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'll be discussing the name
by which you are called, and this is by Elder
B. Corey Cuvilli of the Seventy. Welcome, everyone.
We're so happy to have you. Hey, Abby. Hey, good
to be here with you. So, President Russell M.
Nelson taught that if the Lord were speaking
to each of us directly, the first thing he would
make sure that we understand is our true identity.
We are children of God, children of the covenant.
and disciples of Jesus Christ. Any other designation
will ultimately let us down. Then he shares a
humorous experience about his son's first cell
phone. So after noticing his wife's contact name
was respectfully saved his mother, he assumed
that his would be something similar like father
or dad or Pele in reference to their soccer background.
He couldn't find it. So, unable to find himself
in the contacts, he finally called his son's
phone, only to see that his name was listed under
Not Mother, turning his curiosity into a funny
and humbling moment. Do you know what you are
on your kid's phone? Muv. Muv? I love it. This
brought up the conversation in our house and
my then 13 -year -old, my name was Muv. Momster
in her thing. I'm like that's like monster She's
like it wasn't really what it was meant to sound
like so she updated it I don't know my my little
four -year -olds having a great time like he'll
call me Abby and his dad does not care for him
Calling me by my first name. So now he calls
me Mabby cuz it's like mom at me. You can picture
that he's So nothing super cute, but I love that
mother not mother so cute brothers and sisters
by which name are you called? You know how I
love the different names of Jesus, and I love
that this talk highlighted different names that
Jesus calls His followers. Kind of flips it on
us. Which one of these might fit you personally?
Disciples, sons and daughters, children of the
prophets, sheep, friends, light of the world
saints. Each of these titles you could claim,
and each of them underscores a certain personal
relationship with our Savior. King Benjamin powerfully
taught that one aims to rise above the rest.
Or none. This is the name that rises above all
the rest. When we take upon ourselves the name
of Christ. So after Christ's resurrection, His
chosen witnesses taught that those who believed
in Him were baptized and received the Holy Ghost
would receive a remission of their sins. Those
who accepted these ordinances joined the church,
became His disciples, and then they were called
Christians. Similarly, the Book of Mormon teaches
that believers in Christ are Christians, and
covenant people are spiritually reborn as the
children of Christ. I love those chapters where
they explain how and why, right, about this part.
His sons and daughters Brother Cuvillier invites
each of us to ponder, what does it mean to be
called by the name of Christ? And there's some
simple answers. We make and keep covenants. We
always remember Him. We keep His commandments.
We're willing to stand as witness of God at all
times and all things. This sounds very familiar,
our baptismal covenant. Right. One of those firsts
that we make with Him. We stand with prophets
and apostles as they carry Christ's message across
the world. We serve others. to relieve their
suffering. We try to be a light. We bring hope
in Christ to all people. And we consider these
things our lifelong pursuit, not a checklist,
a one time. Right, right. We've heard that over
and over again, haven't we, Abby? It's like collecting,
you know? Some things you were saying, I was
like, you know, so much of social media, like
these little debates on trying to say like, we're
Christians, we're Christians too, we're Christians.
And they're saying, you're not a Christian. And
I'm thinking, I am so over that. conversation
in that space. I'm just going to do that, not
as a checklist. That's my goal in my life, to
have His commandments that dictate what I do,
always be thinking about Him, serve others. And
I'll say, if you can't see, if you can't see
that I follow Jesus Christ and that I try to
follow His example, then you've got blinders
on. And that's not my problem. That's your problem.
Just take my word for it. Give me this label
that I'm so desperate for you to have. I'm not
desperate for you to recognize that I'm a Christian.
I am. Yeah. I am a Christian. We talk about Christ.
It's great. We do as Christ did. Yeah. Or try
to. And know that if we don't get it perfect,
that's just fine. Right. Because again, we have
Him as our Savior. Right. It's great to both
consider that we do those things over a lifetime,
like you were saying, and also that we have a
lifetime to become better at it, meaning that
we aren't expected to get it perfect in a single
moment, but over the span of a lifetime. It's
meant to take time, it's meant to take effort
and experience, and that's why we're here. So,
really, all good things come line upon line,
precept upon precept, and that's how we become
a disciple. Right. It's easy to get caught up
in these worldly titles. But worldly titles only
yield temporary value and they are never enough
to stand on their own. And they change. Oh, absolutely.
President Nelson shares that it's hard to find
happiness where none can be found. That same
advice applies to the titles by which we choose
to be called. we choose to be called by them
by the actions we choose. Following prophetic
counsel to make discipleship a priority is both
timely and wise, especially in an age of so many
competing voices and influences." The one that
rises to the top, you know, the dominating voice
is, I want it to be the name of Jesus Christ
that's the dominating voice or the dominating
title. Absolutely. There can be other titles
that I ... dabble in, but this is the one that
brings happiness and lasting joy. Yeah. Whenever
I hear this, I think back to 2019 when I was
going through cancer and it was the first time
in my life, I was only Amy. And it kind of, it
rocked my world. I wasn't being a mom. I wasn't
being a wife. I wasn't being a ministering sister.
I mean, I tried a little bit, but like I wasn't
anything but Amy. And it was like for the first
time in my life, number one, it was kind of scary.
Because I, you know, someone would say, how are
you doing? And you would talk about your kids.
How are you doing? And you would talk, you know
what I'm saying? But like, I was just me. That's
all I was. So because of that, I definitely took
the opportunity to make sure I understood who
I was, what motivated me. And when I stripped
away everything else, was I happy with the person
who was there and what made Amy, Amy. And so
I really do love that. I feel like There will
most likely be a time in every person's life
where everything gets stripped away. Maybe you're
an artist your entire life and then something
happens and you're not able to be an artist.
Now, what now? The Lord can help us reinvent
ourselves. And I wouldn't even say reinvent.
I would say more fully, be more rounded. You
know what I mean? Like there'll be a point where
you won't be able to do the thing that you thought
defined you. And the Lord is just helping to
show you that there is more. Love that. I love
that you follow it up with because I thought
I don't really want cancer to gain that experience,
but I do Empty nester, injury, whatever it is,
there's small ways. Like if your whole life was
poured into your kids and then they leave the
house that you have to re -identify. Oh shoot,
there's a stranger in the house with me. My roommate.
So, King Benjamin counseled, I would that you
should remember to retain the name of Christ
written always in your heart, that you hear and
know the voice by which you are called and shall
be called, and also the name by which he shall
call you. He shares the most touching example
from his own life, and so this is in 1909 in
Germany, and his great -grandfather, Martin Gassner,
was struggling with drinking and wasting his
wages, and it was putting his marriage at risk.
His wife had had it. After a co -worker shared
a Mormon pamphlet that he found, they traveled
to investigate the church and unexpectedly found
a small congregation meeting in a rented hall
above a funeral home. He was touched by the spirit
and Martin gained testimony. When he said he
couldn't afford to travel so far each week, because
at this point he's quite far from home, the humble
branch president personally helped him find both
a job and housing within hours. Martin moved,
was baptized six months later with his family
and transformed from a hopeless drunk into a
devoted, faithful man. This is the part I love
from the story. Though this branch president's
name is lost, His quiet discipleship changed
generations and his influence continues more
than a century later. And Elder Kuvliye said
that he calls him friend, like that's the name
he would give him, and I loved that. And probably
an opportunity will present itself on the other
side. Absolutely, right? It's not the end, is
it? There's a saying that you can count the seeds
in, you can count the seeds in apple, but you
can't count the apples that come from a seed.
The seed planted by the branch president has
produced countless fruit Little would he have
known that 48 years later several generation
of Martin's family on both sides of the veil
would be sealed In the burn switch of the temple.
Where's he from? Because the way he said that
I was like, he's really saying it was pretty
it was is it French I well, I don't know. I know
that in Switzerland. They they speak all to all
the different like They have Italian, French,
I think German, and … It was pretty … I'm not
going to say it like he said it, because that's
not me, but I say Bern, and it sounds not as
cute as him. Bern's Switzerland Temple. It's
only one thing to hear about being a disciple
of Christ, but this story is touching, and you
can see the impact that just one disciple can
have on so many generations. The quiet, unassuming
actions and deeds observed in the lives of ordinary
people just trying to be like Jesus, who go about
doing good like the branch president did, had
lasting, even eternal consequences. Absolutely.
True discipleship is not picking who is worthy
of our generosity. All of God's children are
worthy of it, meaning that every single person
we encounter is worthy. Those who take upon themselves
the name of Christ recognize that, as Joseph
Smith said, a man filled with the love of God
is not content with blessing his family alone,
but ranges through the whole world, anxious to
bless the whole human race. Jesus lived this
way. Entire books are filled with these stories,
but the apostles share that they weren't even
able to write a fraction of the things that he
did because there was not enough time and there
was not enough space to contain it all. And think
of all the things that people do on behalf of
His name, or by being His example, even more,
just volumes that express that Jesus Christ is
the center of our lives. Any given day, you're
going to be pulled in a lot of directions, but
how would your actions be different if you were
knowing that you're a representative of Jesus
Christ in every action that you take, in every
encounter that you make, in the decisions of
your life? For sure. Preparing for this talk,
It's been a minute since we recorded, but Amy
invited me to the temple and I had done a, was
it, maybe a Tuesday. Anyway, kind of the course
of the week, I was preparing for the talk. Obviously,
whatever you're doing kind of ties into, you
know, the talk you're preparing. It's just how
life works. It's more on your mind. And we'd
been in a mission prep class and I was thinking,
like, how special it is that missionaries wear
the name of Jesus Christ, you know, on their
heart for their time period of their service.
As I haven't served a mission. So I had this
thought like I've never worn That that tag I've
never been a representative Jesus Christ in that
way. Yes I definitely know that members are missionaries
and you don't have to have the tag to to be like
him obviously, but The reason I bring this up
is that very shortly after we went to The temple
and we were doing initiatories that day and in
the third room were reminded of the same thing
We're reminded it's this is all over the place
so I know I can say it outside of the temple
but when when bishops refresh you on what the
temple garment means to us and The reminder that
stands for you know, the markings are sacred
and special We're not going to talk about that
But in general that is a covering and it says
it right there that you take his name upon you
It's a reminder of taking his name upon you obviously
we started that covenant relationship at baptism
we have, you know, an even stronger, deeper covenant
as we get a partake in what's happening in the
temples. But, I mean, I was said, you know, my
proxy doing work reminded that absolutely, I'm
wearing Him on my heart. A symbol of Jesus Christ.
Yeah. So, remember, like, Like a hundred episodes
ago, like Sister Annette Dennis is putting on,
like I've thought about the garment and putting
it on and the protection and the power that it
brings me every day. But I'm going to add to
that beautiful talk that she gave that you, you
know, that you helped guide us through with this
idea of letting that be a reminder to make my
actions reflect him, not just let him protect
me. Being like Him protects me. There's just
a little another deep level to it. And so, I'm
super grateful for that reminder and that, you
know, that's the most important name that we
can put upon ourselves. I'll close with his testimony.
He says, my great grandfather, and millions of
others who have declared like the disciple Andrew,
we have found the messiahs. In the end, our identity
isn't defined by the world, but our discipleship
is defined by the ordinances we receive, the
covenants we keep, and the love we show to God
and neighbor by simply doing good. I testify
that Jesus Christ lives and has redeemed us.
He is the one who said, I have called thee by
name thou art mine. We say these things in the
name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. Abby, thank
you so much. That was great. We'll catch you
next time. See you guys.