"Be Peaceable Followers of Christ" Talk Outline

Last updated on November 18th, 2023 at 11:15 pm

General Conference Applied

“Be Peaceable Followers of Christ” by Elder Quentin L. Cook; October 2023 General Conference

Corresponding General Conference Applied episode show notes: S2 E7

Talk Outline

Invitations

“Be Peaceable Followers of Christ.”

Directives (“an official or authoritative instruction”)

“As peaceable followers of Christ, we strive to live His commandments.”
“Peaceable followers of Christ do not follow either path. We are warm, engaged members of the communities where we live. We love, share, and invite all of God’s children to follow Christ’s teachings. We follow the counsel of our beloved prophet, President Nelson: we choose the role of ‘a peacemaker, now and always.'”
“For those of us in the Church striving to be peaceable followers of Christ, a brighter day awaits us as we focus on our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ.”
“We can joyfully be peaceable followers of Christ.”
“Lives full of praise, music, and thanksgiving are uniquely blessed. Being joyful and relying on heavenly help through prayer is a powerful way to be peaceable followers of Christ.”

Promises

Action: “The scriptures are clear: peaceable followers of Christ who are righteous, follow the Savior, and keep His commandments”
Promise: “will be blessed.”
Action: “I testify that ‘peaceable followers of Christ'”
Promise: “will find personal peace in this life and a glorious heavenly reunion.”

Doctrines

Plan of Salvation: “In the premortal existence, Heavenly Father introduced a plan to enable us to become like Him and obtain immortality and eternal life (see Moses 1:39). The scriptures refer to this plan as the plan of salvation, the great plan of happiness, the plan of redemption, and the plan of mercy (see Alma 42:5, 8, 11, 15). The plan includes the Creation, the Fall, the Atonement of Jesus Christ, the Resurrection, the Final Judgment, and all God-given laws, ordinances, doctrine, and commandments. Moral agency, the ability to choose and act for ourselves, is also essential in Heavenly Father’s plan. The Holy Ghost is provided to guide us in our choices.”
Atonement of Jesus Christ: “Those who repent, obey the commandments, receive the saving ordinances, and keep their covenants will receive the gift of eternal life (see Articles of Faith 1:3).”
Prophets and Revelation: “A prophet is a person who has been called by God to speak for Him (see Amos 3:7). Prophets testify of Jesus Christ and teach His gospel. They make known God’s will and true character. At times, they prophesy of future events. God has called prophets to speak for Him in our day (see D&C 1:38).”
Commandments: “Commandments are the laws and requirements that God gives to mankind. When we keep the commandments, we manifest our love for the Lord and receive blessings from Him (see Leviticus 26:3–12; John 14:15; Mosiah 2:41). We are commanded to love God with all our heart, soul, and mind and to have Christlike love for others (see Matthew 22:36–39; John 13:34–35).”

Principles

Jesus Christ, Our Chosen Leader and Savior: “Jesus was willing to come to the earth, give His life for us, and take upon Himself our sins. He, like our Heavenly Father, wanted us to choose whether we would obey Heavenly Father’s commandments. He knew we must be free to choose in order to prove ourselves worthy of exaltation. Jesus said, ‘Father, thy will be done, and the glory be thine forever’ (Moses 4:2).”
Freedom to Choose: “Agency makes our life on earth a period of testing. When planning the mortal creation of His children, God said, ‘We will prove [test] them herewith, to see if they will do all things whatsoever the Lord their God shall command them’ (Abraham 3:25). Without the gift of agency, we would have been unable to show our Heavenly Father whether we would do all that He commanded us. Because we are able to choose, we are responsible for our actions (see Helaman 14:30–31).”
The Atonement of Jesus Christ: “But our wise Heavenly Father prepared a wonderful, merciful plan to save us from physical and spiritual death. He planned for a Savior to come to earth to ransom (redeem) us from our sins and from death. Because of our sins and the weakness of our mortal bodies, we could not ransom ourselves (see Alma 34:10–12). The one who would be our Savior would need to be sinless and to have power over death.”
The Church of Jesus Christ Today: “Since its restoration in 1830, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints has grown rapidly in membership. There are members in nearly every country in the world. The Church will continue to grow. As Christ said, ‘This Gospel of the Kingdom shall be preached in all the world, for a witness unto all nations’ (Joseph Smith—Matthew 1:31). The Church will never again be taken from the earth. Its mission is to take the truth to every person. Thousands of years ago, the Lord said He would ‘set up a kingdom, which shall never be destroyed: and the kingdom shall not be left to other people, … and it shall stand for ever’ (Daniel 2:44).”
Faith in Jesus Christ: “How can we increase our faith? The same way we increase or develop any other skill. How do we develop skills in woodcarving, weaving, painting, cooking, making pottery, or playing a musical instrument? We study and practice and work at it. As we do so, we improve. So it is with faith. If we want to increase our faith in Jesus Christ, we must work at it.”
Obedience: “It is better to obey the commandments because we fear punishment than not to obey them at all. But we will be much happier if we obey God because we love Him and want to obey Him. When we obey Him freely, He can bless us freely. He said, ‘I, the Lord, … delight to honor those who serve me in righteousness and in truth unto the end’ (D&C 76:5). Obedience also helps us progress and become more like our Heavenly Father. But those who do nothing until they are commanded and then keep the commandments unwillingly lose their reward (see D&C 58:26–29).”
The Final Judgment: “Faith in Jesus Christ helps us be prepared for the Final Judgment. Through faithful discipleship to Him and repentance of all our sins, we can be forgiven for our sins and become pure and holy so that we can dwell in the presence of God. As we repent of our sins, giving up every impure thought and act, the Holy Ghost will change our hearts so we no longer have even the desire to sin (see Mosiah 5:2). Then when we are judged, we will be found ready to enter into God’s presence.”
Exaltation: “The time to fulfill the requirements for exaltation is now (see Alma 34:32–34). President Joseph Fielding Smith said, ‘In order to obtain the exaltation we must accept the gospel and all its covenants; and take upon us the obligations which the Lord has offered; and walk in the light and the understanding of the truth; and ‘live by every word that proceedeth forth from the mouth of God” (Doctrines of Salvation, 2:43).”

Christlike Attributes

Faith:
- “I trust the Savior enough to accept His will and do what He asks.” (1 Nephi 3:7)
- “I think about the Savior during the day and remember what He has done for me.” (Doctrine and Covenants 20:77, 79)
- “I have faith that God will bring about good things in my life and the lives of others as we devote ourselves to Him and His Son.” (Ether 12:12)
Hope: “I feel peaceful and optimistic about the future.” (Doctrine and Covenants 59:23)
Integrity: “I am true to God at all times.” (Mosiah 18:9)
Patience:
- “I wait patiently for the blessings and promises of the Lord to be fulfilled.” (2 Nephi 10:17)
- “I face adversity with patience and faith.” (Alma 34:40–41)
Humility: “I strive to be submissive to God’s will.” (Mosiah 24:15)
Obedience: “I strive to live in accordance with the laws and principles of the gospel.” (Doctrine and Covenants 41:5)

Most Important Quote

“The scriptures are clear: many will succumb to an ‘eat, drink, and be merry, for tomorrow we die’ approach. Other nonbelievers retreat to somber enclaves of like-minded participants who advocate for the next ‘new thing’ and philosophies of men. They know not where to find the truth.

“Peaceable followers of Christ do not follow either path. We are warm, engaged members of the communities where we live. We love, share, and invite all of God’s children to follow Christ’s teachings. We follow the counsel of our beloved prophet, President Nelson: we choose the role of ‘a peacemaker, now and always.'”

Powerful Stories

“We live in a time when ‘peaceable followers of Christ’ experience unique challenges. Those who believe in, humbly worship, and testify of Jesus Christ have always experienced trials, tribulation, and adversities. My wife, Mary, and I are no different. In the last few years, we have seen many of our close high school friends, missionary companions, some of their precious wives, and former work associates pass away, or, as President Russell M. Nelson has said, graduate to the other side of the veil. We have seen some who were raised in faith and belief step off the covenant path.

“Sadly, we lost a grandson of 23 who died in a tragic single-car accident. Some dear friends, family members, and colleagues have also endured significant health challenges.”

The Best Footnote

Footnote 12: “‘Missionaries return home with a love for the people they have served and taught. They are true ambassadors spreading goodwill for the peoples in whose countries they have lived and worked. They are not concerned with income levels and have no racial bias. They are not out to build any worldly kingdoms. They are, in the words of Mormon, ‘the peaceable followers of Christ’ [Moroni 7:3]'” (L. Tom Perry, ‘The Peaceable Followers of Christ,’ Ensign, Nov. 1989, 71).

Questions for Reflection Asked by the Speaker

“Why does a just God allow bad things to happen, especially to good people?”
“Why are those who are righteous and in the Lord’s service not immune from such tragedies?”
“‘The Son of Man hath descended below them all. Art thou greater than he?'”

“Be Peaceable Followers of Christ” Talk Outline