WEBVTT 00:00:07.179 --> 00:00:09.480 Welcome to Closer to Christ through General Conference, 00:00:09.679 --> 00:00:11.880 where two friends who love Jesus share our own 00:00:11.880 --> 00:00:13.619 approach to studying the most recent General 00:00:13.619 --> 00:00:16.500 Conference talks. This is Abbey. And Amy. Let's 00:00:16.500 --> 00:00:31.469 jump into it. Today we get to discuss the talk 00:00:31.469 --> 00:00:34.009 right before our eyes by Elder Ronald A. Rasband, 00:00:34.210 --> 00:00:36.890 Cormorant of the Twelve Apostles. Elder Rasband 00:00:36.890 --> 00:00:39.070 speaks to us about the Church of Jesus Christ 00:00:39.070 --> 00:00:42.329 of Latter -day Saints being one that is growing 00:00:42.329 --> 00:00:45.609 in numbers and in families and missions, missionaries, 00:00:45.630 --> 00:00:47.929 meeting houses, and temples. And he listed all 00:00:47.929 --> 00:00:49.350 of those things, and I thought, I've seen that 00:00:49.350 --> 00:00:52.429 myself. It's so exciting. And he started out 00:00:52.429 --> 00:00:55.990 by quoting our prophet from October conference, 00:00:56.210 --> 00:00:59.460 saying that he asked this very question. And 00:00:59.460 --> 00:01:02.240 it sparked something in him enough to ponder 00:01:02.240 --> 00:01:04.340 on it for the last six months, see what he's 00:01:04.340 --> 00:01:06.579 seen from his own eyes, and then be ready and 00:01:06.579 --> 00:01:08.840 prepared to do this conference address on the 00:01:08.840 --> 00:01:12.219 own things that he's witnessed. What the prophet's 00:01:12.219 --> 00:01:14.879 words were, were, do you see what is happening 00:01:14.879 --> 00:01:17.620 right before our eyes? I pray that we will not 00:01:17.620 --> 00:01:20.079 miss the majesty of this moment. The Lord is 00:01:20.079 --> 00:01:23.599 indeed hastening his work. And isn't that the 00:01:23.599 --> 00:01:26.739 truth? Things can be... happening around us. 00:01:26.819 --> 00:01:29.400 And we can totally miss it if we don't have the 00:01:29.400 --> 00:01:32.019 right eyes to see that. Especially if we're focusing 00:01:32.019 --> 00:01:34.900 on like the garbage that's happening too, because 00:01:34.900 --> 00:01:36.939 that's for sure there as well. Yeah. It's definitely 00:01:36.939 --> 00:01:39.140 a task of ours to have to sort out the important 00:01:39.140 --> 00:01:41.019 from the non -important and to see the signs 00:01:41.019 --> 00:01:44.859 that are there. You think, you know, we've been 00:01:44.859 --> 00:01:47.159 told what the signs of the second coming of our 00:01:47.159 --> 00:01:49.500 Savior Jesus Christ will be, but it's totally 00:01:49.500 --> 00:01:52.599 possible to miss that. to not be aware, not know 00:01:52.599 --> 00:01:54.879 what we're looking for, not see them when they 00:01:54.879 --> 00:01:57.260 come, making you think like back to his birth, 00:01:57.340 --> 00:01:59.859 like, did people miss that star? Were they totally 00:01:59.859 --> 00:02:02.540 ready for it? You know, tell me what stood out 00:02:02.540 --> 00:02:04.280 to you, anything that you'd like to share from 00:02:04.280 --> 00:02:08.139 that quote. So first off, I love the way the 00:02:08.139 --> 00:02:10.439 elder Raz Ben speaks. He speaks right to my heart. 00:02:10.460 --> 00:02:13.240 It resonates with me. First, I feel like he's 00:02:13.240 --> 00:02:16.979 so real. And he also. He's also such a tenderhearted 00:02:16.979 --> 00:02:19.300 soul because he sees the one. That's how I feel 00:02:19.300 --> 00:02:21.580 when he's talking. So right here, I love the 00:02:21.580 --> 00:02:24.240 words he chooses. He says, hastening is a word 00:02:24.240 --> 00:02:27.379 that matters. He said that phrase before, a word 00:02:27.379 --> 00:02:30.159 that matters and words matter, which I love. 00:02:30.259 --> 00:02:32.800 So he grabs our attention. Yes, it plays back 00:02:32.800 --> 00:02:35.909 on. Yes, an idea that he already talked about. 00:02:35.930 --> 00:02:38.810 Words matter. Hastening matters. Hastening is 00:02:38.810 --> 00:02:40.750 the right word for what's going on right now. 00:02:40.830 --> 00:02:44.449 Seriously. So he essentially says, this is something 00:02:44.449 --> 00:02:46.050 that's important. This is worth your attention. 00:02:46.349 --> 00:02:49.250 He goes on to say, hastening suggests moving 00:02:49.250 --> 00:02:53.030 quickly, accelerating, and even urgency. In the 00:02:53.030 --> 00:02:55.009 growth of the church and the plan of Christ, 00:02:55.150 --> 00:02:58.610 hastening is happening, and we are all part of 00:02:58.610 --> 00:03:02.419 it. Something I would love to point out is this. 00:03:02.599 --> 00:03:06.699 There is a difference between quickly accelerating 00:03:06.699 --> 00:03:10.639 and urgency, like Elder Rasband described, and 00:03:10.639 --> 00:03:13.639 then on the other side, opposite end, hurried, 00:03:13.639 --> 00:03:16.580 rushed, and frantic. The first one is how our 00:03:16.580 --> 00:03:18.979 Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ move. There's 00:03:18.979 --> 00:03:22.129 focus. There's much work to be done. We all need 00:03:22.129 --> 00:03:24.810 to do our part. However, there is not a feeling 00:03:24.810 --> 00:03:27.789 of hurry, rush, and being frantic. That's the 00:03:27.789 --> 00:03:30.129 adversary's MO, not our Father in Heaven. So 00:03:30.129 --> 00:03:32.449 if there's ever a point where we hear the things 00:03:32.449 --> 00:03:35.150 that are expected of us and we get the feelings 00:03:35.150 --> 00:03:38.509 of hurry, rush, and being frantic, we can stop 00:03:38.509 --> 00:03:40.870 right there and be like, that is not how Heavenly 00:03:40.870 --> 00:03:43.030 Father wants me to feel about this work. And 00:03:43.030 --> 00:03:44.550 really, that's something that can drive you into 00:03:44.550 --> 00:03:46.750 the ground, bring guilt or shame or whatever, 00:03:46.889 --> 00:03:51.240 and it's not how He operates. And I've talked 00:03:51.240 --> 00:03:54.300 about this before, but I love living by a river. 00:03:54.360 --> 00:03:56.379 It's right outside my window. I watch the ebb 00:03:56.379 --> 00:03:58.120 and the flow over time or through the seasons. 00:03:58.259 --> 00:04:01.280 It's always flowing, even in the winter when 00:04:01.280 --> 00:04:04.419 everything else freezes. It slows and the waters 00:04:04.419 --> 00:04:07.439 recede, but it keeps on going. Right now, there's 00:04:07.439 --> 00:04:10.020 a spring melt off of the snow. So the water level 00:04:10.020 --> 00:04:12.599 is rising every day and the flow is increasing 00:04:12.599 --> 00:04:15.419 in speed. So just like nature, God steadily. 00:04:16.280 --> 00:04:19.600 moves forward around and through any obstacles 00:04:19.600 --> 00:04:23.399 that arise. And right now with this whole hastening, 00:04:23.420 --> 00:04:25.839 the time of hastening, it's kind of like spring 00:04:25.839 --> 00:04:28.279 where things really are picking up in speed. 00:04:28.300 --> 00:04:32.560 And I just love that. I enjoy your river view 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:35.420 too. And I love that. Like sometimes there's 00:04:35.420 --> 00:04:38.600 seasons where we're moving forward and it's directional, 00:04:38.639 --> 00:04:42.279 but it's not like time doesn't fill up the essence. 00:04:42.319 --> 00:04:44.300 But then other times, like you're saying that 00:04:44.300 --> 00:04:47.480 spring, that springtime, there's an abundance. 00:04:47.560 --> 00:04:50.279 So that's what we're living in right now. We 00:04:50.279 --> 00:04:52.500 are living in a time where things are hastening. 00:04:53.100 --> 00:04:56.699 Think of like how many members that we started 00:04:56.699 --> 00:05:00.399 the church with back in that little cabin, April 00:05:00.399 --> 00:05:04.970 6th. Just a handful. And I think he pointed out, 00:05:05.050 --> 00:05:08.069 like, we can really say that saints fill the 00:05:08.069 --> 00:05:11.569 earth or they dot the earth for sure. For sure. 00:05:11.610 --> 00:05:15.079 And they are right now filling the earth. with 00:05:15.079 --> 00:05:17.560 the missionary work. Another thing that I liked 00:05:17.560 --> 00:05:21.220 how Elder Rasband tells us is from personal experience, 00:05:21.439 --> 00:05:24.540 why his words are getting more exciting is he's 00:05:24.540 --> 00:05:26.500 going on some great assignments and he's seeing 00:05:26.500 --> 00:05:28.399 this firsthand from these different assignments 00:05:28.399 --> 00:05:30.660 around the world. He said, in my assignments 00:05:30.660 --> 00:05:33.019 this year, I had a front row seat to the Lord 00:05:33.019 --> 00:05:35.920 hastening his work. I feel the humility in his 00:05:35.920 --> 00:05:39.060 words when he says that. He seems to be in awe 00:05:39.060 --> 00:05:41.839 about what he's able to witness from his own 00:05:41.839 --> 00:05:45.350 eyes. And he's seeing Firsthand, how the work 00:05:45.350 --> 00:05:47.829 is moving along, it's strengthening his testimony 00:05:47.829 --> 00:05:51.870 firsthand. He goes on to say three things that 00:05:51.870 --> 00:05:57.230 are a focus of where he's seeing the church growing 00:05:57.230 --> 00:05:59.750 today. He mentioned the building of temples at 00:05:59.750 --> 00:06:02.990 an unprecedented pace. He said missionary work 00:06:02.990 --> 00:06:05.310 is gathering record numbers to the fold of the 00:06:05.310 --> 00:06:07.589 Good Shepherd, Jesus Christ. And third, he said 00:06:07.589 --> 00:06:10.550 church education in many configurations is at 00:06:10.550 --> 00:06:13.699 new heights. new high and teaching those who 00:06:13.699 --> 00:06:16.839 seek this Jesus. And he posed a great question. 00:06:16.959 --> 00:06:20.379 He said, what is the purpose of 367 temples in 00:06:20.379 --> 00:06:23.120 various stages of completion? And answered his 00:06:23.120 --> 00:06:25.639 own question by saying, what is written above 00:06:25.639 --> 00:06:28.480 the door of every temple? Holiness to the Lord. 00:06:28.560 --> 00:06:31.860 I love that part, Abby. He reminds us that the 00:06:31.860 --> 00:06:34.300 temple opens the way for the highest blessing 00:06:34.300 --> 00:06:36.959 our Father in heaven has for each one of us. 00:06:37.620 --> 00:06:40.040 He takes us back to the hastening of the work 00:06:40.040 --> 00:06:42.360 again. Brothers and sisters, we are hastening 00:06:42.360 --> 00:06:45.079 our holiness as we live temple worthy, as we 00:06:45.079 --> 00:06:47.000 worship in the house of the Lord, and as we make 00:06:47.000 --> 00:06:49.000 covenants with God for ourselves and on behalf 00:06:49.000 --> 00:06:52.019 of our ancestors on the other side of the veil. 00:06:52.819 --> 00:06:55.939 So Amy, what about the next point on this list? 00:06:56.000 --> 00:06:57.500 Let's spend some time talking about missionary 00:06:57.500 --> 00:07:01.889 work as he sees it. Thanks, Abby. I like how 00:07:01.889 --> 00:07:05.310 he does start out with numbers. And they're quite 00:07:05.310 --> 00:07:08.350 impressive, actually. He said in 2024, 80 ,000 00:07:08.350 --> 00:07:11.470 missionaries were serving in 450 missions. 36 00:07:11.470 --> 00:07:14.529 of those are new missions. So again, growth. 00:07:14.730 --> 00:07:19.470 Last year, missionary work brought over 308 ,000 00:07:19.470 --> 00:07:22.410 new members into the church. And then he concluded, 00:07:22.610 --> 00:07:24.730 and this is one reason I love his approach, because 00:07:24.730 --> 00:07:28.129 he sees people. He said more than numbers, the 00:07:28.129 --> 00:07:37.000 Spirit So that part touched my heart because, 00:07:37.040 --> 00:07:39.680 again, he sees the people. He understands, yes, 00:07:39.759 --> 00:07:42.759 it's good to have growth. We do need to keep 00:07:42.759 --> 00:07:44.600 track of what's happening because this is a church 00:07:44.600 --> 00:07:46.420 of order, just like God is a church of order. 00:07:46.579 --> 00:07:50.449 However, he puts the focus. on gathering souls 00:07:50.449 --> 00:07:53.250 to Jesus Christ. I love the story he tells of 00:07:53.250 --> 00:07:55.329 the early church missionaries, Heber C. Kimball 00:07:55.329 --> 00:07:57.610 and a young Brigham Young. They were sick and 00:07:57.610 --> 00:08:00.410 going by wagon to their mission. He shares this, 00:08:00.569 --> 00:08:02.850 the two climbed into a wagon and while still 00:08:02.850 --> 00:08:05.250 in sight of their loved ones who were waving 00:08:05.250 --> 00:08:08.209 to them, Heber said, let's rise up and give them 00:08:08.209 --> 00:08:10.670 a cheer. The two struggled to their feet and 00:08:10.670 --> 00:08:13.149 shouted hurrah, hurrah for Israel. Love that. 00:08:13.389 --> 00:08:16.709 Then, And to put that into perspective of what 00:08:16.709 --> 00:08:20.850 he just witnessed in Lima, Peru, he met with 00:08:20.850 --> 00:08:22.850 a bunch of missionaries at the MTC. And then 00:08:22.850 --> 00:08:25.089 he talks about Lima. Holy cow. There are seven 00:08:25.089 --> 00:08:30.189 missions in the city of Lima alone. My own son 00:08:30.189 --> 00:08:33.009 recently returned from Lima, and his mission 00:08:33.009 --> 00:08:35.730 was about 10 square miles. It's a huge city. 00:08:35.730 --> 00:08:37.250 It was tiny. I've been there. It's huge. And 00:08:37.250 --> 00:08:44.639 he always said, everyone lives on— Alex said? 00:08:45.120 --> 00:08:46.840 How many missions? Yeah, there weren't quite 00:08:46.840 --> 00:08:48.500 the seven yet, right? Or have there been seven? 00:08:48.519 --> 00:08:50.720 I think there were seven yet because that's also 00:08:50.720 --> 00:08:53.580 his mission president. When I talked to him one 00:08:53.580 --> 00:08:56.840 time on the phone, he said that was when it was 00:08:56.840 --> 00:08:59.360 the temple was not completed yet, the Lima one. 00:08:59.460 --> 00:09:04.139 He said, we are the only place outside of Utah 00:09:04.139 --> 00:09:07.950 that has two temples. That's a big deal in one 00:09:07.950 --> 00:09:10.129 city. Now, others have been announced. Others 00:09:10.129 --> 00:09:11.690 are in the works now, but that was what he said 00:09:11.690 --> 00:09:15.509 then. Oh yeah, and my son said, everyone lived 00:09:15.509 --> 00:09:17.490 on top of each other, up the mountains using 00:09:17.490 --> 00:09:19.149 every square inch of land. And it was a little 00:09:19.149 --> 00:09:21.389 bit difficult to find an address because you'd 00:09:21.389 --> 00:09:23.549 get to one and you're like, well, which one is 00:09:23.549 --> 00:09:25.830 it? Is the one here or up the mountain five, 00:09:25.990 --> 00:09:29.190 you know, whatever, a bunch of steps. So anyway, 00:09:29.289 --> 00:09:31.090 this is to say that the missionary group must 00:09:31.090 --> 00:09:33.649 have been quite large that he talked to. And 00:09:33.649 --> 00:09:37.200 taking a cue from Heber C. Kimball and Brigham 00:09:37.200 --> 00:09:40.240 Young, the missionaries rose up and cheered hurrah 00:09:40.240 --> 00:09:43.360 for Israel for Elder Rasband. And again, Abby, 00:09:43.500 --> 00:09:44.980 I know I've said this before, but I just feel 00:09:44.980 --> 00:09:47.480 this woven throughout the words that Elder Rasband 00:09:47.480 --> 00:09:50.139 speaks. This is where his humility and connection 00:09:50.139 --> 00:09:52.759 with people comes in. He drew me right in when 00:09:52.759 --> 00:09:55.419 he said this, I will never forget that moment. 00:09:55.799 --> 00:09:58.220 I wish all of you could have been there right 00:09:58.220 --> 00:10:00.320 before my eyes were missionaries who had set 00:10:00.320 --> 00:10:03.100 aside the things of this world to serve the Lord 00:10:03.100 --> 00:10:06.580 and help hasten his coming. I just love that 00:10:06.580 --> 00:10:10.659 he had a very strong spiritual experience. He 00:10:10.659 --> 00:10:14.000 witnessed, he had firsthand witness of the hastening 00:10:14.000 --> 00:10:16.100 of the work. And the first thing he says is, 00:10:16.120 --> 00:10:18.840 I wish you all could have been there. The emotion 00:10:18.840 --> 00:10:21.980 in his voice and the tears in his eyes kind of 00:10:21.980 --> 00:10:24.379 helped me feel like I could experience that moment. 00:10:24.559 --> 00:10:27.240 Yeah, like the Spirit said, wow, that was a grand 00:10:27.240 --> 00:10:31.100 moment. So thank you for sharing that, Amy. He 00:10:31.100 --> 00:10:33.320 is a powerful speaker and he connects with his 00:10:33.320 --> 00:10:35.379 audience. And I appreciate his approach as well, 00:10:35.440 --> 00:10:39.320 because the third point that I had talked about 00:10:39.320 --> 00:10:41.679 before, the third and final point he made was 00:10:41.679 --> 00:10:45.000 about church education. We do see the Lord hastening 00:10:45.000 --> 00:10:47.100 educational opportunities for our members and 00:10:47.100 --> 00:10:48.840 even those not of our faith around the world. 00:10:49.279 --> 00:10:51.919 And I've told you before, my husband works in 00:10:51.919 --> 00:10:54.299 this area, the church educational system. So 00:10:54.299 --> 00:10:56.240 it's close to my heart and it does play a big 00:10:56.240 --> 00:10:58.779 role in our lives. He said currently more than 00:10:58.779 --> 00:11:02.139 800 ,000 students worldwide are enrolled in seminary 00:11:02.139 --> 00:11:04.320 and institute the highest enrollment in the history 00:11:04.320 --> 00:11:07.620 of the church. And I love this, the BYU pathway 00:11:07.620 --> 00:11:11.299 worldwide. has an enrollment that's 75 ,000 and 00:11:11.299 --> 00:11:13.980 continues to grow rapidly. Amazing. Most are 00:11:13.980 --> 00:11:16.139 members and more than a third are in Africa. 00:11:16.200 --> 00:11:18.200 I was going to say that. The growth of the church 00:11:18.200 --> 00:11:21.159 in Africa is going to astound us like in a handful 00:11:21.159 --> 00:11:25.580 of years. It's amazing. It's amazing what it's 00:11:25.580 --> 00:11:29.419 doing for our brothers and sisters there. In 00:11:29.419 --> 00:11:31.559 fact, Elder Rasband shared that he visited Uganda. 00:11:31.639 --> 00:11:33.720 He met with a stake presidency there and learned 00:11:33.720 --> 00:11:35.460 that all the members of that presidency were 00:11:35.460 --> 00:11:37.679 enrolled in the Pathway Program. I love that 00:11:37.679 --> 00:11:40.559 picture with all of them smiling. And it was 00:11:40.559 --> 00:11:42.860 just like that. That's what this is about. You 00:11:42.860 --> 00:11:45.759 know, 20 years ago, I took a little trip to Peru. 00:11:45.879 --> 00:11:48.360 It was a service mission doing some dental work. 00:11:48.419 --> 00:11:51.220 And we worked pretty close with these students 00:11:51.220 --> 00:11:54.220 and in talking, getting to know them a little 00:11:54.220 --> 00:11:56.879 bit better. They invited us to a young single 00:11:56.879 --> 00:11:58.899 adult activity. Oh, wow. They didn't know our 00:11:58.899 --> 00:12:01.879 religious affiliation. Oh, gotcha. We weren't 00:12:01.879 --> 00:12:03.500 there as church members. We were there as a dental 00:12:03.500 --> 00:12:05.419 community. I happened to be a member of their 00:12:05.419 --> 00:12:08.220 same church. And to know that they were utilizing, 00:12:08.759 --> 00:12:13.500 like they were practicing up and they were going 00:12:13.500 --> 00:12:15.299 to get some of the best jobs that there can be 00:12:15.299 --> 00:12:16.899 in that country. They were going to be dentists. 00:12:17.240 --> 00:12:20.820 And then, I mean, I just kind of quickly thought 00:12:20.820 --> 00:12:24.009 of that when I thought of these. brethren that 00:12:24.009 --> 00:12:25.490 were serving in the state presidency and also 00:12:25.490 --> 00:12:27.610 trying to tackle the school thing. What a great 00:12:27.610 --> 00:12:29.529 message that they'll be able to share with their, 00:12:29.529 --> 00:12:34.370 you know, their flock. That they're busy probably 00:12:34.370 --> 00:12:35.830 with their callings and their lives and they're 00:12:35.830 --> 00:12:38.409 also furthering their education. Yeah. And it's 00:12:38.409 --> 00:12:40.870 touching to see how the Lord values that. He 00:12:40.870 --> 00:12:48.309 doesn't, not everybody can come to BYU. BYU, 00:12:48.429 --> 00:12:51.710 Idaho has expanded. greatly. Like so many kids 00:12:51.710 --> 00:12:54.610 are going there and that's to BYU Hawaii. What 00:12:54.610 --> 00:12:57.129 a service that provided to our brothers and sisters 00:12:57.129 --> 00:12:59.090 that were, you know, Islanders and be able to 00:12:59.090 --> 00:13:00.909 kind of keep their culture and be, you know, 00:13:00.909 --> 00:13:03.009 significant. But I mean, it's kind of still far 00:13:03.009 --> 00:13:05.529 away from home when you look at how, you know, 00:13:05.529 --> 00:13:07.649 all of these like micro islands and stuff, but 00:13:07.649 --> 00:13:10.970 with the pathways program, they really know none 00:13:10.970 --> 00:13:12.750 of his children are out of the reach of education 00:13:12.750 --> 00:13:15.049 and the opportunities that it can provide because 00:13:15.049 --> 00:13:17.450 to the Lord, all things are spiritual and temporal. 00:13:17.529 --> 00:13:21.639 They're the same to him. For sure. And so maybe 00:13:21.639 --> 00:13:23.919 if you're listening to this and you've been toying 00:13:23.919 --> 00:13:26.580 with the idea of furthering your education, and 00:13:26.580 --> 00:13:30.659 maybe overwhelmed with what adjustment that's 00:13:30.659 --> 00:13:32.580 going to make to your life, maybe you just sit 00:13:32.580 --> 00:13:36.139 for a moment and you think, you know, be in his 00:13:36.139 --> 00:13:38.980 hands, be willing to do, and stop and think maybe 00:13:38.980 --> 00:13:41.639 there's something that you've been wanting to 00:13:41.639 --> 00:13:43.799 do, but in your mind you put it off and you'll 00:13:43.799 --> 00:13:46.200 think about it later when the time's right. You 00:13:46.200 --> 00:13:48.419 know, maybe ask if now's the right time. And 00:13:48.419 --> 00:13:50.059 it doesn't have to be pathways. I'm just saying 00:13:50.059 --> 00:13:52.200 that is an opportunity. He doesn't really care 00:13:52.200 --> 00:13:54.860 what we delve into because all grows the same 00:13:54.860 --> 00:13:56.779 to him and he can use all of the things that 00:13:56.779 --> 00:14:05.100 we do for his purpose, I think. Absolutely. I 00:14:05.100 --> 00:14:09.620 will just say I love that he kicked off this 00:14:09.620 --> 00:14:12.000 talk with the word hastening. I love that you 00:14:12.000 --> 00:14:15.679 shared kind of the vocabulary terminology with 00:14:15.679 --> 00:14:18.340 this. But when we think about hastening the work, 00:14:18.500 --> 00:14:20.659 it's really special. I love that he pointed out 00:14:20.659 --> 00:14:22.580 just a few main ideas that we can think about 00:14:22.580 --> 00:14:24.059 that we can say with our own eyes, have we been 00:14:24.059 --> 00:14:26.299 witnessing that ourselves too? That's true. And 00:14:26.299 --> 00:14:28.120 the whole talk just focused around this idea 00:14:28.120 --> 00:14:31.759 of hastening. Totally agree, Abby. There's one 00:14:31.759 --> 00:14:34.899 more thing he shared that really struck me. Listening 00:14:34.899 --> 00:14:37.580 to the wording here, because I really wasn't 00:14:37.580 --> 00:14:40.639 expecting it. He quotes our Savior in D &C 636, 00:14:41.139 --> 00:14:43.200 Let God do me in every thought, doubt not, fear 00:14:43.200 --> 00:14:46.529 not. Faith in Jesus Christ can lift you up and 00:14:46.529 --> 00:14:48.649 heal your wounded soul, he says. And then he 00:14:48.649 --> 00:14:52.669 says these words, trust him and you will hasten 00:14:52.669 --> 00:14:56.549 your return to the arms of his love. Elder Rasband 00:14:56.549 --> 00:14:59.309 is a master teacher. He turns the hastening to 00:14:59.309 --> 00:15:02.269 each one of us. He puts the key into our hands 00:15:02.269 --> 00:15:04.190 right where it always was if we were being proactive 00:15:04.190 --> 00:15:07.470 with our agency. We hasten our own return to 00:15:07.470 --> 00:15:10.809 Jesus. We partner with him in hastening his work. 00:15:11.480 --> 00:15:13.720 And the Father's work. I felt like the whole 00:15:13.720 --> 00:15:17.860 talk, I was kind of framing the hastening as 00:15:17.860 --> 00:15:20.320 something the Lord is doing and then something 00:15:20.320 --> 00:15:24.580 the Heavenly Father is doing. Like you're a spectator 00:15:24.580 --> 00:15:26.620 just watching this happen. Exactly. And I was 00:15:26.620 --> 00:15:28.940 like, man, this is great. And it switched. Yes. 00:15:29.980 --> 00:15:32.120 And that's exactly, yeah, look what they're doing. 00:15:32.200 --> 00:15:34.299 And I get to have a front row seat just like 00:15:34.299 --> 00:15:36.960 he is to this hastening. happening, a miracle. 00:15:37.259 --> 00:15:39.980 And now the focus is turned to each one of us. 00:15:40.039 --> 00:15:41.940 I think it's a beautiful and great reminder of 00:15:41.940 --> 00:15:45.419 the role that each one of us play. And I'm grateful 00:15:45.419 --> 00:15:47.120 for that teaching. And you know what? Maybe people 00:15:47.120 --> 00:15:48.720 listening to this are like, well, duh, that was 00:15:48.720 --> 00:15:50.679 the whole point of the talk. But when I heard 00:15:50.679 --> 00:15:52.820 those words, that's the point where I got it. 00:15:53.539 --> 00:15:56.279 Well, I want to jump back up to that quote from 00:15:56.279 --> 00:15:58.940 Jesus Christ in his words. He's like, if you 00:15:58.940 --> 00:16:01.019 trust me, I will hasten your return to the arm 00:16:01.019 --> 00:16:05.580 of my love. Meaning, that we have the promise 00:16:05.580 --> 00:16:07.600 that if we engage ourselves in that work, that 00:16:07.600 --> 00:16:09.120 we get to fill his presence and we get to be 00:16:09.120 --> 00:16:11.179 with him and link ourselves and do that work 00:16:11.179 --> 00:16:13.679 with him. Maybe my first reading would be like, 00:16:13.740 --> 00:16:15.320 oh, that means I'm going to die faster and be 00:16:15.320 --> 00:16:17.299 with him. But that's not what he's saying. No. 00:16:17.580 --> 00:16:19.559 Earthside, hear what we're doing. We can have 00:16:19.559 --> 00:16:22.120 that loving presence and fill that. Yeah. I feel 00:16:22.120 --> 00:16:24.580 like individually, that means that we can have 00:16:24.580 --> 00:16:28.600 an earlier. Being reunited now, of course, it 00:16:28.600 --> 00:16:31.220 isn't physical, but we can feel of his presence 00:16:31.220 --> 00:16:34.179 more. We can live in his presence more. And that 00:16:34.179 --> 00:16:38.580 would be preceding his second coming. So we've 00:16:38.580 --> 00:16:41.960 talked about litmus tests, maybe as we're engaging 00:16:41.960 --> 00:16:45.019 in different things where we only have so much 00:16:45.019 --> 00:16:48.039 time. to do certain things and when we choose 00:16:48.039 --> 00:16:49.659 what we're going to spend our time doing as we're 00:16:49.659 --> 00:16:52.480 doing them maybe the litmus test is like do you 00:16:52.480 --> 00:16:54.340 feel like you're partnered with jesus christ 00:16:54.340 --> 00:16:56.899 in the work that you're doing very good on college 00:16:56.899 --> 00:17:00.200 campuses you can certainly you can certainly 00:17:00.200 --> 00:17:02.460 be a voice that it's a little different than 00:17:02.460 --> 00:17:05.220 like than the norm my husband i've probably mentioned 00:17:05.220 --> 00:17:09.230 this on here but My husband didn't try to make 00:17:09.230 --> 00:17:11.589 enemies, but he put his values out there and 00:17:11.589 --> 00:17:13.869 he stood by his beliefs and so comes out stronger 00:17:13.869 --> 00:17:16.069 on the other end. But I don't think he really 00:17:16.069 --> 00:17:19.289 created enemies. I think he demonstrated being 00:17:19.289 --> 00:17:21.390 a witness of Jesus Christ in everything that 00:17:21.390 --> 00:17:22.890 he was doing. He didn't have to put that on the 00:17:22.890 --> 00:17:24.390 bookshelf and then pick it back up after his 00:17:24.390 --> 00:17:26.650 college experience. Some colleges, you're kind 00:17:26.650 --> 00:17:29.210 of expected to do that. What was an example? 00:17:32.329 --> 00:17:34.869 You know, as you have to engage in different 00:17:34.869 --> 00:17:37.289 student forums, like you have to interact with 00:17:37.289 --> 00:17:40.029 people. If he had an opportunity to testify, 00:17:40.349 --> 00:17:42.470 then he definitely would. Or if they were like, 00:17:42.490 --> 00:17:44.210 introduce yourself, he put it out there that 00:17:44.210 --> 00:17:47.130 he was a religious educator. You know, a lot 00:17:47.130 --> 00:17:48.849 very different from what his other classmates 00:17:48.849 --> 00:17:50.829 that were on there were doing. But he wasn't 00:17:50.829 --> 00:17:53.529 like afraid to be like, well, just going to kind 00:17:53.529 --> 00:17:55.410 of shrink away from that. He put it out there 00:17:55.410 --> 00:17:58.240 so then they know. exactly like what kind of 00:17:58.240 --> 00:17:59.660 person that they're going to be dealing with. 00:17:59.759 --> 00:18:02.259 And then if he has a chance to testify that he's 00:18:02.259 --> 00:18:05.160 going to, and he set limits on, you know, he 00:18:05.160 --> 00:18:07.359 didn't want to use Sundays for school endeavors. 00:18:07.579 --> 00:18:10.019 And so he would, he would just be very upfront. 00:18:10.079 --> 00:18:11.859 Like if he doesn't have anybody to interact with 00:18:11.859 --> 00:18:14.460 by Saturday night at midnight, then he'll take 00:18:14.460 --> 00:18:16.579 the grade hit. But his teachers never punished 00:18:16.579 --> 00:18:18.460 him for that, even though they definitely were 00:18:18.460 --> 00:18:20.940 not affiliated with the church. So I think that 00:18:20.940 --> 00:18:24.500 was, that was great. to witness. I don't know 00:18:24.500 --> 00:18:26.039 that I did the best. I was very young when I 00:18:26.039 --> 00:18:28.700 did my college experience. I'm sure that I was 00:18:28.700 --> 00:18:30.720 like, well, for the test, I'm going to just get 00:18:30.720 --> 00:18:34.339 through and do this thing. But you know, if I 00:18:34.339 --> 00:18:36.220 could redo it, maybe I would be a different person. 00:18:36.380 --> 00:18:38.539 I'm not embarrassed about the person I put on 00:18:38.539 --> 00:18:41.500 display, but if I can say this to my children 00:18:41.500 --> 00:18:43.660 before they go, when it's like, be true to yourself 00:18:43.660 --> 00:18:46.740 and stand up for your beliefs and don't be afraid 00:18:46.740 --> 00:18:49.009 about. you know, grades. If you're writing an 00:18:49.009 --> 00:18:50.950 English paper, you don't skirt around your real 00:18:50.950 --> 00:18:53.630 beliefs to appease an English teacher. That's 00:18:53.630 --> 00:18:55.109 true. And I wouldn't say I did that. I'm just 00:18:55.109 --> 00:18:57.589 saying, what if I had the opportunity to do it 00:18:57.589 --> 00:18:59.569 again? Would I be a little bit braver and stronger? 00:18:59.710 --> 00:19:01.410 Would I hasten his work rather than just get 00:19:01.410 --> 00:19:04.269 through school is school, church is church? Could 00:19:04.269 --> 00:19:05.769 I have integrated those a little bit differently? 00:19:05.970 --> 00:19:09.309 That's a good point. Let me just ask you any... 00:19:09.769 --> 00:19:12.529 Final thoughts in closing? I do, Abby. Elder 00:19:12.529 --> 00:19:15.009 Rasband shared this. There are, oh, I love this 00:19:15.009 --> 00:19:18.529 so much. There are naysayers who shout low here 00:19:18.529 --> 00:19:21.789 and low there, just as they did in the Prophet 00:19:21.789 --> 00:19:25.109 Joseph Smith's time. However, they are and will 00:19:25.109 --> 00:19:28.150 be but mere footnotes in this noble work. Remember 00:19:28.150 --> 00:19:30.670 the words of Joseph Smith. No unhallowed hand 00:19:30.670 --> 00:19:33.369 can stop the work from progressing. Persecutions 00:19:33.369 --> 00:19:37.140 may rage. but the truth of god will go forth 00:19:37.140 --> 00:19:40.420 boldly nobly and independent till it has penetrated 00:19:40.420 --> 00:19:44.240 every continent visited every clime swept every 00:19:44.240 --> 00:19:46.859 country and sounded in every ear till the purpose 00:19:46.859 --> 00:19:50.140 of god shall be accomplished and the great jehovah 00:19:50.140 --> 00:19:52.880 shall say the work is done I really love how 00:19:52.880 --> 00:19:55.319 he puts into perspective naysayers and those 00:19:55.319 --> 00:19:58.420 who work against God and his work. Do they exist? 00:19:58.619 --> 00:20:01.599 Absolutely. They do. Do we need to put our focus 00:20:01.599 --> 00:20:05.559 on them? No. If we want to move forward unfettered, 00:20:05.559 --> 00:20:08.579 then we don't put our focus on them. I see them 00:20:08.579 --> 00:20:10.680 like the way I look at it is I see them in my 00:20:10.680 --> 00:20:14.339 rear view mirror. They're there, but of no consequence 00:20:14.339 --> 00:20:16.859 as I move past them and focus on what's important 00:20:16.859 --> 00:20:20.589 to me in my life. which is being a disciple of 00:20:20.589 --> 00:20:23.650 Jesus Christ. I feel like that's a great action 00:20:23.650 --> 00:20:26.210 item, Ames. I think maybe each of us could pray 00:20:26.210 --> 00:20:29.109 to be aware of what or who may be a naysayer 00:20:29.109 --> 00:20:31.869 in our life or what those distractions look like 00:20:31.869 --> 00:20:35.269 in this great work and then try to move our focus 00:20:35.269 --> 00:20:39.089 from them back to our personal priorities and 00:20:39.089 --> 00:20:40.930 to God's promise and blessings that he will build 00:20:40.930 --> 00:20:43.650 his kingdom with us. We can do that job together 00:20:43.650 --> 00:20:46.529 as we prepare for the return of our Savior, Jesus 00:20:46.529 --> 00:20:50.660 Christ. Love that. I'm just going to finish with 00:20:50.660 --> 00:20:53.640 his testimony and I echo his words. I emphasize 00:20:53.640 --> 00:20:56.019 again the words of our living prophet. Do you 00:20:56.019 --> 00:20:58.019 see what is happening right before our eyes? 00:20:58.160 --> 00:21:00.660 I pray that we will not miss the majesty of this 00:21:00.660 --> 00:21:03.940 moment. The Lord is hastening his work. May we 00:21:03.940 --> 00:21:06.980 as disciples of our day shout hurrah for Israel 00:21:06.980 --> 00:21:09.859 as we prepare for the return of our Lord and 00:21:09.859 --> 00:21:11.720 Savior in the name of Jesus Christ, amen.