WEBVTT 00:00:02.320 --> 00:00:04.660 Welcome to closer to Christ through general conference 00:00:04.660 --> 00:00:06.700 where two friends who love Jesus share our own 00:00:06.700 --> 00:00:08.539 approach to studying the most recent general 00:00:08.539 --> 00:00:11.500 conference talks. This is Abby and Amy. Let's 00:00:11.500 --> 00:00:32.770 jump into it. So today, rather than jumping straight 00:00:32.770 --> 00:00:35.149 into the talk, because we got to hear from the 00:00:35.149 --> 00:00:37.250 Prophet in a sweet little introduction and some 00:00:37.250 --> 00:00:41.189 closing remarks and the meat of his talk. in 00:00:41.189 --> 00:00:43.729 the Sunday session, we decided to put all of 00:00:43.729 --> 00:00:45.490 those three together and then bring them into 00:00:45.490 --> 00:00:48.969 this one podcast today. So in his opening address, 00:00:49.030 --> 00:00:51.429 he was talking to the 17 million members worldwide. 00:00:51.829 --> 00:00:53.869 We were all invited to participate in that solemn 00:00:53.869 --> 00:00:57.070 assembly. And I myself spent that time recalling 00:00:57.070 --> 00:00:59.590 the last two that I had participated in. And 00:00:59.590 --> 00:01:02.689 I was deeply touched by those. at that time and 00:01:02.689 --> 00:01:06.409 I was touched and I felt the Spirit give me a 00:01:06.409 --> 00:01:08.329 confirming witness that Dallin H. Oaks is a prophet 00:01:08.329 --> 00:01:10.150 of God and called to lead us in this restored 00:01:10.150 --> 00:01:13.049 church in the latter days. The prayers and support 00:01:13.049 --> 00:01:16.150 and sustaining is felt by those called to lead 00:01:16.150 --> 00:01:18.629 us. President Oaks expressed gratitude as leaders 00:01:18.629 --> 00:01:20.689 of the church for that sustaining vote and the 00:01:20.689 --> 00:01:25.189 prayers in support of its members. This was his 00:01:25.189 --> 00:01:27.519 prayer. for each of us. He said, we also pray 00:01:27.519 --> 00:01:29.859 for you to be guided and prospered as you continue 00:01:29.859 --> 00:01:31.439 the great service you give to the children of 00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:33.299 God throughout the world. So I thought that was 00:01:33.299 --> 00:01:35.359 sweet. We had an opportunity to sustain them 00:01:35.359 --> 00:01:38.180 and show our support for the leadership and he 00:01:38.180 --> 00:01:41.659 had the opportunity to, you know, invoke a blessing 00:01:41.659 --> 00:01:43.719 across to us. Absolutely. That's always my favorite 00:01:43.719 --> 00:01:47.599 part is when it's either an apostolic or a prophetic 00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:50.200 blessing. I always peek my ears up there. His 00:01:50.200 --> 00:01:51.920 testimony was really touching as well, and it 00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:54.959 was so appropriate. He shares this. At this Easter 00:01:54.959 --> 00:01:57.680 season, I reaffirm our testimony of the resurrected 00:01:57.680 --> 00:02:00.599 Lord and recognize that He is the head of the 00:02:00.599 --> 00:02:03.120 church. We pray for His blessings upon this conference 00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:05.379 and upon all of you in the name of Jesus Christ. 00:02:05.540 --> 00:02:08.800 Love that. President Oaks has quite the way of 00:02:08.800 --> 00:02:10.860 just getting right to the point. And with the 00:02:10.860 --> 00:02:13.780 new schedule of a 25 -minute class for Lacy's 00:02:13.780 --> 00:02:15.879 Society and Elder's Quorums starting in September, 00:02:16.319 --> 00:02:19.000 I think this skill will be paramount. Two points 00:02:19.000 --> 00:02:20.840 that he started out his talk with were, one, 00:02:20.919 --> 00:02:22.800 the resurrection being a pillar of our faith, 00:02:23.120 --> 00:02:25.680 and two, that we believe in the literal resurrection 00:02:25.680 --> 00:02:29.919 of Christ and believe that resurrection is universal. 00:02:29.939 --> 00:02:32.520 It is for all. The spirit and the body shall 00:02:32.520 --> 00:02:36.740 be reunited again in its perfect form. Here's 00:02:36.740 --> 00:02:39.319 a quote, now this restoration shall come to all, 00:02:39.539 --> 00:02:41.580 both old and young, bond and free, male and female, 00:02:41.659 --> 00:02:44.460 both the wicked ones and the righteous. We live 00:02:44.460 --> 00:02:46.360 our lives with the belief and conviction of the 00:02:46.360 --> 00:02:48.539 resurrection, and when we do so it changes our 00:02:48.539 --> 00:02:51.879 lives. We know death is not the end of our identity. 00:02:52.639 --> 00:02:54.759 We know it affects how we look on the physical 00:02:54.759 --> 00:02:57.580 challenges of mortality. we know it gives us 00:02:57.580 --> 00:02:59.439 strength and perspective to endure the mortal 00:02:59.439 --> 00:03:01.800 challenges faced by each of us and those that 00:03:01.800 --> 00:03:04.599 we love. It signifies that mortal deficiencies 00:03:04.599 --> 00:03:07.500 are only temporary, and it also gives us the 00:03:07.500 --> 00:03:11.000 courage to face our own death or that of loved 00:03:11.000 --> 00:03:14.039 ones, even deaths we might call premature. You 00:03:14.039 --> 00:03:16.400 said that twice now. You said that one you spoke 00:03:16.400 --> 00:03:18.840 with to BYU and now, so it's like something that's 00:03:18.840 --> 00:03:21.400 in my mind, just remembering the Lord's timing 00:03:21.400 --> 00:03:24.860 as always. Well, and when it comes from him knowing 00:03:24.860 --> 00:03:26.800 that he lost his father at such a tender age 00:03:26.800 --> 00:03:29.819 and knowing full well that as unfair as that 00:03:29.819 --> 00:03:32.969 seems. the consequences of that, him having to 00:03:32.969 --> 00:03:34.509 step up, him having, you know, the grandparents 00:03:34.509 --> 00:03:36.949 having to step in, his mom having to, you know, 00:03:37.030 --> 00:03:39.490 fill that role, him having to find people. It's 00:03:39.490 --> 00:03:41.569 not like he says it casually, like, I'm sorry, 00:03:41.689 --> 00:03:43.270 some of you, you've lost people that you loved 00:03:43.270 --> 00:03:45.650 early, and that just doesn't seem fair. He lives 00:03:45.650 --> 00:03:48.129 that truth. Right. It's like his testimony that 00:03:48.129 --> 00:03:50.469 he's reconciled that with God. Yeah. Like, that's 00:03:50.469 --> 00:03:51.430 the only place they can come from. Yeah. And 00:03:51.430 --> 00:03:53.210 once you've reconciled that with God, if you 00:03:53.210 --> 00:03:57.930 can do anything in your power to help and bless 00:03:57.930 --> 00:03:59.550 others with that testimony that you have of this 00:03:59.550 --> 00:04:02.689 thing, it makes things that otherwise seem very, 00:04:02.810 --> 00:04:04.509 something you could be angry about and something 00:04:04.509 --> 00:04:06.449 you could just put a lot of blame on and just 00:04:06.449 --> 00:04:08.909 say, why did it have to be this way? Well, he's 00:04:08.909 --> 00:04:10.830 saying from this perspective of life, it can 00:04:10.830 --> 00:04:14.449 be hard, but it happens. And, you know, gratefully 00:04:14.449 --> 00:04:16.089 for the resurrection of our Lord and Savior, 00:04:16.110 --> 00:04:19.569 Jesus Christ, the sting of that isn't as painful. 00:04:21.649 --> 00:04:23.689 One last thing he said, it helps us live together 00:04:23.689 --> 00:04:26.230 in love in this life in anticipation of joyful 00:04:26.230 --> 00:04:29.129 reunions and associations in the next. Not the 00:04:29.129 --> 00:04:33.360 end. Yeah. Underlining point of all of those 00:04:33.360 --> 00:04:35.860 things is that we have a belief in a literal 00:04:35.860 --> 00:04:38.839 resurrection that is just that. It's not a parable. 00:04:38.899 --> 00:04:41.060 It's not a nice thing thinking, hoping that it's 00:04:41.060 --> 00:04:44.360 going to come. We live our lives anticipating 00:04:44.360 --> 00:04:48.620 that truth to be fact. Yeah. Abby, I will say 00:04:48.620 --> 00:04:51.839 one thing that he said literal a few times. And 00:04:51.839 --> 00:04:53.300 it was just interesting to me because the first 00:04:53.300 --> 00:04:55.120 time I heard it, I was like, of course we believe 00:04:55.120 --> 00:04:57.810 in the literal resurrection. It felt... a lot 00:04:57.810 --> 00:05:00.389 like when I was 18 listening to the proclamation 00:05:00.389 --> 00:05:02.699 of the family. As all those things were said, 00:05:02.819 --> 00:05:04.079 I was like, uh -huh, uh -huh, uh -huh. Please 00:05:04.079 --> 00:05:06.720 don't say that. Are you telling me that 20 years 00:05:06.720 --> 00:05:08.800 from now, we're going to be having this conversation 00:05:08.800 --> 00:05:11.740 that people are like, he really didn't live. 00:05:11.920 --> 00:05:14.360 It's the idea of somebody that could overcome 00:05:14.360 --> 00:05:18.139 him. That's what it felt like to me. And there 00:05:18.139 --> 00:05:19.600 was another talking conference. We have to affirm 00:05:19.600 --> 00:05:21.819 this truth that we know. Right. We know this. 00:05:21.939 --> 00:05:25.000 Yes, it was almost like it was just solidified 00:05:25.000 --> 00:05:28.800 and stronger. Yes, I believe, we believe in the 00:05:28.800 --> 00:05:32.629 literal. resurrection, that Jesus lives again 00:05:32.629 --> 00:05:34.970 and that we all will too. This is not a parable. 00:05:35.069 --> 00:05:38.129 This is real. And because we believe this, we 00:05:38.129 --> 00:05:41.050 know that we will meet Christ. And preparing 00:05:41.050 --> 00:05:45.009 for this time to come is no easy task. We live 00:05:45.009 --> 00:05:47.610 in toxic, turbulent times, and our Savior Jesus 00:05:47.610 --> 00:05:49.410 Christ taught us how to relate to one another. 00:05:51.410 --> 00:05:53.949 The great commandments in the law he taught were 00:05:53.949 --> 00:05:56.699 to love God, and love our neighbor. He taught 00:05:56.699 --> 00:05:59.860 that in Matthew 22. And he says, ye have heard 00:05:59.860 --> 00:06:01.259 that it's been said that thou shalt love thy 00:06:01.259 --> 00:06:04.060 neighbor and hate thine enemy. But I say to you, 00:06:04.079 --> 00:06:05.860 love your enemies, bless them that curse you, 00:06:05.920 --> 00:06:08.420 do good to them that hate you, and pray for them 00:06:08.420 --> 00:06:10.839 which despitefully use you and persecute you. 00:06:11.139 --> 00:06:15.000 That was in Matthew 5. I like this part. This 00:06:15.000 --> 00:06:17.100 is what President Oaks said. He said, enemies 00:06:17.100 --> 00:06:20.920 include military foes, yes, but it even extends 00:06:20.920 --> 00:06:23.899 to any who actively oppose one another. So when 00:06:23.899 --> 00:06:27.319 President Oakes reframes enemy, he says, our 00:06:27.319 --> 00:06:30.199 adversary. Love your adversary and love your 00:06:30.199 --> 00:06:33.120 neighbor. It's so broad that it extends to all 00:06:33.120 --> 00:06:35.019 of God's children. It's pretty easy to think, 00:06:35.019 --> 00:06:36.660 like of a personal relationship that each of 00:06:36.660 --> 00:06:39.680 us have in daily interaction. If we follow this 00:06:39.680 --> 00:06:42.379 teaching of Jesus Christ, like we want to, when 00:06:42.379 --> 00:06:45.939 we recognize anyone as our adversary, we choose 00:06:45.939 --> 00:06:48.079 to love them and extend kindness and at least 00:06:48.079 --> 00:06:50.889 respectful communication. That's a good point. 00:06:51.370 --> 00:06:53.250 President David O. McKay taught, there's no better 00:06:53.250 --> 00:06:55.490 way to manifest love for God than to show an 00:06:55.490 --> 00:06:59.410 unselfish love for one's fellow men. Story time, 00:06:59.610 --> 00:07:01.449 President Oaks shares a story about a woman in 00:07:01.449 --> 00:07:03.310 a yellow dress who worked in a prison as a nurse. 00:07:04.170 --> 00:07:07.540 One particular inmate. Well, I want to caveat 00:07:07.540 --> 00:07:10.319 this. He sees her in the crowd at a state conference. 00:07:10.439 --> 00:07:12.360 He's like, I feel like she should speak. Do you 00:07:12.360 --> 00:07:13.519 think that she could do a good job at a state 00:07:13.519 --> 00:07:14.860 conference? Yeah, I think she'd do good. So they 00:07:14.860 --> 00:07:16.480 call her up. She has not had time to prepare. 00:07:16.740 --> 00:07:19.399 She comes up and then she starts in this, I work 00:07:19.399 --> 00:07:21.980 in a prison. And she said one particular one, 00:07:22.000 --> 00:07:24.079 he was bedridden. He was difficult for nurses 00:07:24.079 --> 00:07:25.980 who cared for him. He'd use foul language. He'd 00:07:25.980 --> 00:07:28.339 spit on the floor. He'd constantly insult them. 00:07:28.540 --> 00:07:30.779 and do other repulsive things, and she despised 00:07:30.779 --> 00:07:32.620 him for it. One day she heard a crash in his 00:07:32.620 --> 00:07:34.959 room, and she rushed in, and there he lay on 00:07:34.959 --> 00:07:40.699 the floor, fallen in a pool of liquid, blood, 00:07:40.879 --> 00:07:43.540 broken glass. In that moment, a profound change 00:07:43.540 --> 00:07:46.389 came over her. She felt an almost... electric 00:07:46.389 --> 00:07:49.230 current of love from our Heavenly Father to this 00:07:49.230 --> 00:07:51.889 man. She saw him as a child of God in that moment. 00:07:52.269 --> 00:07:54.290 She knelt and she tried to give him comfort as 00:07:54.290 --> 00:07:57.389 he said, I want to go home. He died shortly after. 00:07:57.589 --> 00:08:00.170 President Oak said, for me, this was a lesson 00:08:00.170 --> 00:08:01.949 I needed to learn about our Heavenly Father's 00:08:01.949 --> 00:08:04.370 love for all his children. That lesson can transform 00:08:04.370 --> 00:08:06.829 us to see each other as children of God who belong 00:08:06.829 --> 00:08:09.560 to each other. It helps us treat each other differently 00:08:09.560 --> 00:08:12.180 when we recognize A, that we're a child of God, 00:08:12.339 --> 00:08:14.240 and that we recognize that they're also children 00:08:14.240 --> 00:08:16.779 of God. Absolutely. I also love that she was 00:08:16.779 --> 00:08:19.600 able to recognize that that could only have come 00:08:19.600 --> 00:08:21.720 from Heavenly Father, that electric current of 00:08:21.720 --> 00:08:24.259 feeling, because she knew that what was in her 00:08:24.259 --> 00:08:25.939 heart was she despised Him, and all of a sudden, 00:08:25.959 --> 00:08:28.399 boom, it was changed. Like, in that contrast, 00:08:28.459 --> 00:08:30.259 she was able to say, that could only be from 00:08:30.259 --> 00:08:33.889 Heavenly Father, and I love that. President Howard 00:08:33.889 --> 00:08:35.889 W. Hunter described this same love that we're 00:08:35.889 --> 00:08:38.009 talking about of God toward his children. He 00:08:38.009 --> 00:09:05.159 says, Essentially, love everyone. Isn't that 00:09:05.159 --> 00:09:11.279 funny? When you turn enemy to be adversary, an 00:09:11.279 --> 00:09:15.279 adversary can be your next door neighbor. And 00:09:15.279 --> 00:09:17.480 he basically says, I mean, when you think about 00:09:17.480 --> 00:09:19.600 our savior, I mean, on the crosses, he's been 00:09:19.600 --> 00:09:23.539 beaten, ridiculed, and he's being killed by people. 00:09:23.539 --> 00:09:27.159 He's asking for forgiveness for them, that he's 00:09:27.159 --> 00:09:29.840 shown us there's really nobody who's passed forgiveness, 00:09:29.940 --> 00:09:32.059 and there's nobody that he's not willing to forgive. 00:09:32.750 --> 00:09:36.110 And he asks us to like look at somebody that 00:09:36.110 --> 00:09:40.549 took a little extra cream off the milk or hit 00:09:40.549 --> 00:09:45.110 your puppy. I don't know. It makes you think, 00:09:45.950 --> 00:09:47.409 I'm glad that I don't have to live up to his 00:09:47.409 --> 00:09:49.389 exact standard, but it makes me think there's 00:09:49.389 --> 00:09:52.049 a lot less people that I should be holding grudges 00:09:52.049 --> 00:09:54.049 to. And I should make neighbors and friends out 00:09:54.049 --> 00:09:56.269 of a lot more people. I should just assume everybody. 00:09:56.570 --> 00:09:59.889 Everybody fits in the category of not enemies. 00:10:03.230 --> 00:10:07.149 In the third section of this talk, the prophet 00:10:07.149 --> 00:10:09.309 makes the connection that we can each use the 00:10:09.309 --> 00:10:11.509 example of our savior on how to relate to others, 00:10:11.870 --> 00:10:14.669 kind of what I led into. I love that he used 00:10:14.669 --> 00:10:18.330 the word strive in his talk because as nice as 00:10:18.330 --> 00:10:20.970 it is to have the idea to follow our savior's 00:10:20.970 --> 00:10:23.250 example, his standard is very hard for us to 00:10:23.250 --> 00:10:25.049 match, pretty much impossible if you want to 00:10:25.049 --> 00:10:27.710 get. really to the truth of it, but in pursuit 00:10:27.710 --> 00:10:30.750 of striving to be like Him, the outcome still 00:10:30.750 --> 00:10:32.990 better than we would have been if we hadn't been 00:10:32.990 --> 00:10:35.889 looking at it that way. That makes sense. The 00:10:35.889 --> 00:10:37.649 world is always quick to point out that being 00:10:37.649 --> 00:10:40.029 like the Savior and loving everyone means forgetting 00:10:40.029 --> 00:10:41.809 everything else that He taught and letting people 00:10:41.809 --> 00:10:44.330 do whatever they want. Although it's absolutely 00:10:44.330 --> 00:10:46.590 possible to love people who act contrary to the 00:10:46.590 --> 00:10:48.909 commandments of God, it's not our responsibility 00:10:48.909 --> 00:10:52.580 to deny those commandments ourselves. Right? 00:10:52.700 --> 00:10:54.840 We are disciples of Christ. The prophet urged 00:10:54.840 --> 00:10:58.720 us to not surrender our values. Our own covenants 00:10:58.720 --> 00:11:02.379 we've made give us a unique role of loving others, 00:11:02.539 --> 00:11:06.740 but balancing that eternal context between truth 00:11:06.740 --> 00:11:10.100 and error. Even the prophet suggested that this 00:11:10.100 --> 00:11:14.019 balancing is not even easy. No. He knows. He's 00:11:14.019 --> 00:11:18.840 human. One side of the coin, when we try to live 00:11:18.840 --> 00:11:21.679 God's commandments, some people think that we 00:11:21.679 --> 00:11:23.879 lack love for them. Like, they know that what 00:11:23.879 --> 00:11:25.419 we're doing is contrary to the way that we live 00:11:25.419 --> 00:11:27.279 our life and so they automatically assume that 00:11:27.279 --> 00:11:29.500 we couldn't love them for that thing that they're 00:11:29.500 --> 00:11:31.799 doing. The other side of the coin is that when 00:11:31.799 --> 00:11:33.899 we show love and kindness to others who aren't 00:11:33.899 --> 00:11:36.279 acting in accordance to the covenants or commandments 00:11:36.279 --> 00:11:38.740 that we, you know, subscribe to, that we believe, 00:11:38.759 --> 00:11:42.440 that we practice, others may think that us supporting 00:11:42.440 --> 00:11:45.940 them is going against our beliefs. Right. And 00:11:45.940 --> 00:11:48.740 so, the goal is to follow Christ by holding to 00:11:48.740 --> 00:11:51.279 our value while still showing love and living 00:11:51.279 --> 00:11:53.940 peacefully with everyone. 100%. My mind, when 00:11:53.940 --> 00:11:55.879 he was talking about this, flashed to the woman 00:11:55.879 --> 00:11:59.480 taking an adultery. You know, all of her accusers 00:11:59.480 --> 00:12:03.399 are standing there, and the law at the time, 00:12:03.419 --> 00:12:06.220 it's a harsh law, but the law would justify these 00:12:06.220 --> 00:12:11.659 people to stone her. And Jesus says, You know, 00:12:11.659 --> 00:12:13.500 he's not trying to usurp the lies not trying 00:12:13.500 --> 00:12:17.700 to go around it, but he tells the people It's 00:12:17.700 --> 00:12:19.879 an excellent point. He makes he's like any whoever 00:12:19.879 --> 00:12:22.080 of you have no sin. You should cast the first 00:12:22.080 --> 00:12:23.860 stone That's your law. You can cast this stone 00:12:23.860 --> 00:12:26.259 But whoever's without sin you you do this thing 00:12:26.259 --> 00:12:28.799 first and you know They drop they drop their 00:12:28.799 --> 00:12:30.879 rocks or whatever they had do and they turned 00:12:30.879 --> 00:12:33.659 and he's like where your accuser so basically 00:12:33.659 --> 00:12:36.960 Reminding us we all have our faults. So Realizing 00:12:36.960 --> 00:12:38.820 that none of us are perfect. It's easier for 00:12:38.820 --> 00:12:41.159 me to relate to people who do choose They've 00:12:41.159 --> 00:12:43.440 just chosen another sin than I've chosen to sin. 00:12:46.460 --> 00:12:48.720 And also fascinating to me that the Savior was 00:12:48.720 --> 00:12:50.759 the only person who was without sin and he could 00:12:50.759 --> 00:12:52.259 have easily been the first to cast the stone 00:12:52.259 --> 00:12:54.139 at this woman. However, that's not what he chose 00:12:54.139 --> 00:12:58.860 to do. He encouraged her to, I kind of feel like 00:12:58.860 --> 00:13:00.899 it comes full circle on this balancing act, he 00:13:00.899 --> 00:13:05.539 invites her to go and sin no more. He didn't 00:13:05.539 --> 00:13:09.019 say, you're a rotten, terrible person. goes into 00:13:09.019 --> 00:13:11.039 more. He's just saying, I see you for who you 00:13:11.039 --> 00:13:13.460 are. Yeah. And he didn't say you're perfect, 00:13:13.559 --> 00:13:14.940 just like you are keep doing what you're doing. 00:13:15.080 --> 00:13:16.899 That was the balance. It was right in the middle. 00:13:17.559 --> 00:13:19.659 Yep. With absolute love, he invited her to pick 00:13:19.659 --> 00:13:21.500 a different path and he sent her on her way. 00:13:21.679 --> 00:13:23.759 Yes. And for sure she felt that. I'm feeling 00:13:23.759 --> 00:13:25.360 it right now. I know that she felt it. I know 00:13:25.360 --> 00:13:27.059 that she picked a different path from that point 00:13:27.059 --> 00:13:30.200 on. So we're not going to get it perfectly every 00:13:30.200 --> 00:13:33.250 time, but he didn't. He didn't avoid her like 00:13:33.250 --> 00:13:35.850 she was the plague. He didn't think that she 00:13:35.850 --> 00:13:41.429 was below this communication with him, didn't 00:13:41.429 --> 00:13:43.450 deserve some of his time. Just like all of us, 00:13:43.649 --> 00:13:45.629 whatever sin, like whatever we're struggling 00:13:45.629 --> 00:13:48.029 with, whatever we're dealing with, none of us 00:13:48.029 --> 00:13:51.570 are beyond him being able to. to reach us, to 00:13:51.570 --> 00:13:54.750 come to us. We all deserve our Savior. 100%. 00:13:54.750 --> 00:13:57.990 I also love that our prophet underlined this 00:13:57.990 --> 00:14:00.549 point, essentially saying, hold fast to your 00:14:00.549 --> 00:14:02.509 covenants, hold fast to your beliefs, and love 00:14:02.509 --> 00:14:06.470 everyone. This whole Easter season, I just was 00:14:06.470 --> 00:14:09.389 praying and just asking Heavenly Father, like, 00:14:09.509 --> 00:14:12.190 how did Jesus do it? Like, how did He actually 00:14:12.190 --> 00:14:15.090 stay true to who He was, no matter what happened? 00:14:15.110 --> 00:14:19.149 He was unwavering. after conference on Sunday, 00:14:19.490 --> 00:14:22.009 my son just, it was funny, he was in charge of 00:14:22.009 --> 00:14:23.730 the remote. He turned it off and immediately 00:14:23.730 --> 00:14:25.970 turned on to this end I was born, was I born. 00:14:26.710 --> 00:14:30.929 And I love that Easter depiction. And I just 00:14:30.929 --> 00:14:35.929 was struck again by how right before Christ would 00:14:35.929 --> 00:14:39.250 be, beaten and crucified and all of the most 00:14:39.250 --> 00:14:41.769 terrible things that we on this earth can think 00:14:41.769 --> 00:14:43.909 of happening to ourselves, that was about to 00:14:43.909 --> 00:14:46.909 happen. And yet He stood in front of Pilate and 00:14:46.909 --> 00:14:49.789 said, to this end I was born. And I just felt 00:14:49.789 --> 00:14:54.509 like everything that happens to me, it's all 00:14:54.509 --> 00:14:57.669 aside from who I really am. I feel like Jesus 00:14:57.669 --> 00:15:00.110 did it because, Jesus was able to do it because 00:15:00.110 --> 00:15:03.620 He never lost sight of why He was here. and who 00:15:03.620 --> 00:15:06.580 He was. And if each one of us could adopt that, 00:15:07.279 --> 00:15:10.220 that's what He's saying here is, yeah, hold fast 00:15:10.220 --> 00:15:13.039 to your covenants, to your beliefs, and love 00:15:13.039 --> 00:15:16.320 everyone else. They are both right. They are 00:15:16.320 --> 00:15:19.240 both exactly what Jesus would do. I think in 00:15:19.240 --> 00:15:21.019 fairness, He did come. He did have to learn things. 00:15:21.019 --> 00:15:23.919 He did have to make that His personality. But 00:15:23.919 --> 00:15:26.559 somehow, you're talking and I'm like, it's His 00:15:26.559 --> 00:15:28.679 first nature. It's His natural inclination. I 00:15:28.679 --> 00:15:30.799 don't even think He has to think to act in the 00:15:30.799 --> 00:15:34.129 way that He acted. He gets it right every time. 00:15:34.690 --> 00:15:37.549 And I think when I try to listen to his example, 00:15:37.570 --> 00:15:39.490 learn from example, and implement the way that 00:15:39.490 --> 00:15:42.110 he lived, I'm trying to do it in a way that people 00:15:42.110 --> 00:15:45.149 would say it's second nature to them. It's not 00:15:45.149 --> 00:15:47.669 my first nature. My first nature would be to 00:15:47.669 --> 00:15:51.450 be a brat, saying mean things, like judge people. 00:15:51.730 --> 00:15:53.649 His first nature is not to do that. Remember 00:15:53.649 --> 00:15:56.309 who he was. Is that the real connotation of it's 00:15:56.309 --> 00:15:58.230 like second nature? You've heard people say that. 00:15:58.250 --> 00:16:00.090 I don't use it a whole lot, but I've heard it. 00:16:00.250 --> 00:16:02.200 I'm laughing because I'm like, Basically what 00:16:02.200 --> 00:16:04.519 you're saying is, it wasn't an easy thing. You've 00:16:04.519 --> 00:16:07.659 made it become feel natural as though it was 00:16:07.659 --> 00:16:09.360 what you were born with, but it really took some 00:16:09.360 --> 00:16:12.179 practice. I love that. So for me, I'm just thinking 00:16:12.179 --> 00:16:14.440 I want to always remember to this end I was born 00:16:14.440 --> 00:16:16.840 like I'm unwavered. I'm not moved by anything. 00:16:16.879 --> 00:16:18.519 And that's how I want to move forward. I love 00:16:18.519 --> 00:16:21.860 it. The Prophet Joseph Smith taught that we should... 00:16:21.960 --> 00:16:24.679 pour forth love to all people. Speaking of our 00:16:24.679 --> 00:16:26.980 Savior, the apostle John wrote, we love Him because 00:16:26.980 --> 00:16:29.899 He loved us first. That's in 1 John 4 19. We 00:16:29.899 --> 00:16:32.039 can follow the example of Jesus Christ, who is 00:16:32.039 --> 00:16:34.179 our role model by choosing to love others, even 00:16:34.179 --> 00:16:36.980 if they show little or no love toward us. He 00:16:36.980 --> 00:16:39.039 declared, blessed are the peacemakers, for they 00:16:39.039 --> 00:16:40.980 shall be called the children of God. Can you 00:16:40.980 --> 00:16:43.179 imagine the world if more people strive to be 00:16:43.179 --> 00:16:46.440 peacemakers? The prophet reiterated President 00:16:46.440 --> 00:16:49.379 Nelson's challenge here. to all of us to choose 00:16:49.379 --> 00:16:52.580 to be a peacemaker now and always. We've talked 00:16:52.580 --> 00:16:56.580 about this multiple times, how when President 00:16:56.580 --> 00:16:58.500 Nelson says that line, it's great. It's like 00:16:58.500 --> 00:17:00.240 something you would attribute to President Nelson. 00:17:00.340 --> 00:17:03.059 And when President Oaks reiterates it, that we 00:17:03.059 --> 00:17:07.119 say it's a challenge. He wants us to all continue 00:17:07.119 --> 00:17:09.400 to tackle it. That wasn't out with the old and 00:17:09.400 --> 00:17:11.759 with the new. It's the continuing of that same 00:17:11.759 --> 00:17:14.890 theme, how different the world will be. if we 00:17:14.890 --> 00:17:17.289 all try to be like Jesus Christ and be peacemakers. 00:17:17.289 --> 00:17:20.109 And what tells me too is that as God's mouthpiece 00:17:20.109 --> 00:17:22.630 on the earth, He picked that right up and said, 00:17:22.789 --> 00:17:24.710 yeah, like you said, this isn't over, like, we're 00:17:24.710 --> 00:17:27.009 continuing on with this. I love that. We're all 00:17:27.009 --> 00:17:28.369 in different phases of our life. We all have 00:17:28.369 --> 00:17:30.630 different responsibilities. We all encounter 00:17:30.630 --> 00:17:32.410 different people. But I love that the prophet 00:17:32.410 --> 00:17:34.779 even stopped for a moment to say like, What does 00:17:34.779 --> 00:17:36.700 it look like to be a peacemaker? Is this an even 00:17:36.700 --> 00:17:39.500 possible thing to do? And he listed a few things 00:17:39.500 --> 00:17:42.140 that, you know, maybe this is a category we fall 00:17:42.140 --> 00:17:44.640 in. Are you a church leader like a bishop that's 00:17:44.640 --> 00:17:46.680 helping to create peace by healing relationships 00:17:46.680 --> 00:17:49.200 and resolving conflicts between some of your 00:17:49.200 --> 00:17:52.279 members? Young people can be peacemakers when 00:17:52.279 --> 00:17:54.059 they choose service and kindness over selfish 00:17:54.059 --> 00:17:57.180 pursuits. When I think about the service opportunities 00:17:57.180 --> 00:17:59.579 our youth are given, it can change the world 00:17:59.579 --> 00:18:02.400 when they decide to do that rather than busy 00:18:02.400 --> 00:18:04.099 themselves with things that typical youth are 00:18:04.099 --> 00:18:06.680 doing. For sure, it sets them so far apart. Those 00:18:06.680 --> 00:18:08.799 who work to reduce suffering and build understanding 00:18:08.799 --> 00:18:11.640 among others promote peace. I love that. I think 00:18:11.640 --> 00:18:13.500 of a million different activities people are 00:18:13.500 --> 00:18:16.180 involved in that are outside of, you know... 00:18:16.200 --> 00:18:18.740 You know, working in a homeless shelter, food 00:18:18.740 --> 00:18:20.539 banks, just a lot of things come to mind and 00:18:20.539 --> 00:18:22.559 I think, wow, that's a great way to think of 00:18:22.559 --> 00:18:25.140 being a peacemaker. Parents and caregivers create 00:18:25.140 --> 00:18:28.640 peace by lovingly raising and protecting children 00:18:28.640 --> 00:18:31.660 and righteousness. I love that. Our missionaries 00:18:31.660 --> 00:18:33.559 seek to be peacemakers. They preach repentance 00:18:33.559 --> 00:18:35.319 from personal corruption, greed, and oppression 00:18:35.319 --> 00:18:37.720 because only by individual reformation can an 00:18:37.720 --> 00:18:40.299 entire society eventually arrive above such evil. 00:18:40.990 --> 00:18:42.829 But inviting all to repent and come to Christ, 00:18:42.950 --> 00:18:44.849 our missionaries are working for peace by helping 00:18:44.849 --> 00:18:46.849 individual men and women come unto Christ and 00:18:46.849 --> 00:18:48.750 experience a mighty change of heart and behavior. 00:18:49.309 --> 00:18:51.140 We aren't there to debate. Tell everyone why 00:18:51.140 --> 00:18:53.119 they're wrong, why we're right. We take what 00:18:53.119 --> 00:18:55.279 they have. We see if we can add more to it in 00:18:55.279 --> 00:18:57.279 a peaceful way. And honestly, I think they're 00:18:57.279 --> 00:18:59.599 encouraged, you know, if it just becomes a debate 00:18:59.599 --> 00:19:01.240 session about who's right and who's wrong, I 00:19:01.240 --> 00:19:03.319 think we exit those conversations. I think we're 00:19:03.319 --> 00:19:05.720 encouraged to exit those conversations now because 00:19:05.720 --> 00:19:08.900 that's not first nature to us. We're trying to 00:19:08.900 --> 00:19:11.420 make it our second nature. Sometimes we do engage 00:19:11.420 --> 00:19:14.539 in the fight, but like the intent would be. We 00:19:14.539 --> 00:19:16.299 testify of Christ, we invite him to come to and 00:19:16.299 --> 00:19:18.619 we invite people to take their awesome great 00:19:18.619 --> 00:19:20.160 things that they have and see if we can add more 00:19:20.160 --> 00:19:29.900 to it. Absolutely. Sorry for the pause. I'm going 00:19:29.900 --> 00:19:31.700 to turn some time over to Amy before we sign 00:19:31.700 --> 00:19:34.680 off, because I will close with the prophet's 00:19:34.680 --> 00:19:37.779 testimony, both from the end of this talk and 00:19:37.779 --> 00:19:42.000 from the brief closing remarks. at the end of 00:19:42.000 --> 00:19:44.200 the conference that summarized the central themes 00:19:44.200 --> 00:19:48.000 that this conference had to offer. Thanks, Abby. 00:19:48.980 --> 00:19:52.839 So this is a farewell for me. Goodbye to all 00:19:52.839 --> 00:19:55.519 of our wonderful listeners that I absolutely 00:19:55.519 --> 00:20:01.579 love. An interesting thing happened before conference 00:20:01.579 --> 00:20:04.859 came. I just had a thought of maybe you're done 00:20:04.859 --> 00:20:08.119 with the podcast. And when I heard you, I assumed 00:20:08.119 --> 00:20:10.539 me and Abby and I was like, well, I'll just wait 00:20:10.539 --> 00:20:12.519 till conference comes. I'll pray about it again. 00:20:12.839 --> 00:20:14.779 And we'll, you know, we'll see how we feel then. 00:20:15.400 --> 00:20:18.859 So I prayed about it. And twice, two separate 00:20:18.859 --> 00:20:22.200 times, I got a distinct impression that this 00:20:22.200 --> 00:20:25.559 was a season. and that this season is over for 00:20:25.559 --> 00:20:29.380 me and that I have other things to do. And it's 00:20:29.380 --> 00:20:31.059 interesting because afterwards I talked with 00:20:31.059 --> 00:20:34.759 Abby and she felt like she was continuing, which 00:20:34.759 --> 00:20:38.480 made me way sad. And I have to say this, a previous 00:20:38.480 --> 00:20:40.359 version of myself would say, wait a sec, wait 00:20:40.359 --> 00:20:42.519 a sec, maybe I got it wrong. I'm going to go 00:20:42.519 --> 00:20:44.660 back to the book. So we're going to try this 00:20:44.660 --> 00:20:46.480 again because clearly I got it wrong, you know? 00:20:46.859 --> 00:20:49.579 And then just the spirit bore witness to me that 00:20:49.799 --> 00:20:52.200 it's okay to have two separate answers for people 00:20:52.200 --> 00:20:53.799 who thought they were going on the same path. 00:20:53.839 --> 00:20:56.160 I've loved every bit of this. I love working 00:20:56.160 --> 00:20:58.680 with Abby. I love our insights. I love the way 00:20:58.680 --> 00:21:01.400 we work together. I love it all. I love sharing 00:21:01.400 --> 00:21:04.500 my testimony every week about the things that 00:21:04.500 --> 00:21:07.019 God has given us, whether it's His Son Jesus 00:21:07.019 --> 00:21:12.880 Christ, His gospel, families, our wards, our 00:21:12.880 --> 00:21:15.339 neighborhoods, the earth, everything. I love 00:21:15.339 --> 00:21:18.809 that part. I just know that there are other things 00:21:18.809 --> 00:21:21.470 that are ahead for me and that my focus is needed 00:21:21.470 --> 00:21:23.890 elsewhere. So I don't know exactly what that 00:21:23.890 --> 00:21:27.089 means, but I will absolutely be listening in 00:21:27.089 --> 00:21:30.009 every week as Abby continues to bear her testimony 00:21:30.009 --> 00:21:35.349 and to pour her heart into this podcast. Amy 00:21:35.349 --> 00:21:37.869 has given me such a beautiful gift, committing 00:21:37.869 --> 00:21:40.089 these last four conference seasons over the last 00:21:40.089 --> 00:21:42.910 two years of her life. It takes countless hours 00:21:42.910 --> 00:21:46.460 to do something like this. They're not wasted 00:21:46.460 --> 00:21:49.420 hours. I think we've cherished every moment that 00:21:49.420 --> 00:21:54.779 we've spent doing it, but it forces us to study 00:21:54.779 --> 00:21:57.259 these words past just the sweet weekends, the 00:21:57.259 --> 00:21:59.920 conference hour. It helps us dive deeper. It 00:21:59.920 --> 00:22:03.240 helps us hear the message that are timely. Like 00:22:03.240 --> 00:22:05.619 in that moment, it might have sounded great conference 00:22:05.619 --> 00:22:09.400 weekend, but sometimes when you're having ... 00:22:09.099 --> 00:22:12.380 A moment in life, you need a little boost. Sometimes 00:22:12.380 --> 00:22:14.700 that conference talk just hits a little differently 00:22:14.700 --> 00:22:18.000 then. And so I've been blessed as I've studied 00:22:18.000 --> 00:22:21.619 these words and been able to share insights and 00:22:21.619 --> 00:22:25.700 experiences and testify. And it's something I'll 00:22:25.700 --> 00:22:29.539 forever be grateful for. So I will close with 00:22:29.539 --> 00:22:32.420 the prophet's testimony. He said, my brothers 00:22:32.420 --> 00:22:34.720 and sisters, as followers of Christ, let us follow 00:22:34.720 --> 00:22:37.200 him by foregoing contention and by using the 00:22:37.200 --> 00:22:39.750 language and methods of peacemakers. In our families, 00:22:40.190 --> 00:22:42.049 in our personal relationships, let us avoid what 00:22:42.049 --> 00:22:44.609 is harsh and hateful. Let us seek to be holy 00:22:44.609 --> 00:22:47.490 like our Savior. Truly, Jesus Christ is the way 00:22:47.490 --> 00:22:49.509 to peace in this world and eternal life in the 00:22:49.509 --> 00:22:51.750 world to come. He knows and loves each of us 00:22:51.750 --> 00:22:54.950 perfectly and invites us to walk with Him. Abide 00:22:54.950 --> 00:22:57.309 in Him. Follow His example of ministering to 00:22:57.309 --> 00:23:00.089 others, one by one, in charity and love. We've 00:23:00.089 --> 00:23:02.470 been reminded of the central role of marriage 00:23:02.470 --> 00:23:04.470 and families in our Heavenly Father's plan for 00:23:04.470 --> 00:23:07.410 eternal destiny of His children. May we all demonstrate 00:23:07.410 --> 00:23:09.369 the pure love of Christ in our families, in our 00:23:09.369 --> 00:23:11.549 communities, and in all our interactions with 00:23:11.549 --> 00:23:13.869 God's children. And this He said in the name 00:23:13.869 --> 00:23:16.230 of Jesus Christ. Thanks for being with us.