not spending as much time at the park. And that changes. Right. That season is done. 130 00:12:09,000 --> 00:12:12,000 I would also say centered on personal enjoyment. 131 00:12:12,000 --> 00:12:19,000 Friendship is often viewed as a source of personal happiness, companionship or entertainment rather than as a call to serve or sacrifice. 132 00:12:19,000 --> 00:12:25,000 I've totally said this before, Abby, like I've looked back at different callings that I've been given and that I've accepted. 133 00:12:25,000 --> 00:12:30,000 And I've looked at him and been like, I would never have chosen her to be my friend. 134 00:12:30,000 --> 00:12:35,000 Just if we were just like off the street and she was doing her world and I was doing mine. 135 00:12:35,000 --> 00:12:41,000 However, I'm so grateful that like we met through this calling because she's one of my girls. 136 00:12:41,000 --> 00:12:47,000 Like, I love her. You know what I mean? So I do love that. That it is. 137 00:12:47,000 --> 00:12:56,000 When the Lord comes into things, it changes what would normally be a regular relationship because, yeah, a friendship is normally based on these things. 138 00:12:56,000 --> 00:12:59,000 I would say most friendships really are based on these things. 139 00:12:59,000 --> 00:13:06,000 You're quickly reflecting back to like, for instance, I'm team teaching with a gal and she's wonderful and our lives are busy. 140 00:13:06,000 --> 00:13:13,000 And so I don't know if we would like take time to connect with each other just randomly, like walking buddies or something. 141 00:13:13,000 --> 00:13:18,000 But I adore her and I consider her a friend. And, you know, that's a Sunday thing. 142 00:13:18,000 --> 00:13:27,000 But I would say because of that shared experience and we're teaching this class together and loving these children in a unified way, it quickly jumps into friendship. 143 00:13:27,000 --> 00:13:31,000 It's like he redeems us out of these things. And it's interesting that a calling would do that. 144 00:13:31,000 --> 00:13:38,000 It's right. It's another. It's another reason why you do everything in your power to prepare your life to be able to say yes. 145 00:13:38,000 --> 00:13:44,000 Do take the calling because it may be a friendship that can spark from that that would have never existed otherwise. 146 00:13:44,000 --> 00:13:52,000 That's so good. I would say when I moved to this valley, one of the first friendships that I made was I was four months pregnant and I got called pretty immediately to be in a primary presidency. 147 00:13:52,000 --> 00:13:59,000 And what was interesting is right before that, I was in a primary presidency in the previous ward and the gal I consider a friend. 148 00:13:59,000 --> 00:14:04,000 I had been her camp counselor, like an assistant counselor to her when I was like 20 and she was probably. 149 00:14:04,000 --> 00:14:05,000 No way. Yeah. 150 00:14:05,000 --> 00:14:13,000 And then she she's like, Abby, I know that you guys have accepted a move and you're not going to be here very long, but I know you're supposed to be my counselor. 151 00:14:13,000 --> 00:14:24,000 So I trained under her who had obviously some previous experience, moved to Star Valley, and then I had like maybe four or six weeks in my new ward and got called into that primary presidency. 152 00:14:24,000 --> 00:14:31,000 And I was like, that's great. I had the ability up and running and even amidst being pregnant and new to whatever. 153 00:14:31,000 --> 00:14:38,000 It was a perfect calling. And I would say the president that called me that I served under, I mean, I treasure friendship deeply. 154 00:14:38,000 --> 00:14:44,000 She lives in another state now, but like what a blessing it was because she was my first friend. 155 00:14:44,000 --> 00:14:49,000 And I think she'll be a friend forever for sure. So I love that's happened multiple times for me. 156 00:14:49,000 --> 00:14:53,000 Yes. No shared. Yes. That's so good. 157 00:14:53,000 --> 00:14:59,000 And especially when you're like, you don't really pick your counselors like the Lord picks them and they just have to accept that thing. 158 00:14:59,000 --> 00:15:03,000 And then you see like as you get going, you're like, Oh, I can totally see why you did that. 159 00:15:03,000 --> 00:15:10,000 Totally not because we're identical and we have the same opinion about things and it's just going to be like smooth sailing and we're going to get along in these presidency meetings. 160 00:15:10,000 --> 00:15:25,000 But because it's that kind of relationship that we see that unique gifts come together and interplay and benefit whoever we're serving much better than we could if we all just were cookie cutter, identical looking people. 161 00:15:25,000 --> 00:15:28,000 And there's that mutual respect. Right. Yeah. 162 00:15:28,000 --> 00:15:32,000 This is so great. This is fun to think on. 163 00:15:32,000 --> 00:15:40,000 I would say maybe the last point friendship as defined by the world would be sometimes they're superficial. 164 00:15:40,000 --> 00:15:46,000 Sometimes these earthly friendships maybe exclude others based on differences. 165 00:15:46,000 --> 00:15:51,000 Like there there's a lack of trust. There's a lack of like willingness to sacrifice for each other. 166 00:15:51,000 --> 00:16:02,000 So that it's just like maybe you're like a lunch friend once in a while, but it's not going to go deeper than that. And the things that you're willing to talk about are not things of the heart. Really for sure. Very superficial. 167 00:16:02,000 --> 00:16:05,000 Keep everything close. Yeah. 168 00:16:05,000 --> 00:16:22,000 Okay. So now that we've talked about all of this, I love the way that it was defined friendship defined by the world and by Christ. And we kind of saw where in some points they intersected and where Christ redeemed certain things, right? Certain aspects of friendships as the world would define them. 169 00:16:22,000 --> 00:16:35,000 So in a lesson you would have all these ideas freely shared and then it's just nice to loop back and emphasize the key things that everyone's brought to the table. Yes. Like to write it back down and be like, oh, here's a thread of we all brought this up. We all brought that up and see the similarities. 170 00:16:35,000 --> 00:16:45,000 Or and give some leading because I'll just remind you the question. I actually pulled this question from the study guide aid, which we do link in the show notes. Cool. And you can find on church news. 171 00:16:45,000 --> 00:17:07,000 The question was as simple as how does the Savior's definite friendship differ from the world's definition of friendship? And he only has 15 minutes to get this, his ideas and talks out. Right. Everything that we've been talking about for the last five or seven minutes has been more like what you'll experience in a Relief Society or Elders Quorum lesson as you're sharing ideas and coming up with like what that sparks in you. 172 00:17:07,000 --> 00:17:17,000 And it could take a totally different tangent, but you, you know, if you're preparing for a lesson and using this as a resource, then you might think like this is a direction I want people to really consider at the end of it. 173 00:17:17,000 --> 00:17:41,000 Because I'm already like thinking back to the talk being you are my friends. I'm thinking of that and that talk title is like, he already considers us a friend, but for us to reciprocate that friendship, it requires us to make those bonds in a way that are covenantal and lasting and don't have to necessarily be based on commonalities other than the commonality of loving Jesus Christ. 174 00:17:41,000 --> 00:17:42,000 Right. I totally agree with that. 175 00:17:42,000 --> 00:17:46,000 I did spend this talk kind of thinking about our friendship. 176 00:17:46,000 --> 00:17:55,000 Love it. And I thought like why, like why do we work as friends and you, you do fit like the age parameter of like my, my oldest sister who I'm very good friends with. 177 00:17:55,000 --> 00:18:02,000 And I was thinking maybe those are some of your very, very first friends, but I'm, I think that's true. My, my siblings are my best friends. 178 00:18:02,000 --> 00:18:03,000 Yes, same. 179 00:18:03,000 --> 00:18:11,000 But they weren't born to be my friends necessarily because I don't think we weren't the nicest to each other as kids, but we definitely had a chance to like learn and grow on each other. 180 00:18:11,000 --> 00:18:20,000 And like, they're the first people that I want to loop in as things are happening. You're definitely close like your family now, but I'm like, what, like what made it that way? 181 00:18:20,000 --> 00:18:25,000 And I was thinking back, I think our friendship formed because we did come follow me together. 182 00:18:25,000 --> 00:18:28,000 Agreed. And so we invited me to it. 183 00:18:28,000 --> 00:18:29,000 Trying to get our numbers. 184 00:18:29,000 --> 00:18:30,000 And I accepted. 185 00:18:30,000 --> 00:18:42,000 But it's like, I'm like, okay, Amy's quality. She's like, she's stylish. She's got like an amazing eye for design. She's really great at organizing things. And anyway, I'm like listing this like list of things. 186 00:18:42,000 --> 00:18:47,000 I'm like, those are, those are like not my things. Those are the opposite of my list for myself. 187 00:18:47,000 --> 00:18:56,000 And so I'm like, if I was looking for a cookie cutter, carbon copy of myself, I wouldn't have found you because we aren't on paper. We aren't similar. 188 00:18:56,000 --> 00:19:01,000 Yeah. What we don't, all of our paths don't cross in a lot of ways. In a lot of ways. 189 00:19:01,000 --> 00:19:14,000 But you, but you brought to the table things that I was ready to learn and grow on. And you've had just enough years down there. Like our kids aren't even the same age. We're not homeschooling together. And we're not, we're not like, we don't play sports together. 190 00:19:14,000 --> 00:19:17,000 There's really nothing that should make us friends. 191 00:19:17,000 --> 00:19:22,000 But lucky for me, it worked out that it worked. Well, I think the Lord put you in my path. 192 00:19:22,000 --> 00:19:25,000 When were you my ministry sister? After that? 193 00:19:25,000 --> 00:19:31,000 Yes. And now I'm her ministering sister and I'll be terrible at it compared to her, but it doesn't matter. It's great. 194 00:19:31,000 --> 00:19:45,000 So anyway, I think I kind of got off on a tangent, but this talk did make me stop and think, you know, the friendships that are lasting, we can be hundreds of miles apart and still come to mind often. 195 00:19:45,000 --> 00:19:59,000 Or I'm praying for them or I'm checking in on them. I mean, I guess he makes the point like every relationship could be that special. We could loop people in that way, but there's like common threads what it's going to, what it takes to make friendships lasting. 196 00:19:59,000 --> 00:20:10,000 I love that Abby. Also just sitting in this, you know, in this lesson, if you're someone who's feeling like maybe you don't have friends or maybe you've moved to a new place, you've had to move away from friends or family, whatever it is. 197 00:20:10,000 --> 00:20:18,000 I think having going with a prayer, like an honest prayer in your heart and asking the Lord to maybe show you who your friends are or who they could be. 198 00:20:18,000 --> 00:20:25,000 And then also these are great, great questions on some self-reflection. Like what can I do to be a good friend? You know what I mean? 199 00:20:25,000 --> 00:20:34,000 Because I'm not by nature, I'm not someone who puts myself out there. However, I am happy to accept invitations with certain things. 200 00:20:34,000 --> 00:20:40,000 And then I continue to act on things, but like there's a friend for everybody. There really is. 201 00:20:40,000 --> 00:20:51,000 There's a friend for everybody. And this talk, help, the second half of this talk, I think specifically focuses on those who feel that like loneliness and that desire for friendship. 202 00:20:51,000 --> 00:20:52,000 So good. 203 00:20:52,000 --> 00:20:57,000 But ultimately, Jesus Christ can be our best friend. And a connection with him makes it perfect. 204 00:20:57,000 --> 00:21:12,000 So I would just re-emphasize, like if I'm doing a lesson, we've gone off this tangent on bringing it back by saying the purpose is for the Savior, a friendship for the Savior is, it's about eternal growth, it's about obedience, it's about love. 205 00:21:12,000 --> 00:21:20,000 For the world, it's often the opposite of that. It's often about immediate connection and pleasure instead. 206 00:21:20,000 --> 00:21:31,000 So like we're in for the long game when we're thinking of the Savior's way. Depth of friendship with Christ's friendship, it involves sacrifices and covenant loyalty, whereas worldly friendship can sometimes lack depth and commitment. 207 00:21:31,000 --> 00:21:39,000 And then inclusivity, Christ offers friendship to all, regardless of circumstances, whereas worldly friendship can sometimes be selective and exclusive. 208 00:21:39,000 --> 00:21:48,000 So in this conversation we've had, we'd narrow it down to those quick short points and then give people a chance to just kind of reflect on where they stand. 209 00:21:48,000 --> 00:21:56,000 And like you said, if you're feeling lonely and friendless, you might consider like what kind of, what am I putting out there? 210 00:21:56,000 --> 00:22:02,000 Like how much practice have I put into being a friend to others? Or am I just sitting there waiting for friendships to happen for me? 211 00:22:02,000 --> 00:22:17,000 Right. Not going to happen. So ultimately, the Savior's view of friendship calls us to emulate his love, to serve selflessly and then also to build eternal bonds that transcend worldly definitions. 212 00:22:17,000 --> 00:22:28,000 In an exalting, elevating and eternal way, we can come together seeking both opportunities to unite and a sense of belonging for all that we may be one. We've heard that before. 213 00:22:28,000 --> 00:22:35,000 I love that. So let's think back to the first people that Jesus issued the call to come follow me to. 214 00:22:35,000 --> 00:22:42,000 He collected a very diverse group of individuals, each with something unique to offer. And if you're like me, I quickly think to the chosen. 215 00:22:42,000 --> 00:22:48,000 Maybe they've exaggerated the differences in the apostles, but what comes to mind who he called? 216 00:22:48,000 --> 00:22:57,000 He called fishermen zealots, brothers known for their thunderous personalities. I love that. And even a tax collector. What do they have in common though? 217 00:22:57,000 --> 00:23:04,000 Their belief in the Savior and desire to draw into him united them. They looked at him and they saw God through him. 218 00:23:04,000 --> 00:23:13,000 I also totally thought as I was listening to this talk again, I thought of the chosen and I was like, hey, I know those people. Like, they have a place in my heart. 219 00:23:13,000 --> 00:23:22,000 And I also was just thinking of everyone who's come together to make that film. I gave a prayer of gratitude that they use their gifts in the way they did. 220 00:23:22,000 --> 00:23:23,000 Because I think how many people- 221 00:23:23,000 --> 00:23:24,000 Or develop gifts because of their willingness. 222 00:23:24,000 --> 00:23:25,000 Maybe so. 223 00:23:25,000 --> 00:23:32,000 Because I watched a guy and he was, I don't know if he was a proclaimed atheist, but he like, he learned about Jesus Christ through the filming and as a changed person. 224 00:23:32,000 --> 00:23:33,000 Wonderful. 225 00:23:33,000 --> 00:23:39,000 Because he committed so much to it. Dude, I love that. It's so easy to draw like images about this. 226 00:23:39,000 --> 00:23:40,000 It is. 227 00:23:40,000 --> 00:23:48,000 And the way that the show makes you think it's like all of them stand in awe that he would choose them. But seeing, we might each kind of like see it. 228 00:23:48,000 --> 00:23:57,000 We might see ourselves in a Matthew or might see ourselves in Peter or whatever. And that's what's great is because the diverse collection of people let us see like his friends. 229 00:23:57,000 --> 00:23:58,000 Very diverse. 230 00:23:58,000 --> 00:24:08,000 The ones he loves. Yeah, they're not cookie cutter. And it's not like you have to be just like me to be my friend. You can definitely see those principles that we discussed earlier in application as we consider. 231 00:24:08,000 --> 00:24:09,000 Totally united, that whole group. 232 00:24:09,000 --> 00:24:16,000 In our day when a closeness to the Savior is our ultimate goal, we can experience these higher and holier forms of friendship that transcend the world's view also. 233 00:24:16,000 --> 00:24:27,000 Elder Buckner reflected on how he built these higher and holier relationships fostering unity and drawing from his experience raising his family in New York City. 234 00:24:27,000 --> 00:24:32,000 And I thought it was interesting. He was raised like, I don't know, like an August. He was born in Newtown. 235 00:24:32,000 --> 00:24:33,000 Okay, I didn't know that. 236 00:24:33,000 --> 00:24:37,000 But like by age six, his dad was a mission president in California. 237 00:24:37,000 --> 00:24:38,000 Oh. 238 00:24:38,000 --> 00:24:55,000 And then he lived and raised his family in New York. So what I love about this is, yeah, he does have a background in Utah, but he definitely spent time on both sides of the United States in obviously areas that aren't going to be like, we're all in the same, in this one block. 239 00:24:55,000 --> 00:24:59,000 We're all in the same ward, doing the same thing. It's going to look very different. 240 00:24:59,000 --> 00:25:11,000 I thought he's definitely pulling from experience of making these friendships and these connections with people that are unified in Jesus Christ versus that we have to be like identical communities. 241 00:25:11,000 --> 00:25:23,000 Anyway, he was living in New York. May 2020 comes, COVID-19 hits, and we would all agree in the United States COVID was like, epicenter of COVID was New York City. 242 00:25:23,000 --> 00:25:25,000 Just the best number of people. 243 00:25:25,000 --> 00:25:26,000 He referenced that too. 244 00:25:26,000 --> 00:25:37,000 Yes. He participated in some virtual meetings with other religious leaders from other faiths, like rather than being their enemies because they're not the same faith practice. 245 00:25:37,000 --> 00:25:38,000 Affiliation. 246 00:25:38,000 --> 00:25:50,000 Yeah. They joined. And there were differences, obviously, but despite those differences, they were there to support one another and they focused on, you know, what shared challenges they were having, what opportunities this could bring. 247 00:25:50,000 --> 00:25:56,000 Their prayers and collaborative collaboration brought unity and it inspired service to thousands. 248 00:25:56,000 --> 00:26:02,000 This experience underscored that and in a world often divided, there's far more that unites us. 249 00:26:02,000 --> 00:26:08,000 The Savior's call to be one reminds us of the power of unity and shared purpose. 250 00:26:08,000 --> 00:26:14,000 So, like, just kind of flashback myself to COVID and what experience I thought that brought. 251 00:26:14,000 --> 00:26:20,000 I, in our little valley, I saw that same gift of people unifying during COVID. 252 00:26:20,000 --> 00:26:31,000 And, I don't know, any real life examples come to mind, what lessons we learned about how we can counter divisions and promote unity among friends, among our family, and in the community. 253 00:26:31,000 --> 00:26:47,000 For me, I just had moved here during COVID. And I mean, if you think of it this way, I don't have neighbors that are very close to me, meaning like geographically, and it sort of felt like we moved into a wise place with no one here. 254 00:26:47,000 --> 00:26:53,000 I was like, wow, all the everything closes at like 7 p.m. Like, this is so different. 255 00:26:53,000 --> 00:27:02,000 Anyway, I had an invite to join a Come Follow Me study group with women, and I was kind of amazed that people were still getting together. 256 00:27:02,000 --> 00:27:09,000 We did it outside, but it was amazing. And I wouldn't have known people, Appie, for probably months until we started going back to church. 257 00:27:09,000 --> 00:27:13,000 But because of that, I knew people and it was very nice. 258 00:27:13,000 --> 00:27:20,000 And then when I was called as Young Women's President very shortly after we started going to church again, it was kind of nice because I knew some people. 259 00:27:20,000 --> 00:27:30,000 Other than that, I would have jumped right in. So I was very grateful to have that. That is very different than most people who saw their community, knew their community, and how that worked together. 260 00:27:30,000 --> 00:27:42,000 So I was thinking this is so off of the subject, but I was thinking back to COVID because we didn't have like jobs to get up to. I have two brother-in-laws that are doctors, and so that was a little different. 261 00:27:42,000 --> 00:27:54,000 But we unified. We connected in different ways. I have sisters that are Missouri and Idaho, but we all had Nintendo Switches, and we would get on and play Mario Party together, Mario Kart or whatever. 262 00:27:54,000 --> 00:28:00,000 And I mean, since COVID and our lives have gotten crazy busy, we don't hop on and play Mario Kart. 263 00:28:00,000 --> 00:28:09,000 But I was thinking it was a weird, it could have been a potentially dark time, but there are things that happened during COVID that I look back in fondness, 264 00:28:09,000 --> 00:28:17,000 and I definitely drew strength from family because Zoom was kind of the thing, and we got better at doing that. 265 00:28:17,000 --> 00:28:19,000 Yes, Zoom became a thing. 266 00:28:19,000 --> 00:28:25,000 That to me was when I was looking about the question, like how did we promote unity among our family? 267 00:28:25,000 --> 00:28:34,000 And I also stopped to think about how family can be built in best friends, but if you think about the fighting that maybe happens as you're younger, it doesn't just come naturally. 268 00:28:34,000 --> 00:28:41,000 You do have to work those relationships, and you can let it go either direction. Just because you're born to a certain family doesn't mean that you foster those relationships. 269 00:28:41,000 --> 00:28:50,000 Sometimes the distance can make you go farther apart, but I like valuing, prioritizing those friendships. 270 00:28:50,000 --> 00:28:54,000 You're very close to your sisters, but there's a bit of an age difference. 271 00:28:54,000 --> 00:28:55,000 For sure. 272 00:28:55,000 --> 00:28:56,000 But I don't see that age difference. 273 00:28:56,000 --> 00:28:57,000 Nine years, seven years. 274 00:28:57,000 --> 00:29:06,000 I don't get to know Shelly that much, but Ronna has kind of stamped her flag here in Star Valley, and so I've got to rub shoulders with her. 275 00:29:06,000 --> 00:29:08,000 How much difference is there in age? 276 00:29:08,000 --> 00:29:09,000 Nine years. 277 00:29:09,000 --> 00:29:13,000 That's pretty significant, but when I see you guys together, I'm like, that's just Minnie, me, and me. 278 00:29:13,000 --> 00:29:14,000 Totally. 279 00:29:14,000 --> 00:29:15,000 You two. 280 00:29:15,000 --> 00:29:16,000 We are. 281 00:29:16,000 --> 00:29:21,000 You guys are identical. So I'm guessing that Shelly's part of that mix. 282 00:29:21,000 --> 00:29:22,000 Absolutely. 283 00:29:22,000 --> 00:29:35,000 She finishes the package deal, and so it's a beautiful thing if that potential exists for you and your family, or if you're feeling like your friendships aren't of the caliber that we would say is the way Jesus Christ would consider those friendships. 284 00:29:35,000 --> 00:29:37,000 That would be a great place to start. 285 00:29:37,000 --> 00:29:38,000 I agree. 286 00:29:38,000 --> 00:29:43,000 Those are hopefully, or most likely covenant friendships. 287 00:29:43,000 --> 00:29:44,000 Family ties. 288 00:29:44,000 --> 00:29:48,000 There's covenants, there's family ceilings there. That's a great place to start. 289 00:29:48,000 --> 00:29:50,000 Yes, that is very true. 290 00:29:50,000 --> 00:29:59,000 Rather than looking at people and thinking, man, we're so different, we couldn't be friends, because we've already agreed you and I shouldn't be friends. 291 00:29:59,000 --> 00:30:01,000 But we're going to be anyway. 292 00:30:01,000 --> 00:30:06,000 How can we counter division and promote unity among our friends, among our family, and in the community? 293 00:30:06,000 --> 00:30:10,000 Some things that come to mind is, number one, stop looking for reasons to divide. 294 00:30:10,000 --> 00:30:12,000 That would be the adversary's plan. 295 00:30:12,000 --> 00:30:17,000 And to seek opportunities to be one, that would be the Savior's goal to unite us. 296 00:30:17,000 --> 00:30:25,000 And then also using our unique gifts and attributes that invite learning from one another and then our own personal growth. 297 00:30:25,000 --> 00:30:32,000 Those are all good. When I saw that about bringing our unique gifts to the table, I was... 298 00:30:32,000 --> 00:30:36,000 It made me stop and think. In the talk, he referenced Quentin L. Cook. 299 00:30:36,000 --> 00:30:39,000 He said, the essence of truly belonging is to be one with Christ. 300 00:30:39,000 --> 00:30:46,000 And I was thinking, when I've experienced that in my own life, in this little valley that we live in, there's been deaths, there's been house fires, there's been cancer, 301 00:30:46,000 --> 00:30:49,000 there's been farm accidents, there's been financial hardships. 302 00:30:49,000 --> 00:30:57,000 And I've seen people come together with their unique and individual gifts ready and willing to share in what I experience is a very Christ-like love. 303 00:30:57,000 --> 00:31:01,000 And friendships stem from those hard experiences. 304 00:31:01,000 --> 00:31:05,000 Like just today, an online fundraiser ended. 305 00:31:05,000 --> 00:31:08,000 And our stake president's son is battling cancer. 306 00:31:08,000 --> 00:31:14,000 And a family friend, a stake friend, she organized this online auction. 307 00:31:14,000 --> 00:31:27,000 So people, 250 items were donated and they ranged from horse riding, horse training, vacations, food, crocheted items, blankets. 308 00:31:27,000 --> 00:31:33,000 I like the myriad of talents that come forth. They put their good out there and then people obviously bid on them. 309 00:31:33,000 --> 00:31:37,000 And you know, money is the end-risk goal. It's going to generate money. 310 00:31:37,000 --> 00:31:44,000 But I know for our stake president and his family, way more than that is just the outpouring of love. 311 00:31:44,000 --> 00:31:47,000 And a lot of times people directly know them. 312 00:31:47,000 --> 00:31:54,000 But more often, just the service that their family has provided for our stake for the last decade comes to mind or friend of a friend. 313 00:31:54,000 --> 00:32:03,000 And what you see is like, oh, we're not going to contribute because, you know, you're not one of us. 314 00:32:03,000 --> 00:32:07,000 Like whether the I's and the isms and stuff, it's just a rallying cry. 315 00:32:07,000 --> 00:32:13,000 And so in this particular situation where there's a health challenge at risk or happening, that's been beautiful to see. 316 00:32:13,000 --> 00:32:21,000 I know that it's like brought a lot of like peace and love and joy and hope to this family because they've seen people show what it looks like to unite. 317 00:32:21,000 --> 00:32:22,000 Oh, yeah. 318 00:32:22,000 --> 00:32:25,000 And what like the power that it can create aside from. 319 00:32:25,000 --> 00:32:27,000 I agree. And they have so expressed that. 320 00:32:27,000 --> 00:32:28,000 Yeah. 321 00:32:28,000 --> 00:32:33,000 And I've been moved just listening to them express that. So it makes me so happy to live in a valley that's doing that. 322 00:32:33,000 --> 00:32:41,000 And this is just an example of how our unique gifts and talents that differentiate us in the secular world sometimes can unite us in a sacred space. 323 00:32:41,000 --> 00:32:45,000 So the Savior called us to help one another, to lift one another and edify one another. 324 00:32:45,000 --> 00:32:50,000 And I would say this particular thing is the perfect example of what that looks like. 325 00:32:50,000 --> 00:33:02,000 So this is where I felt like he jumps into the talk to help those who are hearing this message on friendship and are feeling like isolated and friendless. 326 00:33:02,000 --> 00:33:05,000 And like they're really needing something more. 327 00:33:05,000 --> 00:33:09,000 How could we support and encourage others to feel welcome? 328 00:33:09,000 --> 00:33:12,000 The sign on the outside is not enough. 329 00:33:12,000 --> 00:33:14,000 It says visitors welcome. 330 00:33:14,000 --> 00:33:18,000 And both you and I talked about it and said, you know, it would be awesome if it said friends welcome. 331 00:33:18,000 --> 00:33:20,000 Maybe they'll change that. 332 00:33:20,000 --> 00:33:23,000 Maybe so. Do we warmly welcome all who come through the doors? 333 00:33:23,000 --> 00:33:29,000 We must heed the Savior's call to build higher and holier relationships with all of God's children. 334 00:33:29,000 --> 00:33:32,000 And we must live our faith. 335 00:33:32,000 --> 00:33:39,000 There was a good quote when you're talking, sharing this list of how to make others feel welcome. 336 00:33:39,000 --> 00:33:46,000 It said, My father often reminded me that simply sitting in a pew on Sunday doesn't make you a good Christian any more than sleeping in a garage makes you a car. 337 00:33:46,000 --> 00:33:49,000 So yes, we can go up. This ties to the last one. 338 00:33:49,000 --> 00:33:52,000 I was just going to say this fits in the last one with joy. 339 00:33:52,000 --> 00:33:54,000 Attending and worshipping. 340 00:33:54,000 --> 00:33:57,000 Right. You show up and you think your job is just to be there. 341 00:33:57,000 --> 00:34:08,000 But, you know, if you chose to sit with a gal that's like wrestling five kids on her own and you maybe didn't hear so much of the talk, you were not just attending that meeting. 342 00:34:08,000 --> 00:34:11,000 You were worshipping in that meeting because you were making a sacred space for somebody else. 343 00:34:11,000 --> 00:34:13,000 Agreed. I totally agree. 344 00:34:13,000 --> 00:34:14,000 That's an example of how that could look. 345 00:34:14,000 --> 00:34:16,000 Yes. 346 00:34:16,000 --> 00:34:21,000 We must live our life so that the world does not see us that sees him through us. 347 00:34:21,000 --> 00:34:24,000 I highlighted that because I feel like that stands out as an action item. 348 00:34:24,000 --> 00:34:25,000 For sure. 349 00:34:25,000 --> 00:34:33,000 We just question ourselves, are we living our lives in that way or are there some modifications that we can make so that it's about seeing him through us? 350 00:34:33,000 --> 00:34:39,000 Totally. And I mean, this takes place in the grocery store, at the gas pump, school meetings, the neighborhood gatherings. 351 00:34:39,000 --> 00:34:45,000 Essentially, all places where baptized and unbaptized members all work and live. 352 00:34:45,000 --> 00:34:48,000 Uh huh. We each need each other and we all need him. 353 00:34:48,000 --> 00:34:54,000 Elder Buckner stated, Church is a place of gathering and recovery, repair and refocus. 354 00:34:54,000 --> 00:34:56,000 Sounds like a car shop. 355 00:34:56,000 --> 00:35:08,000 That ties into the previous quote. He quoted the prophet. He said, The gospel net is the largest net in the world. God has invited all of us to come to him. There is room for everyone. 356 00:35:08,000 --> 00:35:18,000 Coming to church offers the hope of better days, the promise that you are not alone and a family who needs as much as we need them or who needs us as much as we need them. 357 00:35:18,000 --> 00:35:25,000 Elder D. Todd Christofferson affirms that being one with the Father, Son and Holy Ghost is without doubt the ultimate in belonging. 358 00:35:25,000 --> 00:35:26,000 Oh, I like that. 359 00:35:26,000 --> 00:35:30,000 That was the take home for me when you're that person that's sitting and feeling lonely. 360 00:35:30,000 --> 00:35:35,000 That relationship with those three individuals is such a great starting place. 361 00:35:35,000 --> 00:35:38,000 I was just going to say a starting place, like when you remember what that feels like. 362 00:35:38,000 --> 00:35:39,000 Not an ending place. 363 00:35:39,000 --> 00:35:41,000 I love that, yes. 364 00:35:41,000 --> 00:35:53,000 Because if we're to emulate the Savior and things he did, he had those things going for him. He liked himself. He knew his Father. He learned about his Father from a very young age and he definitely had a great relationship with the Spirit. 365 00:35:53,000 --> 00:35:59,000 But goes past that and then we can see, like in his selection of the apostles, how he goes about making friends. 366 00:35:59,000 --> 00:36:00,000 So good. 367 00:36:00,000 --> 00:36:03,000 He ends with an invitation. 368 00:36:03,000 --> 00:36:12,000 Yes, he said, To any who have stepped away and are seeking a chance to return, I offer an eternal truth and invitation. You belong. Come back. It is time. 369 00:36:12,000 --> 00:36:15,000 And then I felt like some action items. 370 00:36:15,000 --> 00:36:16,000 Yeah. 371 00:36:16,000 --> 00:36:20,000 So we'll finish with those. 372 00:36:20,000 --> 00:36:23,000 Or maybe these came from me, but it doesn't matter. They're at the end of the talk here. 373 00:36:23,000 --> 00:36:24,000 Either way. 374 00:36:24,000 --> 00:36:28,000 I said, consider the net you're casting. And that kind of played off of the quote he shared about the prophet. 375 00:36:28,000 --> 00:36:37,000 Consider the net you're casting. Is there room for everyone? Can you strengthen a relationship with that individual by strengthening your relationship with Jesus Christ? 376 00:36:37,000 --> 00:36:42,000 Another action item. Do you tend to feel isolated and friendless? 377 00:36:42,000 --> 00:36:47,000 Begin by strengthening your relationship with our Savior by looking outside yourself and being his hands. 378 00:36:47,000 --> 00:36:52,000 Ask what more can you contribute in your calling or how can you more diligently fulfill your ministering assignments? 379 00:36:52,000 --> 00:36:58,000 And in this way, you will draw closer to the Savior and these earthly friendships will gradually evolve into the divine kind of love. 380 00:36:58,000 --> 00:37:07,000 And on the off chance that you're listening to me and thinking, you are tone deaf and you don't know what you're talking about, I shared that because I have felt isolated and friendless. 381 00:37:07,000 --> 00:37:10,000 And that is where I started by serving. 382 00:37:10,000 --> 00:37:11,000 I agree. 383 00:37:11,000 --> 00:37:14,000 Making friends, un-assumed friendships. 384 00:37:14,000 --> 00:37:22,000 So coming back, we've already talked about this, but I'm just, I'm telling you this has come by personal experience. 385 00:37:22,000 --> 00:37:23,000 I felt that way too before. 386 00:37:23,000 --> 00:37:24,000 Yeah. 387 00:37:24,000 --> 00:37:27,000 And I've gone to the Lord and said, show me where this can change. 388 00:37:27,000 --> 00:37:35,000 So even though I have ears to hear when people are like, I don't have friends, I don't know how to make friends, I'm like, it starts with work on loving yourself. 389 00:37:35,000 --> 00:37:50,000 It starts on building a relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ and then it is by way of the way that His gospel and His church run, we immerse ourselves in service and friendships are likely to abound. 390 00:37:50,000 --> 00:37:51,000 Amen, Abby. 391 00:37:51,000 --> 00:37:58,000 And when I look at my ministering list, like I've made one of my best friends, Pam, she's got to be like in her 60s. 392 00:37:58,000 --> 00:38:01,000 Like by age category, we're not raising our children at the same time. 393 00:38:01,000 --> 00:38:03,000 She's definitely got grandchildren my age. 394 00:38:03,000 --> 00:38:05,000 Like she's a friend. 395 00:38:05,000 --> 00:38:16,000 And it's one of those kinds of friendships that wouldn't have been if it hadn't, you know, if I hadn't been lucky enough to be assigned as her minister for a ministering sister for a time. 396 00:38:16,000 --> 00:38:21,000 So anyway, this is personal testimony of mine, the action item. 397 00:38:21,000 --> 00:38:24,000 If that doesn't feel like the one that you want to focus on, that's fine. 398 00:38:24,000 --> 00:38:42,000 I'm sure there's way more that you can delve into in this talk because a lot of it self reflection and a lot of it is considering, you know, how you've made friends in the past and what friendships matter and which ones you want to cultivate more and really expanding the idea of like, technically everybody could be that. 399 00:38:42,000 --> 00:38:43,000 Absolutely. 400 00:38:43,000 --> 00:38:45,000 And why not assess where you are right now with friendship? 401 00:38:45,000 --> 00:38:48,000 I think that's a beautiful thing. 402 00:38:48,000 --> 00:38:50,000 Should I close with this testimony? 403 00:38:50,000 --> 00:38:52,000 Yes, in closing, please do, Abby. 404 00:38:52,000 --> 00:38:54,000 I love to share something from them. 405 00:38:54,000 --> 00:38:59,000 And he said, in a contingence and divided world, I testify that the Savior Jesus Christ is the great unifier. 406 00:38:59,000 --> 00:39:05,000 May I invite each of us to be worthy of the Savior's invitation to be one and boldly declare as he did. 407 00:39:05,000 --> 00:39:08,000 Ye are my friends in his sacred name, Jesus Christ. 408 00:39:08,000 --> 00:39:09,000 Amen. 409 00:39:09,000 --> 00:39:22,000 We'll catch you next time.