WEBVTT 00:00:07.460 --> 00:00:09.660 Welcome to Closer to Christ through General Conference, 00:00:09.880 --> 00:00:12.080 where two friends who love Jesus share our own 00:00:12.080 --> 00:00:13.939 approach to studying the most recent General 00:00:13.939 --> 00:00:16.879 Conference talks. This is Abbey and Amy. Let's 00:00:16.879 --> 00:00:28.579 jump into it. Today's talk is Your Repentance 00:00:28.579 --> 00:00:30.660 Doesn't Burden Jesus Christ, It Brightens His 00:00:30.660 --> 00:00:33.619 Joy. This was done by Sister Tamara Runya, First 00:00:33.619 --> 00:00:35.219 Counselor, Young Women's General Presidency. 00:00:35.899 --> 00:00:38.179 I can't tell you the number of times that I've 00:00:38.179 --> 00:00:40.719 heard her quoted since this talk or the comments 00:00:40.719 --> 00:00:43.320 that were made on Facebook or whatever myriad 00:00:43.320 --> 00:00:46.679 of conversations. With the hands. Yes, she was 00:00:46.679 --> 00:00:49.740 very demonstrative with her hands or whatever, 00:00:49.840 --> 00:00:52.119 but then the message hit a lot of people's hearts. 00:00:52.299 --> 00:00:54.840 For sure. Yeah, it's been a really popular talk 00:00:54.840 --> 00:00:57.060 to reference since that time. So thank you for 00:00:57.060 --> 00:00:58.780 being with us today as we get to jump in and 00:00:58.780 --> 00:01:02.479 discuss this together. Starting out, several 00:01:02.479 --> 00:01:04.700 years ago, Sister Runia sat outside reading a 00:01:04.700 --> 00:01:07.099 book. Its title suggested that we can still make 00:01:07.099 --> 00:01:09.040 it to heaven even though we're not perfect now. 00:01:09.219 --> 00:01:11.840 A woman walking by asked, do you think it's possible? 00:01:12.400 --> 00:01:14.659 She looked up, confused, and then realized she 00:01:14.659 --> 00:01:17.040 was talking about the book. She said, well, I'm 00:01:17.040 --> 00:01:18.939 not that far into it, but I'll let you know how 00:01:18.939 --> 00:01:22.060 it ends. Then she teaches us with these words. 00:01:22.219 --> 00:01:24.780 Oh, how I wish I could travel back in time. I 00:01:24.780 --> 00:01:27.859 tell her, yes, it's possible because heaven isn't 00:01:27.859 --> 00:01:30.280 for people who've been perfect. It's for people 00:01:30.280 --> 00:01:32.500 who have been forgiven, who chose Christ again 00:01:32.500 --> 00:01:36.340 and again. I love this, Abby. I feel like everything 00:01:36.340 --> 00:01:39.739 that she taught us in this talk is something 00:01:39.739 --> 00:01:42.340 that landed well with people's hearts. Like you 00:01:42.340 --> 00:01:45.060 said, we've heard it over the pulpit, just people 00:01:45.060 --> 00:01:46.439 talking about it, whether it's in their testimony 00:01:46.439 --> 00:01:49.200 or in their talk. And you can tell that it hit 00:01:49.200 --> 00:01:52.019 them and it was like the right message at the 00:01:52.019 --> 00:01:55.040 right time so many of us we want to be perfect 00:01:55.040 --> 00:01:56.799 but we just know we haven't achieved that and 00:01:56.799 --> 00:01:58.439 just to hear the way that she phrased it in the 00:01:58.439 --> 00:02:01.019 conversation that comes from this talk let us 00:02:01.019 --> 00:02:02.920 all know like we've got a good chance because 00:02:02.920 --> 00:02:06.450 exactly and she said it over and over So Sister 00:02:06.450 --> 00:02:09.889 Runia used to measure her relationship with the 00:02:09.889 --> 00:02:12.949 Savior by how perfectly she was living. She thought 00:02:12.949 --> 00:02:14.849 an obedient life meant that she would never need 00:02:14.849 --> 00:02:17.710 to repent. And when she made mistakes, which 00:02:17.710 --> 00:02:19.789 was every single day, then she would distance 00:02:19.789 --> 00:02:22.449 herself from God thinking, he must be so disappointed 00:02:22.449 --> 00:02:25.409 in me. And then she says, that's just not true. 00:02:25.930 --> 00:02:27.909 She says, I've learned that if you wait until 00:02:27.909 --> 00:02:30.409 you're clean enough or perfect enough to go to 00:02:30.409 --> 00:02:32.789 the Savior, you've missed the whole point. So 00:02:32.789 --> 00:02:34.750 a question would be, what if we thought about 00:02:35.180 --> 00:02:37.560 commandments and obedience in a different way. 00:02:37.659 --> 00:02:40.500 So she really has us reframe the way we're looking 00:02:40.500 --> 00:02:43.159 at this. She says, I testify that while God cares 00:02:43.159 --> 00:02:46.280 about our mistakes, He cares more about what 00:02:46.280 --> 00:02:48.439 happens after we make a mistake. Are we going 00:02:48.439 --> 00:02:51.280 to turn to Him again and again? Are we going 00:02:51.280 --> 00:02:53.719 to stay in this covenant relationship? I love 00:02:53.719 --> 00:02:55.340 that. I've said that to my kids so many times 00:02:55.340 --> 00:02:58.539 is, you made a mistake. The most important thing 00:02:58.539 --> 00:03:00.539 is what happens next. Are you going to hide and 00:03:00.539 --> 00:03:02.620 just be like, not acknowledging that we're not 00:03:02.620 --> 00:03:05.340 doing it? you know this is a chance for growth 00:03:05.340 --> 00:03:08.280 um when we repent we receive the gift of christ's 00:03:08.280 --> 00:03:12.080 atonement actually receive it she reminds us 00:03:12.080 --> 00:03:13.960 that in our quest to keep the commandments to 00:03:13.960 --> 00:03:16.520 remember that repenting may be the most often 00:03:16.520 --> 00:03:19.199 repeated commandment in the scriptures she said 00:03:19.199 --> 00:03:22.379 our prophet said the savior loves us always but 00:03:22.379 --> 00:03:24.400 especially when we repent as i was listening 00:03:24.400 --> 00:03:28.969 to this talk over today again I remembered there 00:03:28.969 --> 00:03:31.090 have been quite a few over the years. I think 00:03:31.090 --> 00:03:33.270 one was maybe about 2014, but it was get really, 00:03:33.389 --> 00:03:36.069 really, really good at repenting. And then another 00:03:36.069 --> 00:03:39.090 one was repent every day. Was it repent every 00:03:39.090 --> 00:03:41.449 day, every day, every day? So I feel like this 00:03:41.449 --> 00:03:44.169 message, of course, because it is one of the 00:03:44.169 --> 00:03:46.949 main principles of the gospel, we're going to 00:03:46.949 --> 00:03:50.000 hear it often. It's not that it's new information. 00:03:50.240 --> 00:03:52.759 It's just that we need to learn over and over 00:03:52.759 --> 00:03:55.139 and over in a layered approach. And we're not 00:03:55.139 --> 00:03:57.400 the same people we were back in 2014. We're not 00:03:57.400 --> 00:03:58.819 the same people we were back. When I say the 00:03:58.819 --> 00:04:00.860 same people, I mean like we have probably a different 00:04:00.860 --> 00:04:03.659 circle of people, maybe even added, you know, 00:04:03.659 --> 00:04:05.259 because of children, maybe spouses, whatever 00:04:05.259 --> 00:04:08.599 it is, but you're constantly changing and growing 00:04:08.599 --> 00:04:11.939 and our circumstances are different. The relationship 00:04:11.939 --> 00:04:14.419 challenges are different. And so it's just so 00:04:14.419 --> 00:04:17.040 wonderful to listen to it in a different way. 00:04:17.519 --> 00:04:19.959 by another servant of the lord who shines their 00:04:19.959 --> 00:04:22.839 light in a very specific way and i just feel 00:04:22.839 --> 00:04:25.639 like she knocked this out of the park like if 00:04:25.639 --> 00:04:28.540 i were heavenly father or the heavenly host watching 00:04:28.540 --> 00:04:30.740 her do this i'd be like she's doing so great 00:04:30.740 --> 00:04:32.560 and like clapping her on just like every person 00:04:32.560 --> 00:04:35.060 that talked in conference it was a very timely 00:04:35.060 --> 00:04:38.220 message for us and and something you said that 00:04:38.220 --> 00:04:41.139 that last quote you shared the savior loves us 00:04:41.139 --> 00:04:43.620 always but especially when we repent i just feel 00:04:43.620 --> 00:04:48.100 like um yes the love is the love it sometimes 00:04:48.100 --> 00:04:50.360 can feel one -sided because they just have this 00:04:50.360 --> 00:04:52.980 immense amount of love for us we show our love 00:04:52.980 --> 00:04:55.319 back to them by certain actions that we do we 00:04:55.319 --> 00:04:56.779 know that we're going to come here we know that 00:04:56.779 --> 00:04:57.860 we're going to make mistakes and we're going 00:04:57.860 --> 00:05:00.439 to to sin but needing a savior and turning to 00:05:00.439 --> 00:05:03.699 the savior is their love language yes they're 00:05:03.699 --> 00:05:06.720 they're just grateful to see us trust in the 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:09.120 plan so much that that we find our way back to 00:05:09.120 --> 00:05:11.779 to him very very good through him to him to him 00:05:11.779 --> 00:05:15.480 through him both yeah sister runia invites us 00:05:15.480 --> 00:05:18.389 to reframe what a call to repentance can mean 00:05:18.389 --> 00:05:20.569 she says when we hear the lord calling repent 00:05:20.569 --> 00:05:22.930 ye repent ye what if you imagined him saying 00:05:22.930 --> 00:05:26.689 i love you i love you i love it picture him pleading 00:05:26.689 --> 00:05:28.490 with you to leave behind the behavior causing 00:05:28.490 --> 00:05:30.509 you pain inviting you to step out of darkness 00:05:30.509 --> 00:05:33.449 and turn to his light different way of looking 00:05:33.449 --> 00:05:36.170 at repentance for sure as an invitation to leap 00:05:36.170 --> 00:05:38.750 pain and darkness behind and trade it for his 00:05:38.750 --> 00:05:40.949 light and peace i'm going to sign up for that 00:05:40.949 --> 00:05:43.709 serious isn't that a gentle invitation it's not 00:05:43.709 --> 00:05:46.790 a rebuke it's not a shaming or a call to be perfect. 00:05:47.509 --> 00:05:49.610 Our Savior was willing to suffer the pain of 00:05:49.610 --> 00:05:51.550 his atonement because he loves you. In fact, 00:05:51.589 --> 00:05:54.290 you are the joy that was set before him while 00:05:54.290 --> 00:05:57.209 he suffered, as it says in Hebrews 12 too. We 00:05:57.209 --> 00:05:59.310 are the reason, the vision of us in his mind 00:05:59.310 --> 00:06:01.589 is the reason he was able to accomplish the thing 00:06:01.589 --> 00:06:03.670 he promised to do all those years ago. It's such 00:06:03.670 --> 00:06:06.709 a beautiful thought, Abby. What if we taught 00:06:06.709 --> 00:06:09.350 repentance this way? The invitation to repent 00:06:09.350 --> 00:06:11.829 is an expression of God's love. We're hearing 00:06:11.829 --> 00:06:13.509 this over and over again. I hope it's sinking 00:06:13.509 --> 00:06:16.370 into us, into our hearts. Saying yes to that 00:06:16.370 --> 00:06:19.129 invitation is an expression of ours. Picture 00:06:19.129 --> 00:06:21.509 your favorite image of Christ. Now imagine him 00:06:21.509 --> 00:06:24.350 smiling brightly with joy each time you use his 00:06:24.350 --> 00:06:26.990 gift because he is the perfect brightness of 00:06:26.990 --> 00:06:29.850 hope. Yes, your repentance doesn't burden Jesus 00:06:29.850 --> 00:06:32.990 Christ. It brightens his joy. And when I hear 00:06:32.990 --> 00:06:36.250 that, it also tells me that that adds glory to 00:06:36.250 --> 00:06:39.360 him. When I hear brightens, like each time. each 00:06:39.360 --> 00:06:43.079 time we use the repentance and his atonement, 00:06:43.139 --> 00:06:45.759 it magnifies his glory, I would say. Oh, you 00:06:45.759 --> 00:06:48.040 used your repentance ticket again. You're almost 00:06:48.040 --> 00:06:49.779 out of those. You punched it. It's almost all 00:06:49.779 --> 00:06:54.079 gone. No. It's all punches. Yes. Once we get 00:06:54.079 --> 00:06:56.079 good at doing it, now we can turn to that. It 00:06:56.079 --> 00:06:58.600 becomes more available to us. It's not a finite 00:06:58.600 --> 00:07:01.459 resource. Yes. And I love that. It was an infinite 00:07:01.459 --> 00:07:05.279 atonement for a reason. Not finite. I love that 00:07:05.279 --> 00:07:07.120 she says that she said, let's teach that because 00:07:07.120 --> 00:07:09.939 repentance is our best news. We don't stay on 00:07:09.939 --> 00:07:11.680 the covenant path by never making a mistake. 00:07:11.839 --> 00:07:14.339 We stay on the covenant path by repenting every 00:07:14.339 --> 00:07:18.000 day. And when we're repenting, God forgives without 00:07:18.000 --> 00:07:22.019 shaming us. comparing us to anyone else or scolding 00:07:22.019 --> 00:07:24.019 us because this is the same thing we were repenting 00:07:24.019 --> 00:07:26.759 of last week. I feel like that is very much a 00:07:26.759 --> 00:07:30.100 natural man way to look at things. And 100%, 00:07:30.100 --> 00:07:31.920 it's the way that Satan looks at it, right? The 00:07:31.920 --> 00:07:35.259 shaming, all of that. He's very excited every 00:07:35.259 --> 00:07:38.259 time he sees us on our knees. He delights to 00:07:38.259 --> 00:07:40.779 forgive us because to him, we are delightful. 00:07:41.300 --> 00:07:47.779 I can't stress enough what a light talk this 00:07:47.779 --> 00:07:51.399 is. on such a heavy topic. Yes. Yeah. And when 00:07:51.399 --> 00:07:52.800 you say heavy, like she's talked about heavy 00:07:52.800 --> 00:07:54.459 too. She's like, it almost has like a heft to 00:07:54.459 --> 00:07:56.500 it, right? Like there's, but that's shame. We've 00:07:56.500 --> 00:07:59.160 made it that way. Exactly. So I just love that. 00:07:59.240 --> 00:08:02.639 I mean, the word delight, the word joy, the word, 00:08:02.699 --> 00:08:04.699 like all of these beautiful words that are very 00:08:04.699 --> 00:08:08.240 uplifting. I love it. I love repentance framed 00:08:08.240 --> 00:08:11.339 in that way. The way Satan looks at mistakes 00:08:11.339 --> 00:08:13.779 and sin is not the way God does it. it's a totally 00:08:13.779 --> 00:08:15.500 different view and of course the feelings attached 00:08:15.500 --> 00:08:18.279 to it are very different he would want us to 00:08:18.279 --> 00:08:23.680 hide bury cover or not not cover maybe no well 00:08:23.680 --> 00:08:26.720 no obviously the savior covers oh yeah yeah yeah 00:08:26.720 --> 00:08:29.480 he would want you to hi barry yeah i'm thinking 00:08:29.480 --> 00:08:31.480 through through temple things particularly but 00:08:31.480 --> 00:08:33.559 yes he wants you to be ashamed of them in a way 00:08:33.559 --> 00:08:35.139 that you don't bring them to the surface and 00:08:35.139 --> 00:08:37.080 want to take care of them he he wants you to 00:08:37.080 --> 00:08:41.159 hide from them yes and um Very, very different 00:08:41.159 --> 00:08:43.639 than the way that God wants us to deal with them. 00:08:43.960 --> 00:08:45.980 Say, in the great accuser and deceiver, use a 00:08:45.980 --> 00:08:48.440 shame to keep us from God. Shame is the darkness 00:08:48.440 --> 00:08:51.460 so heavy it feels that you look out. If you took 00:08:51.460 --> 00:08:53.399 it out of your body, it would have an actual 00:08:53.399 --> 00:08:55.799 weight or heft to it. Shame is that voice that 00:08:55.799 --> 00:08:58.480 beat you up saying, what were you thinking? You 00:08:58.480 --> 00:09:02.740 never get anything right. You can't be forgiven 00:09:02.740 --> 00:09:05.679 for that particular thing. It's too heavy. It's 00:09:05.679 --> 00:09:08.759 too much. Mm -hmm. Shame doesn't tell us we made 00:09:08.759 --> 00:09:11.559 a mistake. It tells us we are the mistake. You 00:09:11.559 --> 00:09:14.279 may even hear hide. The adversary does everything 00:09:14.279 --> 00:09:16.759 in his power to keep the heaviness inside, telling 00:09:16.759 --> 00:09:18.559 us that the cost is too high and that it would 00:09:18.559 --> 00:09:20.080 be easier if we stay in the darkness, removing 00:09:20.080 --> 00:09:23.340 all hope. He is the thief of hope. And you need 00:09:23.340 --> 00:09:25.279 to hear this. So I'll say these words out loud. 00:09:25.500 --> 00:09:28.179 You are not the voice in your head or the mistakes 00:09:28.179 --> 00:09:32.240 you have made. You may need to say that for yourself 00:09:32.240 --> 00:09:36.340 out loud too. Tell Satan not today. put him behind 00:09:36.340 --> 00:09:40.679 you. That's interesting. Yeah. Worth isn't tied 00:09:40.679 --> 00:09:43.139 to our obedience. No. I love that that was an 00:09:43.139 --> 00:09:47.720 emphasis here. Yeah. Again, reframing it. The 00:09:47.720 --> 00:09:49.799 Savior is forever brighter than the darkness 00:09:49.799 --> 00:09:52.240 of shame. He would never attack your worth, so 00:09:52.240 --> 00:09:55.019 watch closely. And then she does the hand thing, 00:09:55.080 --> 00:09:56.940 right? She has one hand that's stationary, and 00:09:56.940 --> 00:09:58.899 she says, imagine this hand represents worth. 00:09:59.139 --> 00:10:02.059 And then the other hand. This represents obedience. 00:10:02.460 --> 00:10:03.980 Maybe you woke up this morning, said a meaningful 00:10:03.980 --> 00:10:06.360 prayer, and searched the scriptures to hear God's 00:10:06.360 --> 00:10:08.120 voice. You've made good decisions, and you're 00:10:08.120 --> 00:10:09.779 treating the people around you with Christlikeness. 00:10:10.059 --> 00:10:11.779 You're listening to General Conference. Your 00:10:11.779 --> 00:10:14.519 obedience is here. She has it up high. Or maybe 00:10:14.519 --> 00:10:16.100 things haven't gone so well. You've struggled 00:10:16.100 --> 00:10:18.080 lately to do those small, simple things to connect 00:10:18.080 --> 00:10:20.340 to heaven. You've made some decisions you weren't 00:10:20.340 --> 00:10:23.970 proud of. Where is your worth? Has this hand 00:10:23.970 --> 00:10:26.009 moved at all? She has it up high and it never 00:10:26.009 --> 00:10:30.090 moved. Your worth is not tied to obedience. Your 00:10:30.090 --> 00:10:33.129 worth is constant. It never changes. It was given 00:10:33.129 --> 00:10:35.330 to you by God and there's nothing you or anyone 00:10:35.330 --> 00:10:38.029 else can do to change it. Obedience brings blessings. 00:10:38.129 --> 00:10:41.409 That is true. But worth isn't one of them. So 00:10:41.409 --> 00:10:44.210 good. Your worth is always great in the sight 00:10:44.210 --> 00:10:46.730 of God, no matter where your decisions have taken 00:10:46.730 --> 00:10:49.879 you. Sister Runya, when she was little, she took 00:10:49.879 --> 00:10:52.220 some diving lessons and every dive was judged 00:10:52.220 --> 00:10:54.720 for straight legs, the minimal splash, kind of 00:10:54.720 --> 00:10:56.120 something I love to watch because I'm terrified 00:10:56.120 --> 00:10:58.659 of high jumps. And so then they add some tricks 00:10:58.659 --> 00:11:02.500 into it and all these other components. So there's 00:11:02.500 --> 00:11:04.759 an added measure that the judge take into account. 00:11:05.639 --> 00:11:08.740 The degree of difficulty the dive is going to 00:11:08.740 --> 00:11:11.860 potentially account for. She reminds us that 00:11:11.860 --> 00:11:14.200 each of us is diving, so to speak, with a degree 00:11:14.200 --> 00:11:17.700 of difficulty the Lord knows about. And that 00:11:17.700 --> 00:11:20.740 He is the judge on this. This is why He is the 00:11:20.740 --> 00:11:23.279 judge and not onlookers, bystanders that take 00:11:23.279 --> 00:11:26.139 the opportunity to look at you, your life, and 00:11:26.139 --> 00:11:30.240 make snap judgments about you. The look that 00:11:30.240 --> 00:11:32.460 the Lord has on it is more of intimate knowledge. 00:11:32.860 --> 00:11:36.240 He knows the degree of difficulty. That we all 00:11:36.240 --> 00:11:38.840 have. Of every dive, let's say. Yeah. This is 00:11:38.840 --> 00:11:42.159 also an echo to Elder Cossé's talk. These conference 00:11:42.159 --> 00:11:45.879 talks, they're so well integrated to each other. 00:11:45.960 --> 00:11:48.620 And the way that they stack them, you know, once 00:11:48.620 --> 00:11:50.779 everybody's done their assignment and they prepare 00:11:50.779 --> 00:11:53.279 things that they seem to orchestrate like such 00:11:53.279 --> 00:11:57.289 a beautiful. ebb and flow to conference weekend 00:11:57.289 --> 00:12:00.549 i agree so we get these layers of teaching and 00:12:00.549 --> 00:12:02.629 we might pick up something from one talk and 00:12:02.629 --> 00:12:04.210 then the next one just kind of compounds that 00:12:04.210 --> 00:12:06.009 understanding that we're going to have or as 00:12:06.009 --> 00:12:08.429 you go back to them six months later like you're 00:12:08.429 --> 00:12:12.070 doing that you've got some thoughts in your head 00:12:12.070 --> 00:12:14.230 as you as we add then this next layer of sister 00:12:14.230 --> 00:12:19.350 runia's talk onto it but um here's a quote From 00:12:19.350 --> 00:12:21.610 Elder Cossé, it says, Elder Neal A. Maxwell explained 00:12:21.610 --> 00:12:24.370 that God takes into merciful account not only 00:12:24.370 --> 00:12:27.929 our desires to our performance, but also the 00:12:27.929 --> 00:12:30.750 degree of difficulty which our varied circumstances 00:12:30.750 --> 00:12:34.190 impose upon us. Yes, I did love that echo in 00:12:34.190 --> 00:12:37.590 these talks, because it totally speaks to my 00:12:37.590 --> 00:12:41.149 heart. And Neal A. Maxwell, you can't go wrong 00:12:41.149 --> 00:12:43.149 with that, but I love the quote that he talks 00:12:43.149 --> 00:12:47.639 about that. with a degree of difficulty now an 00:12:47.639 --> 00:12:50.980 action item this is something that another thing 00:12:50.980 --> 00:12:54.240 that um sister runia talked about um it's in 00:12:54.240 --> 00:12:56.840 three third nephi 17 where the people were close 00:12:56.840 --> 00:12:59.519 to the savior and they could hear him praying 00:12:59.519 --> 00:13:02.860 for them and this is what she says if you could 00:13:02.860 --> 00:13:05.799 hear the savior praying for you what do you think 00:13:05.799 --> 00:13:08.399 he would say remember your savior knows the degree 00:13:08.399 --> 00:13:10.980 of difficulty you're experiencing he's felt it 00:13:13.000 --> 00:13:15.840 So maybe something we could try tonight before 00:13:15.840 --> 00:13:19.759 we pray. We've mentioned this before, but let's 00:13:19.759 --> 00:13:22.419 bring it up again. Maybe imagine Jesus Christ 00:13:22.419 --> 00:13:25.120 close by, being your advocate with the Father, 00:13:25.240 --> 00:13:27.720 and ask yourself, what would the Savior say to 00:13:27.720 --> 00:13:31.279 the Father about me? And then sit quietly and 00:13:31.279 --> 00:13:34.179 listen. And listen for that voice that says good 00:13:34.179 --> 00:13:36.220 things about you, the voice of the Savior, your 00:13:36.220 --> 00:13:38.700 finest friend, your Father in heaven, who is 00:13:38.700 --> 00:13:42.320 really there. Remember their love. And your worth 00:13:42.320 --> 00:13:45.799 are always great, no matter what. I love Abby 00:13:45.799 --> 00:13:50.480 that she adds, listen for that voice that says 00:13:50.480 --> 00:13:52.980 good things about you. I think that's a really 00:13:52.980 --> 00:13:55.860 good distinguishing factor. If there's any shame 00:13:55.860 --> 00:13:59.379 or why haven't you figured this out yet type 00:13:59.379 --> 00:14:01.960 of words in there, you know that is not from 00:14:01.960 --> 00:14:05.620 God. What I heard in this talk is what Satan 00:14:05.620 --> 00:14:08.240 does with sin and the use of our agency versus 00:14:08.240 --> 00:14:10.899 our Savior, Jesus Christ, and our Heavenly Father 00:14:10.899 --> 00:14:13.240 do with sin and our agency. I feel like this 00:14:13.240 --> 00:14:15.840 was very, you could really see it clearly in 00:14:15.840 --> 00:14:17.659 this talk. Satan brings shame and feelings of 00:14:17.659 --> 00:14:20.480 darkness and hopelessness. He wants us to look 00:14:20.480 --> 00:14:22.960 at repentance as a chore or something to be avoided. 00:14:23.120 --> 00:14:26.240 And even in this talk, I almost, you know, I 00:14:26.240 --> 00:14:29.509 was saying she talks about it. and i was actually 00:14:29.509 --> 00:14:32.049 referring to repentance and saying how there's 00:14:32.049 --> 00:14:35.250 a heft and a weight to it it was shame and so 00:14:35.250 --> 00:14:41.409 many times i feel like um we as humans we kind 00:14:41.409 --> 00:14:44.629 of think of repentance as a heavy process as 00:14:44.629 --> 00:14:46.970 like it does have a heft to it and she's like 00:14:46.970 --> 00:14:49.549 no no no no that's the way satan wants us to 00:14:49.549 --> 00:14:52.590 look at repentance it is not like that delight 00:14:52.590 --> 00:14:58.500 joy lightness um And even Christ saying, instead 00:14:58.500 --> 00:15:00.820 of repent ye, repent ye, I love you, I love you. 00:15:00.899 --> 00:15:02.899 I mean, just a whole new frame of things. You 00:15:02.899 --> 00:15:05.000 know that's true because when people, when they 00:15:05.000 --> 00:15:07.139 realize that the things they're doing, it's not 00:15:07.139 --> 00:15:08.960 just, you know, kind of checking in with the 00:15:08.960 --> 00:15:11.639 Lord at the end of the day and like kind of unburdening 00:15:11.639 --> 00:15:13.460 yourself of the little things that you've done 00:15:13.460 --> 00:15:15.460 during the day. These bigger ones that have accumulated 00:15:15.460 --> 00:15:18.000 over a period of time to the point where you 00:15:18.000 --> 00:15:19.740 know that you do need to meet with your bishop 00:15:19.740 --> 00:15:22.789 to resolve some of these things. and usually 00:15:22.789 --> 00:15:25.110 fear prevents that for time or you just didn't 00:15:25.110 --> 00:15:26.669 even think that it was a bad thing that you were 00:15:26.669 --> 00:15:28.590 doing maybe something changes in your life you're 00:15:28.590 --> 00:15:30.409 like oh i do want to take care of that you make 00:15:30.409 --> 00:15:31.690 the decision you want to meet with the bishop 00:15:31.690 --> 00:15:35.149 the bishop is you know authorized to represent 00:15:35.149 --> 00:15:37.570 jesus christ like it doesn't mean they're making 00:15:37.570 --> 00:15:39.309 decisions for you but like they're going to use 00:15:39.309 --> 00:15:40.970 the spirit to like speak to you and communicate 00:15:40.970 --> 00:15:43.070 with you and in whatever process is going to 00:15:43.070 --> 00:15:45.610 need to happen to unburden yourself with this 00:15:45.610 --> 00:15:48.570 but um you know that's a long way to get to the 00:15:48.570 --> 00:15:52.320 point of what i was trying to say is that I know 00:15:52.320 --> 00:15:55.580 people, I know time and time again, the story 00:15:55.580 --> 00:15:58.500 is that they'll say something like, I met with 00:15:58.500 --> 00:16:01.200 the bishop and I can't tell you how much lighter 00:16:01.200 --> 00:16:04.759 I feel, right? So it does kind of take on this 00:16:04.759 --> 00:16:06.659 imagery of like, you're carrying around these 00:16:06.659 --> 00:16:09.879 bag of rocks, these burdens, these things. And 00:16:09.879 --> 00:16:12.320 the second that you decide to involve the Savior 00:16:12.320 --> 00:16:15.019 in that process, He's as good as lifted off you. 00:16:15.100 --> 00:16:17.639 Is it done? No. Or is there work to be done? 00:16:17.740 --> 00:16:22.129 But just the unburdening, that's the biggest 00:16:22.129 --> 00:16:24.570 brightness that it brings it gives you hope like 00:16:24.570 --> 00:16:27.210 you're like you start you start taking the cloud 00:16:27.210 --> 00:16:29.649 cloudiness off of that self -worth satan's been 00:16:29.649 --> 00:16:32.190 working on that like you're not good enough he 00:16:32.190 --> 00:16:34.649 doesn't want to hear what you have to say you 00:16:34.649 --> 00:16:36.509 know i'm burning that you can't that's such a 00:16:36.509 --> 00:16:39.870 bad thing you can't do that yeah um it takes 00:16:39.870 --> 00:16:43.190 the blinders that we put on ourself off and like 00:16:43.190 --> 00:16:45.809 i said people feel lighter i feel like too you 00:16:45.809 --> 00:16:48.169 know in this in this process that you were just 00:16:48.169 --> 00:16:51.580 describing abby i feel like part of it is when 00:16:51.580 --> 00:16:55.000 we actually come to ourselves and we have the 00:16:55.000 --> 00:16:58.639 courage and the strength to say out loud something 00:16:58.639 --> 00:17:00.960 that we wanted to keep deep in our hearts and 00:17:00.960 --> 00:17:03.600 not let any other person ever ever know that 00:17:03.600 --> 00:17:06.539 think of it that way it's like satan saying hide 00:17:06.539 --> 00:17:09.339 so as soon as we stop hiding and we bring it 00:17:09.339 --> 00:17:12.339 into the light literally bring it to christ that's 00:17:12.339 --> 00:17:14.160 when the burden is lifted i mean there is an 00:17:14.160 --> 00:17:17.160 actual process to this and like you said anyone 00:17:17.160 --> 00:17:20.059 who's gone through this You feel that lightness 00:17:20.059 --> 00:17:22.180 and you feel like something, I mean, it like 00:17:22.180 --> 00:17:24.619 unlocks a key and you are a different person. 00:17:24.920 --> 00:17:30.740 That is the power of the atonement. So on the 00:17:30.740 --> 00:17:32.960 other hand, God and Christ offer brightness of 00:17:32.960 --> 00:17:35.400 hope and they offer redemption and ultimately 00:17:35.400 --> 00:17:38.259 to live with them. This is what Sister Runia 00:17:38.259 --> 00:17:40.319 says. I stand here to witness that Jesus Christ 00:17:40.319 --> 00:17:43.200 gives light to those who sit in darkness. So 00:17:43.200 --> 00:17:45.019 on those days when you feel that voice telling 00:17:45.019 --> 00:17:47.480 you to hide. that you should hide in a dark room 00:17:47.480 --> 00:17:50.220 all by yourself, I invite you to be brave and 00:17:50.220 --> 00:17:53.380 believe Christ. Walk over and turn on the light, 00:17:53.519 --> 00:17:56.440 our perfect brightness of hope. May we all come 00:17:56.440 --> 00:17:58.920 unto Christ saying, will you help me with the 00:17:58.920 --> 00:18:02.380 hope, a revealed assurance that his arms are 00:18:02.380 --> 00:18:04.839 extended to you always. I believe this fresh 00:18:04.839 --> 00:18:07.000 view of repentance means that even though we 00:18:07.000 --> 00:18:10.019 don't have perfect obedience yet, we try affectionate 00:18:10.019 --> 00:18:13.380 obedience now, choosing to stay again and again 00:18:13.380 --> 00:18:17.670 because we love him. And I echo Sister Runya's 00:18:17.670 --> 00:18:21.089 final words, may the Lord of lights wrap you 00:18:21.089 --> 00:18:24.069 in his arms and console you and love you continually. 00:18:24.410 --> 00:18:27.609 May we love him continually and choose him again 00:18:27.609 --> 00:18:30.910 and again. Such a great talk. I hope you have 00:18:30.910 --> 00:18:33.589 enjoyed it this week and just let this sit on 00:18:33.589 --> 00:18:37.410 your heart and ask the Lord how he feels about 00:18:37.410 --> 00:18:39.789 you and listen to all of the good things that 00:18:39.789 --> 00:18:41.549 he has to say. Catch you next time.