Welcome to Closer to Christ through General Conference,
where two friends who love Jesus share our own
approach to studying the most recent General
Conference talks. This is Abby and Amy. Let's
jump into it. Today we get to discuss Beware
of the Second Temptation by Elder Scott D. Whiting
of the Seventy. I think he's my relative. Love
that. Teasing though. Welcome to the listeners.
Amy, it's so good to be with you today. Thanks.
Good to be here. We were talking about this talk
and we couldn't remember what the second temptation
was. So not that it wasn't impactful, but I honestly
just attribute it to being late Sunday afternoon
after so many other amazing talks. But it's so
nice to review the talks because of this. It's
been five months almost since we heard it is
the conference address and it is just time to
really see what awesome pieces of of knowledge
we can gain from it agreed we start in the garden
of eden with adam and eve we know that the garden
life limited their need to progress but what
a soft landing after leaving his presence and
not knowing much so it was good so whatever time
they needed there who knows how long that was
but whatever time they needed that wasn't meant
to be their final destination it was a test first
of many that would prove and prepare and allow
them to progress on their final destination to
returning to the presence of Father and the Son.
And we know that there was opposition in the
garden. really the only way to have that plan
progress is to be given some choices. Lucifer
was allowed to try Adam and Eve. He first tempted
Adam to partake of the fruit of the tree of knowledge
of good and evil. And that's where we learned
that that was the first temptation. Satan trying
to tempt Adam and Eve to partake of the fruit
that Heavenly Father had specifically commanded
them not to eat. So we read in Moses 5, 10, and
11 that both Adam and Eve both declared that
this decision was necessary to fulfill Heavenly
Father's plan. Adam, blessed be the name of God,
for because of my transgression my eyes are opened,
and in this life I shall have joy, and again
in the flesh I shall see God. And Eve. Were it
not for our transgression, we never would have
had seed and we never should have known good
and evil and the joy of our redemption and the
eternal life which God giveth to all the obedient.
Abby, I love these scriptures because they bring
the element of Jesus Christ and his atonement
back to the forefront of our minds. After transgression
and shame, we find redemption through Christ
who makes repentance and forgiveness possible.
And there's just such a stark contrast between
the way that Satan treats us when there's a mistake
made or a sin made and the way that God and Jesus
Christ treat us. This brings us to the second
temptation. Ever the opportunist, Lucifer, knowing
their exposed and weak state, tempted them yet
again, this time to hide from God. This temptation,
he says, I will call it the second temptation,
is the temptation that may bring the greatest
consequence if we succumb. So it's, again, the
fact that we will fall many times and sin and
make mistakes. It's what we do after the mistake.
That will define us. Do we hide or turn from
God or will we return to God and repent? I think
the biggest lesson we can all apply here is just
living in humility, knowing ahead of time that
we are going to make mistakes. And then just
if we can recognize and return to God as quickly
as possible afterwards, that's the best outcome.
He says some of us might attempt to hide from
God because we don't want to be discovered or
exposed and we feel shame or guilt. However,
numerous scriptures teach us that hiding from
God is impossible. We should jump into the scriptures
to accentuate that point. So if we go, David
the psalmist says, Whither shall I go from thy
spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there. If
I make my bed in hell, behold, thou art there.
You can't hide. You can't hide. Elder Whiting
speaks to the new members of the church who have
converted to our faith and address the difficulties
of leaving behind the old life to embrace the
gospel fully. It's challenging to stop doing
the things that were part of our everyday life
and for many, many years sometimes. He says the
adversary knows that you may be vulnerable to
his subtle attacks, and he's going to make your
past life, which you know left you unsatisfied
in so many ways, now fill. unrealistically attractive.
That's one of his tactics. Or make you think
that you really can't ever shed that old coat
that you used to wear. Yeah, he's got a lot of
different tactics. But take a step back into
your previous life and remember that there is
repentance and the atonement of Jesus Christ
is there to help fortify you and bring you back
into your new life. A quote from the talk, we
plead with you not to heed the accuser's voice.
We love you. You can do it. We accept you. And
with the Savior, you will have strength to do
all. That's a fun little power chant. Right?
Totally. Powered chant. I love that, Abby. Another
thing to remember is community that the Church
of Jesus Christ offers and brings to the life
of its members. As far as the second temptation
goes, Elder Whiting had this to say to converts
who would want to return to their previous lives
because that might have felt more comfortable.
He says, if you hide from Him and distance yourself
from your newfound faith community, then you're
distancing yourself from the very source that
can and will give you the strength to overcome.
So now, Abby, this begs the question, as I was
reading this, I just had the question, you know,
am I being the best version of myself in looking
out for converts and fellowshipping them and
being a soft place to land or asking them how
they're doing? I feel like that could be something
that each of us could ask, kind of like the last
talk that we did, just in, you know, kind of
seeing where we are as far as... of fellowshipping
and ministering, and then this specifically,
looking out for our friends who are newest converts.
This talk has given me some things to ponder
on and see where I can prove, and I do aspire
to live up to his call. He says, as his saints,
each of us must foster a culture of belonging
in the church that is loving, accepting, and
encouraging of all who desire to progress along
his path. There's so much strength that comes
as we remain part of a supportive community.
We're all stumbling at some time or another,
but we're progressing, you know, slowly and steadily.
And we're often blessed by the love others demonstrate
to us, which is exemplifying charity and the
love of Jesus Christ. Love that, Abby. What if
we all embodied this? We're all stumbling, yet
progressing while blessed with the love of Christ.
I will say, like one of my reels this week was
a little snippet from a podcast. It's called
Lean In With Lizzie. And she's got to be a member
of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter -day
Saints. And she has different guests on. And
the gal, don't know her name, but the gal that
was a guest, her story was that she was at BYU
and she fell pregnant, sophomore, junior year
or something. So she has to make that call home.
mom, dad, worst news possible. And they say,
you're pregnant. And she's like, how did you
know? And dad says, can I come and get you? Comes
and gets her, helps her. She's like waiting for
like the hammer to drop, like some anger, some
like, like just to be so disappointed and upset
or whatever. And she's down in a room one night
and he comes down there and he's like, you don't
feel like you should pray. That's exactly what
you should do. You don't feel like you should
go to church. You think that it'll embarrass
us. Like we want nothing more than for you to
be with us in our church. And like what an impact
that made. I don't know how she felt in that
moment. I don't know if that was like enough.
Like the fact that she's doing this podcast with
Lynn and with Lizzie must mean that it was a
turning point for her or just such a tender moment
in her life. And I thought a lot of times it's
our kids that teaches those things. You know,
how are you going to respond in a situation when
you've taught your kids a certain way, they choose
another one, like that's when real love is demonstrated.
Not when they're doing things perfectly and exactly
like you imagine this perfect plan going. You
know, they're going to make different decisions.
They're going to make opposing decisions. And
if you can react, if you can prepare yourself
to react like the Savior would, He absolutely
wouldn't do it by shame, anger, disappointment.
I'm like, there's a lot of words that could come
to mind. But this talk was such a great reminder.
Sometimes we're going to be the sinner, and it's
going to be love and acceptance and the opposite
of shame and fear to bring us out of that. And
hopefully we can prime ourselves to be that same
saving being for somebody else. Yeah, that's
a really good thought. So this goes for every
member of the church, all of us. This is the
quote. To those who may be in hiding. We implore
you to come back. You need what the gospel and
the atonement of Jesus Christ offer, and we need
what you have to offer. God knows your sins.
You cannot hide from Him. Reconcile yourself
before Him. And I would say, just from personal
experience, sometimes people, they're there,
they're still attending, but there is a piece
and part of them that they feel like they have
to hide. That's a good point. And it would be
so cool to know that in our congregations, in
our families, in our circles, that we make people
feel safe enough. Like the love of our Savior
is... is evident in us enough that they feel
safe to bring the hidden parts out. That is a
very good point. I love that. Yes, yes to that.
I love what President Nelson says above when
you talked about the idea of all stumbling yet
progressing while being blessed by the love of
Jesus Christ. Very easy to visualize that. I
know, right? Another way to put it is the process
that we take in overcoming the world. So he says,
Overcoming the world is not an event that happens
in a day or two. It happens over a lifetime as
we repeatedly embrace the doctrine of Christ.
We cultivate faith in Jesus Christ by repenting
daily and keeping covenants that endow us with
power. And then he says this, we stay on the
covenant path and are blessed with spiritual
strength, personal revelation, increasing faith,
and the ministering of angels. And when I read
this quote, it brought me back to my year of
cancer. We almost would laugh. at the word process.
It seemed like every month or every week I'd
receive a priesthood blessing where the Lord
reminded me that this is a process. I say it
all the time now. I would have loved to have
it be one and done or just have it been a lot
shorter, but that was not the way that the Lord
worked this miracle. It required time, patience,
humility, waiting on the Lord, skills learned
that layered on top of each other later, and
it also required daily faith in Jesus Christ.
of President Nelson's quote, through it all,
I was absolutely blessed with spiritual strength,
personal revelation, and the ministering of angels.
So when I read this quote, it sounded to me that
every challenge that we face in this life is
an opportunity for us to overcome this world.
That's kind of what it felt like to me. We aren't
expected to do it perfectly. Stumbling yet progressing
while blessed by the love of Jesus Christ is
good enough. And maybe add to that quote, and
not meant to do it alone either, with ministering
angels, paired with, yoked with our Savior Jesus
Christ. Absolutely. And ideally, we're blessed
with families that can be that strength. Unfortunately,
some people aren't, but you can create a community,
a family community in your church congregations.
Yes. Totally reminds me, as you said that, it
reminds me of Elder Holland's quote, which I
absolutely love, that said, because Jesus walks
such a lonely path, you do not have to. That's
true. And I would say... You know when somebody
has to give up a lot to join the church and like
an old way of life and then Satan starts using
the tactic like you love that life. Like why
did you give it up and entice you with it? Sometimes
those friends are very good at like kicking it
into high gear and really making you feel loved
and welcome. It's not a bad idea, especially
around new members or members that are struggling,
to be that community for them. You know, the
opposing force, the opportunity for them to have
other people see them, see them for who they
are, and know that they're trying to turn away
from things that they used to be. They have to
have something to turn to. Callings, activities,
temple work, you know, that's part of the missionary
program, right? That in really making a full
conversion and a full turn of heart, that we're
filling the old. the old used to be with better
things that really bring lasting joy and happiness
and, and, you know, snuffing out the thoughts
that Satan wants to put in there that, that,
Oh, what you were experiencing before was great
and joyful. Yeah. That's so good. The rain in
the background picked up a little bit and it's
just tender. Like that's, that's a, can you all
hear that rain? Those are prayers and blessings.
It's so great. Did you get to finish everything
that you thought of? Yeah. Okay. Do you have
anything else you want to add? I think I've said
enough. I love it. Thank you so much for sharing
your thoughts and just your heart, Abby. In closing,
this is the end of the talk. Beware the second
temptation. Avail yourself of the miraculous
healing power of the atonement of Jesus Christ.
This is the very purpose of our existence. Thanks
for being with us. We'll see you next time. Thank
you.