Last updated on February 11th, 2024 at 11:00 pm
General Conference Applied
“For the Sake of Your Posterity” by Elder Carlos A. Godoy; October 2023 General Conference
Corresponding General Conference Applied episode show notes: S2 E18
Talk Outline
Invitations
“From the bottom of my heart, I invite you to think about it, to look ahead and evaluate ‘where this will lead,’ and, if necessary, to be valiant enough to reshape your path for the sake of your posterity.”
Directives (“an official or authoritative instruction”)
- “Please consider this invitation from President Russell M. Nelson: ‘Now, if you have stepped off the path, may I invite you with all the hope in my heart to please come back. Whatever your concerns, whatever your challenges, there is a place for you in this, the Lord’s Church. You and generations yet unborn will be blessed by your actions now to return to the covenant path.‘”
- “If you are going through one of these two situations I mentioned in my message, please reconsider your course of action. You know there is a plan for us in this life. You know that families can be eternal. Why put yours at risk? Don’t be the weak link in this beautiful chain of faith you started, or you received, as a legacy. Be the strong one. It is your turn to do it, and the Lord can help you.”
Promises
None.
Doctrines
Covenants: “All saving ordinances of the priesthood are accompanied by covenants. A covenant is a sacred agreement between God and man. God gives the conditions for the covenant, and we agree to do what He asks us to do. God then promises us certain blessings for our obedience. The sacrament allows us to renew the covenants we have made with the Lord.”
Principles
The Family Can Be Eternal: “Fathers and mothers are responsible to teach their children about Heavenly Father. They should show by example that they love Him because they keep His commandments. Parents should also teach their children to pray and to obey the commandments (see Proverbs 22:6)…
“Families can be together forever. To enjoy this blessing we must be married in the temple. When people are married outside the temple, the marriage ends when one of the partners dies. When we are married in the temple by the authority of the Melchizedek Priesthood, we are married for time and eternity. If we keep our covenants with the Lord, our families will be united eternally as husband, wife, and children. Death cannot separate us.”
Christlike Attributes
Obedience: “Your service as a [disciple of Jesus Christ] is an extension of covenants you made with God at baptism and in the temple. When you received the ordinances of baptism and the endowment, you covenanted that you would keep His commandments.
“King Benjamin taught: ‘I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness’ (Mosiah 2:41).
“Obeying the commandments is an expression of love for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ (see John 14:15). Jesus said, ‘If ye keep my commandments, ye shall abide in my love; even as I have kept my Father’s commandments, and abide in his love’ (John 15:10).”
Attribute Activity
- “When I pray, I ask for strength to resist temptation and to do what is right. (3 Nephi 18:15)”
- “I am worthy to have a temple recommend. (Doctrine and Covenants 97:8)”
- “I willingly obey the [commandments] and follow the counsel of my leaders. (Hebrews 13:17)”
- “I strive to live in accordance with the laws and principles of the gospel. (Doctrine and Covenants 41:5)”
Most Important Quote
“Some may think, ‘We don’t need to attend church every Sunday,’ or ‘We will pay tithing when things get better,’ or ‘I will not support the Church leaders in this subject.’
“‘But,’ they say, ‘we know the Church is true, and we will never leave the gospel of Jesus Christ.’
“Those with thoughts like these do not realize the negative impact this ‘lukewarm’ type of membership will have on their lives and on the lives of their posterity. The parents may remain active, but the risk of losing their children is high—in this life and in eternity.
“Regarding those who will not inherit celestial glory with their families, the Lord says, ‘These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God.’ (Doctrine and Covenants 76:79) Is that what we want for ourselves or our children? Shouldn’t we be more valiant and less lukewarm for our own sake and for the sake of our posterity?”
Powerful Stories
“A few years ago, when I was serving in the South America Northwest Area and living in Peru, I had a beautiful experience that I would like to share with you.
“It happened when I was returning home after a busy weekend of assignments. After finally completing the airport immigration process, I found a friendly taxi driver waiting for me from our usual taxi service. He took me to his car, and I sat in the back, ready to relax and enjoy a quiet trip home. After driving a few blocks, the driver received a phone call from his supervisor telling him I took the wrong taxi. A different car was reserved for me, and the supervisor asked him to take me back to the airport if I wanted to change cars. I told him it was not necessary, and we could keep going. After a few minutes of silence, he looked at me through the rearview mirror and asked, ‘You are a Mormon, aren’t you?’
“Well, after that inviting question, I knew my quiet moments were over. I could not resist exploring where his question would take us.
“I learned that his name was Omar, his wife’s name was Maria Teresa, and they had two children—Carolina, age 14, and Rodrigo, age 10. Omar had been a member of the Church since he was a child. His family was active, but at some point, his parents stopped going to church. Omar became completely inactive when he was 15. He was then 40 years old.
“At that moment I realized I did not take the wrong taxi. It was not a coincidence! I told him who I was and that I was in his taxi because the Lord was calling him back to His fold.
“We then talked about the time he and his family were active members of the Church. He had fond memories of sweet family home evening moments and some Primary songs. He then softly sang a few words of ‘I Am a Child of God.’
“After getting his address, phone number, and permission to share with his bishop, I told him I would find a way to be in the chapel on his first day back to church. We finished our trip from the airport to my home, as well as our little trip to his past, and we went our separate ways.
“A few weeks later his bishop called me, telling me Omar was planning to attend church on a certain Sunday. I told him I would be there. That Sunday, Omar was there with his son. His wife and daughter were not yet interested. A few months later, his bishop called me again, this time to tell me that Omar would be baptizing his wife and his two children, and he invited me to be there. Here is the picture of that Sunday where they were confirmed members of the Church.
“That same Sunday, I told Omar and his family that if they were prepared, in one year I would be honored to perform their sealing in the Lima Peru Temple. Here is a picture of that memorable moment for all of us, taken one year later.”
The Best Footnote
None.
Questions for Reflection Asked by the Speaker
- “Regarding those who will not inherit celestial glory with their families, the Lord says, ‘These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God.’ (Doctrine and Covenants 76:79) Is that what we want for ourselves or our children? Shouldn’t we be more valiant and less lukewarm for our own sake and for the sake of our posterity?”
- “You know that families can be eternal. Why put yours at risk?”
Tags
Activation | Covenants | Family
Additional Content
Previous Talk Outline (“Seeing God’s Family through the Overview Lens” by Sister Tamara W. Runia)
Next Talk Outline (“More Than a Hero” by Bishop W. Christopher Waddell)