WEBVTT 00:00:02.759 --> 00:00:04.620 Welcome to Closer to Christ through General Conference, 00:00:04.839 --> 00:00:06.740 where two friends who love Jesus share our own 00:00:06.740 --> 00:00:08.539 approach to studying the most recent General 00:00:08.539 --> 00:00:11.480 Conference talks. This is Abby. And Amy. Let's 00:00:11.480 --> 00:00:32.710 jump into it. Today we get to discuss Jesus Christ 00:00:32.710 --> 00:00:34.670 and your new beginnings by Elder Patrick Kearon 00:00:34.670 --> 00:00:37.450 in Quorum of the Twelve Apostles Looking forward 00:00:37.450 --> 00:00:40.710 to the new year in the talks. This is perfectly 00:00:40.710 --> 00:00:43.789 aligning This is actually gonna air I think on 00:00:43.789 --> 00:00:46.030 New Year's Day. Love it. Happy New Year. Yeah. 00:00:46.090 --> 00:00:48.990 Happy New Year. That's one opportunity This new 00:00:48.990 --> 00:00:50.570 year is a great time for new beginnings It's 00:00:50.570 --> 00:00:52.770 a great time to remember that Jesus Christ offers 00:00:52.770 --> 00:00:55.369 as many new beginnings as we are able and willing 00:00:55.369 --> 00:00:59.909 to ask for So I love it, Abby. He says, Jesus 00:00:59.909 --> 00:01:03.130 went about doing good. And he essentially says, 00:01:03.469 --> 00:01:05.069 okay, we read that simple report in the book 00:01:05.069 --> 00:01:07.209 of Acts, what an enormous understatement that 00:01:07.209 --> 00:01:10.549 is. He says, sorry, he says, Jesus surely did 00:01:10.549 --> 00:01:12.909 go about doing good. He's the very essence and 00:01:12.909 --> 00:01:15.909 source of goodness. And I just love how he reminds 00:01:15.909 --> 00:01:19.170 us that any attempt at describing or summarizing 00:01:19.170 --> 00:01:21.689 Jesus Christ, goodness and mercy would be an 00:01:21.689 --> 00:01:24.090 understatement. Truly, as the apostle John tried 00:01:24.090 --> 00:01:29.329 to express, If we were to attempt to record every 00:01:29.329 --> 00:01:31.730 manifestation of the Savior's goodness, even 00:01:31.730 --> 00:01:33.769 the world itself could not contain the books 00:01:33.769 --> 00:01:36.409 that should be written. I love that when they 00:01:36.409 --> 00:01:38.209 say, when you went about doing good, like just 00:01:38.209 --> 00:01:39.989 automatically my own mind goes to the living 00:01:39.989 --> 00:01:41.909 Christ. The phrase that they've picked out of 00:01:41.909 --> 00:01:44.489 there. And so it kind of other phrases of the 00:01:44.489 --> 00:01:47.329 living Christ kind of flood my memories or my 00:01:47.329 --> 00:01:50.390 emotions. And I'm like, that's such a good, it's 00:01:50.390 --> 00:01:53.439 such a good succinct. way to describe his life. 00:01:53.599 --> 00:01:55.599 Right. And it's easier for us to follow and we 00:01:55.599 --> 00:01:57.480 like put it in those short words. He went about 00:01:57.480 --> 00:02:01.379 doing good. Am I going about? Yes. Exactly. Elder 00:02:01.379 --> 00:02:05.659 care reminds us how far -reaching Jesus Christ 00:02:05.659 --> 00:02:08.879 works. Example, life and sacrifice reach. Quote, 00:02:08.879 --> 00:02:11.340 he conversed with the social outcast. He touched 00:02:11.340 --> 00:02:13.259 the diseased and unclean. He brought comfort 00:02:13.259 --> 00:02:15.439 to the weary. He taught liberating truth, he 00:02:15.439 --> 00:02:18.340 called. Sinners to repentance. To each leper, 00:02:18.580 --> 00:02:21.439 blind man, adulterous woman, to the lame, the 00:02:21.439 --> 00:02:24.840 deaf, the dumb, to every grieving mother, desperate 00:02:24.840 --> 00:02:28.009 father, mourning widow, to the condemned. the 00:02:28.009 --> 00:02:30.389 shamed, the suffering to the dead in body and 00:02:30.389 --> 00:02:33.389 the dead in spirit. What he did was offer a new 00:02:33.389 --> 00:02:36.250 beginning. Abby, when I listened to that, I listened 00:02:36.250 --> 00:02:38.930 to this talk quite a few times, I was like, okay, 00:02:39.150 --> 00:02:41.449 whose life didn't he touch? Whose life hasn't 00:02:41.449 --> 00:02:44.909 he touched? And a lot of those in that list, 00:02:45.430 --> 00:02:47.770 I think, particularly at that time, and certainly 00:02:47.770 --> 00:02:50.030 in our day, there are a lot in that list that 00:02:50.030 --> 00:02:53.270 just with each of those, a lot of those circumstances 00:02:53.270 --> 00:02:56.330 are like, man, That I'm the worst. I'm the worst 00:02:56.330 --> 00:02:59.729 that I could be. How could he ever want to sucker 00:02:59.729 --> 00:03:02.750 me? How could I ever come to him? He he covered 00:03:02.750 --> 00:03:06.650 You really did every single person that could 00:03:06.650 --> 00:03:09.050 have made so I mean what what circumstance are 00:03:09.050 --> 00:03:12.560 we going to find ourselves that he? isn't wouldn't 00:03:12.560 --> 00:03:14.740 be able to reach us. Right. It's called infinite, 00:03:14.800 --> 00:03:17.939 the infinite atonement for a reason. It defies 00:03:17.939 --> 00:03:21.699 space and time. The Savior's words to these individuals 00:03:21.699 --> 00:03:24.759 were brief, but with them, He painted vast new 00:03:24.759 --> 00:03:27.460 horizons of forgiveness, healing, restoration, 00:03:27.699 --> 00:03:31.620 peace, and eternal life. And the glorious news 00:03:31.620 --> 00:03:33.680 is that He offers this same new beginning to 00:03:33.680 --> 00:03:35.740 you and to me. I love how He keeps saying that 00:03:35.740 --> 00:03:38.099 in His talk. He keeps bringing it back. He says 00:03:38.099 --> 00:03:41.479 all of us can have a new beginning. through and 00:03:41.479 --> 00:03:44.439 because of Jesus Christ, even you. That means 00:03:44.439 --> 00:03:46.740 even me. How many times in this talk does he 00:03:46.740 --> 00:03:49.039 bring it right back to us? I feel like it's over 00:03:49.039 --> 00:03:52.360 and over again. He is very broad with the scripture, 00:03:52.460 --> 00:03:56.020 showing us how far reaching the atonement was, 00:03:56.120 --> 00:03:58.560 and then brings it right back down to us, very 00:03:58.560 --> 00:04:02.900 individual. Here's a slew of people that he reached 00:04:02.900 --> 00:04:05.500 and touched. Which one can you relate to? So 00:04:05.500 --> 00:04:09.449 how hard is it for you to see? He wants to reach 00:04:09.449 --> 00:04:14.009 you too. This is the Church of New Beginnings. 00:04:14.509 --> 00:04:16.730 According to Elder Kieran, it's also the Church 00:04:16.730 --> 00:04:19.029 of Joy, like he said in a previous talk, and 00:04:19.029 --> 00:04:21.589 our new beginning doesn't just happen once. We 00:04:21.589 --> 00:04:23.829 tend to think that our baptism is our one shot 00:04:23.829 --> 00:04:26.430 at new beginnings. It isn't. We don't have just 00:04:26.430 --> 00:04:28.790 one chance. These new beginnings can happen every 00:04:28.790 --> 00:04:31.810 day and certainly every week as we take of the 00:04:31.810 --> 00:04:35.589 sacrament in that ordinance every week. Yes. 00:04:36.230 --> 00:04:39.800 It's interesting because Um, love that January 00:04:39.800 --> 00:04:42.540 is a new beginning, right? And then there's another 00:04:42.540 --> 00:04:44.779 calendar that says something and I don't remember. 00:04:44.939 --> 00:04:46.600 I can't think of which one it is right now, but 00:04:46.600 --> 00:04:49.319 that spring is also a new beginning. And I mean, 00:04:49.500 --> 00:04:51.939 I can see that because things start to grow again 00:04:51.939 --> 00:04:54.740 and stuff, you know? Um, so I just love that. 00:04:54.800 --> 00:04:57.019 And then also I feel like for me, like all of 00:04:57.019 --> 00:05:00.889 the seasons are a chance for me to reflect and 00:05:00.889 --> 00:05:04.529 I can have a new beginning or maybe I can put 00:05:04.529 --> 00:05:06.209 to rest some of the things or put to bed some 00:05:06.209 --> 00:05:08.870 of the things that I've been working on and start 00:05:08.870 --> 00:05:12.610 something new. So I love that like for me, because 00:05:12.610 --> 00:05:16.170 of the way that the Lord set up the earth, every 00:05:16.170 --> 00:05:18.490 season is a new beginning. And that's just like 00:05:18.490 --> 00:05:20.310 a really good reminder of me. That's four times 00:05:20.310 --> 00:05:23.329 a year. But what Elder Karen is saying is that 00:05:23.329 --> 00:05:25.610 also every single week when we partake of the 00:05:25.610 --> 00:05:28.069 sacrament. And truly, anytime we turn to the 00:05:28.069 --> 00:05:31.250 Lord, we can have countless new beginnings. I 00:05:31.250 --> 00:05:33.389 love that. That thought went through my mind 00:05:33.389 --> 00:05:36.230 quite a few times too. It's like, we intentionally 00:05:36.230 --> 00:05:38.610 have this going on New Year's. A lot of people 00:05:38.610 --> 00:05:40.850 think of resolutions, you know, you have fitness 00:05:40.850 --> 00:05:42.610 or health goals or whatever, and then you blow 00:05:42.610 --> 00:05:44.730 it on January 2nd. You're like, I'll get to that 00:05:44.730 --> 00:05:53.980 next 2027. My year for the gym. the phrase, daily 00:05:53.980 --> 00:05:56.339 repentance, the prophet's way, like he was really 00:05:56.339 --> 00:05:58.079 trying to hit that home, because it's like a 00:05:58.079 --> 00:06:00.839 new beginning can be, it can be hour to hour, 00:06:01.000 --> 00:06:02.800 it can be, he really brought it from, it can 00:06:02.800 --> 00:06:05.379 be this big picture. Don't have to be disappointed 00:06:05.379 --> 00:06:06.879 that you can't be baptized every day, because 00:06:06.879 --> 00:06:09.779 you can, you can renew those covenants in any 00:06:09.779 --> 00:06:14.600 moment, time and time again. Absolutely. So, 00:06:15.300 --> 00:06:19.459 the next. The next part talks about new beginning 00:06:19.459 --> 00:06:21.759 in how we view repentance. So just like you were 00:06:21.759 --> 00:06:24.920 talking about Abby Repentance opens the door 00:06:24.920 --> 00:06:27.779 to our new beginnings it are also our fresh starts 00:06:27.779 --> 00:06:30.079 and our second chances and like you were talking 00:06:30.079 --> 00:06:33.759 about with President Russell and Nelson his teachings 00:06:33.759 --> 00:06:36.839 have cleared up misconceptions about the divine 00:06:36.839 --> 00:06:38.980 gift of repentance and I think we're finally 00:06:38.980 --> 00:06:42.139 beginning to grasp it meaning that it can be 00:06:42.139 --> 00:06:45.930 you know We heard this, I think, in like 2013, 00:06:46.050 --> 00:06:49.050 15 -ish about get really, really good at repenting 00:06:49.050 --> 00:06:50.810 or repent every day, every day, every day. And 00:06:50.810 --> 00:06:53.189 then with President Nelson, it just became almost 00:06:53.189 --> 00:06:56.149 with every single... And join repentance. Yes, 00:06:56.170 --> 00:06:57.149 join repentance. Kind of just really putting 00:06:57.149 --> 00:06:59.269 a different light on it. Yes. And it was just 00:06:59.269 --> 00:07:01.430 spoken of a lot more, I feel. I think so. I feel 00:07:01.430 --> 00:07:04.209 like I finally started to get it. Yep. A new 00:07:04.209 --> 00:07:06.850 beginning for everyone every time. Do you need 00:07:06.850 --> 00:07:09.269 a new beginning? Can you make a fresh start? 00:07:09.470 --> 00:07:11.870 Think about the people the Savior minister to 00:07:11.870 --> 00:07:14.089 the people he taught healed raised forgave and 00:07:14.089 --> 00:07:17.370 restored. He was selecting from them a particular 00:07:17.370 --> 00:07:20.370 Economic class or background what or was he you 00:07:20.370 --> 00:07:22.750 know, that's a question. We're asking was he 00:07:22.750 --> 00:07:24.449 Distinguishing between the righteous and the 00:07:24.449 --> 00:07:27.170 sinful was he singling people out because they 00:07:27.170 --> 00:07:30.449 were more deserving or more loved I'd say no 00:07:30.449 --> 00:07:33.959 everybody is worthy of new beginnings in the 00:07:33.959 --> 00:07:37.800 Savior's infinite divine atonement. Absolutely, 00:07:37.920 --> 00:07:41.819 Abby. I think it's interesting because when I 00:07:41.819 --> 00:07:44.180 was thinking about like, you know, He keeps saying, 00:07:44.420 --> 00:07:46.980 even you, like, can you have a new beginning? 00:07:47.100 --> 00:07:49.920 Can the Lord's atonement even reach you? And 00:07:49.920 --> 00:07:51.660 I think it's interesting because in my mind I 00:07:51.660 --> 00:07:53.420 was thinking, you know what? It's available for 00:07:53.420 --> 00:07:56.720 everyone who seeks this Jesus. However, we're 00:07:56.720 --> 00:08:00.560 going to go through three different He says, 00:08:01.800 --> 00:08:03.680 well, this is a new beginning for everyone. A 00:08:03.680 --> 00:08:05.959 new beginning looks different for each person 00:08:05.959 --> 00:08:10.060 who comes to Christ. Some came to him with great 00:08:10.060 --> 00:08:12.199 faith, right? That would be the first group of 00:08:12.199 --> 00:08:14.660 people believing in his power to heal. Like, 00:08:14.660 --> 00:08:16.819 for example, the woman with the issue of blood, 00:08:16.899 --> 00:08:19.980 the Roman centurion whose servant was dying, 00:08:20.079 --> 00:08:24.259 the leper, Jairus, and blind Bartimaeus. So they 00:08:24.259 --> 00:08:26.639 each put their faith on the line, hoping that 00:08:26.639 --> 00:08:29.540 the goodness and power of the rabbi from Nazareth 00:08:29.540 --> 00:08:32.460 would change their lives and change their prospects. 00:08:32.580 --> 00:08:36.019 And he did, and he let his healing flow, right? 00:08:36.019 --> 00:08:38.779 So that's the first group we look at. Yep. Okay. 00:08:38.899 --> 00:08:41.179 And then another group, he blessed those who 00:08:41.179 --> 00:08:43.279 had wavering faith, like the father of the sick 00:08:43.279 --> 00:08:46.320 child who cried out, perhaps like many of us 00:08:46.320 --> 00:08:48.399 would, Lord, I believe help thou my unbelief. 00:08:48.980 --> 00:08:51.580 So came to him with everything he could muster, 00:08:51.700 --> 00:08:55.220 but still had never seen it happen before. So 00:08:55.220 --> 00:08:58.720 of course, didn't know what he could believe. 00:08:58.799 --> 00:09:02.799 He was just so hopeful as a father. And this 00:09:02.799 --> 00:09:04.559 is surprising. He even poured out compassion 00:09:04.559 --> 00:09:08.070 upon those who'd sought him. Hadn't. Yeah. Hadn't 00:09:08.070 --> 00:09:10.710 sought him at all like the woman taken an adultery. 00:09:10.710 --> 00:09:12.889 She wasn't coming to him for his forgiveness 00:09:12.889 --> 00:09:15.549 I was really surprised by that. Yeah, the woman 00:09:15.549 --> 00:09:19.269 of name the disabled man at the pool of Bethesda 00:09:19.269 --> 00:09:22.289 Just like kind of sees him in his observing. 00:09:22.289 --> 00:09:27.309 Mm -hmm and the man born blind Have you felt 00:09:27.309 --> 00:09:29.169 him going about doing good in your life even 00:09:29.169 --> 00:09:30.970 when you haven't been seeking him or following 00:09:30.970 --> 00:09:34.909 him I Feel like that's interesting because again 00:09:35.129 --> 00:09:37.269 My first thought was those who seek him. And 00:09:37.269 --> 00:09:39.409 he was like, no, essentially what he's telling 00:09:39.409 --> 00:09:42.169 each one of us is we're all going to have seasons 00:09:42.169 --> 00:09:45.029 of our life where we do have unwavering faith. 00:09:45.549 --> 00:09:47.350 We're going to have a season of our life or seasons 00:09:47.350 --> 00:09:50.529 where we where it's wavering and we come to him 00:09:50.529 --> 00:09:52.289 anyway. And we're going to have other times where 00:09:52.289 --> 00:09:54.250 we're not coming to him and he seeks us like 00:09:54.250 --> 00:09:58.669 that's amazing. Again, it shows me he is for 00:09:58.669 --> 00:10:02.970 everyone. That scenario is particularly interesting 00:10:02.970 --> 00:10:06.570 because You would take you getting through the 00:10:06.570 --> 00:10:09.190 trial looking back and seeing his hand in it 00:10:09.190 --> 00:10:14.129 and recognizing that you hadn't like fallen down 00:10:14.129 --> 00:10:17.049 in prayer. You haven't lifted up your heart in 00:10:17.049 --> 00:10:19.730 prayer like you were just going through the motions. 00:10:20.570 --> 00:10:23.269 Trying to survive. Yeah and I'm thinking different 00:10:23.269 --> 00:10:24.789 people would have been put in your path that 00:10:24.789 --> 00:10:26.730 were maybe following spiritual impressions to 00:10:26.730 --> 00:10:30.259 be his hands. or listening to a conference talk 00:10:30.259 --> 00:10:33.120 or listening to someone speak in church, like 00:10:33.120 --> 00:10:35.120 we just had Christmas Sunday and oh my goodness, 00:10:35.820 --> 00:10:37.700 the talks and the words that were shared just 00:10:37.700 --> 00:10:40.580 went straight to my heart. So it is good to be 00:10:40.580 --> 00:10:46.779 in places where he can find you. So what does 00:10:46.779 --> 00:10:48.740 this mean for you and for me? His goodness and 00:10:48.740 --> 00:10:51.779 mercy and loving kindness know no bounds. That 00:10:51.779 --> 00:10:54.389 is really the essence of this entire. entire 00:10:54.389 --> 00:10:57.129 talk. New beginnings are at the heart of the 00:10:57.129 --> 00:10:59.830 Father's plan. Fresh starts are the mission of 00:10:59.830 --> 00:11:03.649 the Son. New dawns, new chapters, and new chances 00:11:03.649 --> 00:11:06.809 are the simple core of the gospel's good news. 00:11:07.460 --> 00:11:13.779 Welcome to 2026. We're so excited to share another 00:11:13.779 --> 00:11:17.399 year with you guys. We've got big plans, can 00:11:17.399 --> 00:11:20.700 keep taking through the podcasts. And if you 00:11:20.700 --> 00:11:22.779 want to join us this week on Facebook, maybe 00:11:22.779 --> 00:11:24.659 share with us what your new year and your new 00:11:24.659 --> 00:11:25.940 beginnings are going to look like. Oh, I'd love 00:11:25.940 --> 00:11:28.980 that. We'll catch you next time. See you next 00:11:28.980 --> 00:11:29.299 time.