Last updated on March 28th, 2024 at 02:02 pm
General Conference Applied
S2 E24 – Sunday, March 17, 2024 | “God Knows and Loves You” by Elder Alan T. Phillips and “Divine Parenting Lessons” by Elder Valeri V. Cordón; October 2023 General Conference
Listen on Amazon Music | Listen on Apple Podcasts | Listen on Google Podcasts | Listen on Spotify
Podcast Episode Social Media Posts
- Important Quote (“God Knows and Loves You”): Facebook | Instagram
- Important Quote (“Divine Parenting Lessons”): Instagram
Corresponding Talk Outline: “God Knows and Loves You” and “Divine Parenting Lessons“
Announcement: This podcast episode is being released on Sunday, March 17, 2024, just two weeks before Easter. Are you ready for Easter? Have you considered the additional emphasis that leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ are placing on Easter? For example, here is what Elder Gary E. Stevenson stated in his April 2023 General Conference address “The Greatest Easter Story Ever Told“:
- “As Lesa and I continued to ponder and seek ways to expand our family Easter celebration to be more Christ-centered, we discussed what scripture reading tradition we might introduce to our family—the Luke 2 equivalent for Easter, if you will.
“And then we had this heavenly epiphany: In addition to the important verses about Easter in the New Testament, we as Latter-day Saints are endowed with a most remarkable Easter gift! A gift of unique witness, another testament of the Easter miracle that contains perhaps the most magnificent Easter scriptures in all of Christianity. I am referring of course to the Book of Mormon and, more specifically, to the account of Jesus Christ appearing to inhabitants in the New World in His resurrected glory. …
“This Easter, our family is going to focus on the first 17 verses of 3 Nephi 11.”
Podcast Episode Outline
REMEMBER THIS
If you remember nothing else from this podcast episode, remember this:
- Elder Alan T. Phillips has invited us to plead for guidance from Heavenly Father, and Elder Valeri V. Cordón has invited parents to point children to Heavenly Father.
Introduction
Doctrines, Principles, and Christlike Attributes
As we have discussed in previous episodes of General Conference Applied, it is important to identify the fundamental doctrine, principle, and Christlike attribute of each General Conference address. In “God Knows and Loves You,” I identified Godhead as the fundamental doctrine, Our Heavenly Father as the fundamental principle, and Faith in Jesus Christ as the fundamental Christlike attribute. In “Divine Parenting Lessons” I identified Marriage and Family as the fundamental doctrine, Family Responsibilities as the fundamental principle, and Patience as the fundamental Christlike attribute. I have included a detailed breakdown of this doctrine, principle, and Christlike attribute in the talk outlines (“God Knows and Loves You” and “Divine Parenting Lessons“), but I will share additional insights during this podcast episode.
In each episode of General Conference Applied, we are attempting to answer two questions:
- What is the speaker inviting me to do?
- How might I consider taking action?
What is the speaker inviting me to do?
Invitations
1: “You are His child. If you are feeling lost, if you have questions or lack wisdom, if you are struggling with your circumstances or wrestling with spiritual dissonance, turn to Him. Pray to Him for comfort, love, answers, and direction. Whatever the need and wherever you are, pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father.” (“God Knows and Loves You”)
- What This Means (in 6 words or less): Plead for guidance from Heavenly Father.
1: “Parents enter a partnership with their Heavenly Father to guide their precious children back to heaven.” (“Divine Parenting Lessons”)
- What This Means (in 6 words or less): Parents – point children to Heavenly Father.
Overview
Bio
Alan T. Phillips
“Elder Alan T. Phillips was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the April 2023 general conference. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Seventh Quorum of the Seventy in the Europe North Area Presidency.
“Elder Phillips has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the England Manchester Mission, counselor in a bishopric, high councilor, stake president, and Area Seventy.
“Elder Phillips received his undergraduate and graduate degrees from The London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). He has worked in business, finance, and education. Prior to his call to the Seventy, he worked as the academic director for the Brigham Young University London Centre.
“Alan Thomas Phillips was born in Kent, England, on June 19, 1970. He married Lindsey Lee Iorg in 2005. They are the parents of four children.”
Valeri V. Cordón
“Elder Valeri V. Cordón was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 2, 2016. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Fourth Quorum of the Seventy in the Central America Area. He served as a member of the Central America Area Presidency and recently served as president of the California Los Angeles Mission. He also served in the North America West Area Presidency as well as the Assistant Executive Director in the Priesthood and Family Department. He is currently serving in the Caribbean Area Presidency.
“Elder Cordón has served in numerous Church callings, including full-time missionary in the El Salvador Mission, seminary and institute teacher, elders quorum president, ward Sunday School president, counselor in a mission presidency, high councilor, bishop, stake president, and Area Seventy.
“Elder Cordón received a bachelor of science degree in computer science from Mariano Galvez University in Guatemala and a master of business administration from Massachusetts Institute of Technology in 2012. In the information technology industry, he has worked as a system analyst, customer service manager, support manager, director of IT strategy planning and control, director of strategy and planning for emerging markets, and a director of performance management. Just before he was called as a General Authority, he worked as a director of business information solutions for PepsiCo Foods.
“Valeri Vladimir Cordón Orellana was born in Guatemala City, Guatemala, on February 19, 1969. He married Glenda Zelmira Zea Diaz in March 1995. They are the parents of three children.”
Connection
This was Elder Phillips’ first General Conference address.
This was Elder Cordón’s second General Conference address. His first General Conference address (“The Language of the Gospel“) was delivered in the April 2017 General Conference. I will share an inspiring story from that General Conference address later in this podcast episode.
How might I consider taking action?
Invitations
1: “You are His child. If you are feeling lost, if you have questions or lack wisdom, if you are struggling with your circumstances or wrestling with spiritual dissonance, turn to Him. Pray to Him for comfort, love, answers, and direction. Whatever the need and wherever you are, pour out your heart to your Heavenly Father.” (“God Knows and Loves You”)
- What This Means (in 6 words or less): Plead for guidance from Heavenly Father.
Ideas
- Knowing whom and how to serve:
- “Elder Gerrit W. Gong teaches that ‘our journey to God is often found together.’ As such, our wards should be a refuge for all of God’s children. Are we passively attending church or actively creating communities whose purpose is to worship, remember Christ, and minister to one another? We can heed President Nelson’s counsel to judge less, love more, and extend the pure love of Jesus Christ through our words and actions.”
- When we serve others, we put ourselves in a position to receive personal revelation.
- “The Need for a Church“, October 2021 General Conference, President Dallin H. Oaks:
- “Some say that attending church meetings is not helping them. Some say, ‘I didn’t learn anything today’ or ‘No one was friendly to me’ or ‘I was offended.’ Personal disappointments should never keep us from the doctrine of Christ, who taught us to serve, not to be served. With this in mind, another member described the focus of his Church attendance:
“‘Years ago, I changed my attitude about going to church. No longer do I go to church for my sake, but to think of others. I make a point of saying hello to people who sit alone, to welcome visitors, … to volunteer for an assignment. …
“‘In short, I go to church each week with the intent of being active, not passive, and making a positive difference in people’s lives.’ …
“Church attendance can open our hearts and sanctify our souls.”
- “Some say that attending church meetings is not helping them. Some say, ‘I didn’t learn anything today’ or ‘No one was friendly to me’ or ‘I was offended.’ Personal disappointments should never keep us from the doctrine of Christ, who taught us to serve, not to be served. With this in mind, another member described the focus of his Church attendance:
- He’s really there? Pray and listen:
- “For some, you may want to follow President Nelson’s invitation and ask ‘if He is really there—if He knows you. Ask Him how He feels about you. And then listen.'”
- When we feel Heavenly Father’s presence, we will be more likely to pray to Him.
- “A Child’s Prayer“, Children’s Songbook page 12:
- “Pray, he is there;
“Speak, he is list’ning.
“You are his child;
“His love now surrounds you.
“He hears your prayer;
“He loves the children.
“Of such is the kingdom, the kingdom of heav’n.”
- “Pray, he is there;
- “Grow into the Principle of Revelation“, January 2021 Liahona article, President Russell M. Nelson:
- “Drawing near to the Lord brings comfort and encouragement, hope and healing. So, we pray in His name about our worries and our weaknesses, our longings and our loved ones, our callings and our questions.
“Then we listen.
“If we will stay on our knees for a while after we finish our prayer, thoughts, feelings, and direction will come into our mind. Recording those impressions will help us remember what actions the Lord would have us take.
“As we repeat this process, we will, in the words of the Prophet Joseph Smith, ‘grow into the principle of revelation.'”
- “Drawing near to the Lord brings comfort and encouragement, hope and healing. So, we pray in His name about our worries and our weaknesses, our longings and our loved ones, our callings and our questions.
- Know who Heavenly Father is:
- “Know your Father in Heaven. He is perfect and loving.”
- The more we know who Heavenly Father is, the more we’ll want to speak with Him, and the more we’ll trust in His promises.
- Enos 1:4-6 – “And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away.”
- Our Heavenly Father (Gospel Principle): “God is the Supreme and Absolute Being in whom we believe and whom we worship. He is ‘the Great Parent of the universe,’ and He ‘looks upon the whole of the human family with a fatherly care and paternal regard’ (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Joseph Smith [2007], 39). … God is perfect. He is a God of righteousness, with attributes such as love, mercy, charity, truth, power, faith, knowledge, and judgment. He has all power. He knows all things. He is full of goodness. All good things come from God. Everything that He does is to help His children become like Him. He has said, ‘Behold, this is my work and my glory—to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man’ (Moses 1:39).”
- Know who Jesus Christ is:
- “Know who Jesus Christ is. He is our Savior and Redeemer. Bind yourself and those you love to Him.”
- The more we know who Jesus Christ is, the more we’ll want to emulate Him. And the more we emulate Him, the more we’ll recognize that He prayed to His Father and that we should do the same.
- John 17:3 – “And this is life eternal, that they might know thee the only true God, and Jesus Christ, whom thou hast sent.”
- Know who you really are:
- “Know who you are. Know your true divine identity. God’s plan of happiness is all about you. You are His precious child and of great worth. He knows and loves you.”
- The more we know who we are – daughters and sons of the greatest Being in the universe, the more we’ll desire to be kind to everyone and to develop a firm and abiding relationship with our Heavenly Father.
- “Brothers and Sisters in Christ“, October 2023 General Conference, Elder Ulisses Soares:
- “I have deep compassion for those who have been mistreated, belittled, or persecuted by unfeeling and thoughtless people, because, in the course of my life, I have seen firsthand the pain good people suffer from being judged or dismissed because they happened to speak, look, or live differently. I also feel genuine sorrow in my heart for those whose minds remain darkened, whose vision is limited, and whose hearts remain hardened by the belief in the inferiority of those who are different from them. Their limited view of others actually obstructs their ability to see who they are as children of God.”
Other Ideas
- Always have a question in mind:
- When there’s a lot on the line, you’ll be more dialed in to your prayers with Heavenly Father. Seeking for answers to specific questions leads to meaningful prayer.
- “The Faith to Ask and Then to Act“, October 2021 General Conference, President Henry B. Eyring:
- “The teenage Joseph Smith had faith sufficient to ask a question of God, believing that God would answer his heartfelt need. The answer that came changed the world. He wanted to know what church to join to be cleansed of sin. The answer he received encouraged him to keep asking ever-better questions and to act on the continuing flow of revelation that had just begun.
“Your experience can possibly be similar in this conference. You have questions for which you seek answers. You have at least enough faith to hope that you will receive answers from the Lord through His servants. You will not have the opportunity to ask aloud for answers from the speakers, but you can ask your loving Father in prayer.
“I know from experience that answers will come to fit your needs and your spiritual preparation. If you need an answer that is important to your eternal welfare or that of others, the answer is more likely to come. Yet even then, you may receive—as did Joseph Smith—the answer to be patient.”
- “The teenage Joseph Smith had faith sufficient to ask a question of God, believing that God would answer his heartfelt need. The answer that came changed the world. He wanted to know what church to join to be cleansed of sin. The answer he received encouraged him to keep asking ever-better questions and to act on the continuing flow of revelation that had just begun.
Invitations
1: “Parents enter a partnership with their Heavenly Father to guide their precious children back to heaven.” (“Divine Parenting Lessons”)
- What This Means (in 6 words or less): Parents – point children to Heavenly Father.
Ideas
- Embrace a gospel culture:
- “We must climb to the higher ground of gospel culture with our families. President Russell M. Nelson declared: ‘Families deserve guidance from heaven. Parents cannot counsel children adequately from personal experience, fear, or sympathy.’ … President Dallin H. Oaks described gospel culture as ‘a distinctive way of life, a set of values and expectations and practices. … This gospel culture comes from the plan of salvation, the commandments of God, and the teachings of … living prophets. It guides us in the way we raise our families and live our individual lives.’ … To climb to higher ground, President Oaks invited us ‘to give up any personal or family traditions or practices that are contrary to the teachings of the Church of Jesus Christ.’ Parents, timidity on our part to establish gospel culture may allow the adversary to establish a foothold in our homes or, even worse, in the hearts of our children.”
- Powerful Promise: “As we choose to make the gospel culture the predominant culture in our family, then by the powerful influence of the Holy Ghost, our current parenting styles, traditions, and practices will be sifted, aligned, refined, and enhanced. … As we partner with God through covenants and become His agents in the care of our children, He will sanctify our intentions, inspire our teachings, and temper our invitations so ‘our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins.'”
- “Let Doing Good Be Our Normal“, October 2022 General Conference, Elder Rafael E. Pino:
- “I would like all of us to take a moment to meditate on our customs and the way they are influencing our families.
“Among the marvelous habits that should be normal for members of the Church are these four:
“Personal and family study of the scriptures.
“Personal and family prayer.
“Weekly sacrament meeting attendance.
“Frequent participation in temple and family history work.
“How do we feel when we hear these four things? Are they part of our normal lives? …
“We know that the things that become normal in our lives are those that we repeat again and again. If we are steadfast and immovable in doing good, our customs will be in accordance with the principles of the gospel and they will help us to stay on the covenant path.”
- “I would like all of us to take a moment to meditate on our customs and the way they are influencing our families.
- Make home our gospel learning center:
- “Make Home the Center of Gospel Learning. … Let’s consider three crucial parenting responsibilities described by prophets and apostles that can help us establish a higher gospel culture in our homes.” (Teach Freely, Model Discipleship, Invite to Act)
- “Teach Freely”
- “First: Teach Freely. … We teach our children generously when we spend meaningful time with them. We teach without restraint when discussing sensitive topics such as screen time, using resources that the Church has made available. We teach liberally when we study the scriptures with our children using Come, Follow Me and allow the Spirit to be the teacher.”
- “Salvation and Exaltation“, April 2008 General Conference, President Russell M. Nelson:
- “How can we best teach our children? The Lord has given us specific instruction:
“‘No power or influence can or ought to be maintained by virtue of the priesthood, only by persuasion, by long-suffering, by gentleness and meekness, and by love unfeigned;
“‘By kindness, and pure knowledge, which shall greatly enlarge the soul without hypocrisy, and without guile—
“‘Reproving betimes with sharpness, when moved upon by the Holy Ghost; and then showing forth afterwards an increase of love toward him whom thou hast reproved, lest he esteem thee to be his enemy.’
“When a child needs correction, you might ask yourself, ‘What can I say or do that would persuade him or her to choose a better way?’ When giving necessary correction, do it quietly, privately, lovingly, and not publicly. If a rebuke is required, show an increase of love promptly so that seeds of resentment may not remain. To be persuasive, your love must be sincere and your teachings based on divine doctrine and correct principles.
“Do not try to control your children. Instead, listen to them, help them to learn the gospel, inspire them, and lead them toward eternal life. You are God’s agents in the care of children He has entrusted to you. Let His divine influence remain in your hearts as you teach and persuade.”
- “How can we best teach our children? The Lord has given us specific instruction:
- “Choosing Glory” by Lili De Hoyos Anderson, PH.D.:
- “Returning to the topic of persuasion, I learned something valuable from one of my sons. I was recounting to Graydon a conversation I had with his father, Chris, that left me astonished. I am one of those people who have pretty strong opinions about almost everything … I said something to Chris about his changing my mind, and he expressed surprise, saying, ‘I don’t think I’ve ever changed your mind about anything.’ I was amazed. … Over the years, my husband has gently and kindly and, no doubt, with much long-suffering, introduced me to new ways of thinking about … important principles. As I explained this to Graydon, I again expressed my astonishment that his dad didn’t realize this. Graydon’s comment was, ‘Well, that’s probably because when people are persuaded in the right way, the new direction of thought can seem like their own idea,’ which is what true persuasion is all about, when you think about it. Graydon continued, ‘And the honest and humble persuader isn’t keeping score or taking credit, so he doesn’t always notice.'”
- “Model Discipleship”
- “Second: Model Discipleship. … Parents, what do we need to model for our children? Discipleship. As parents, we can teach the importance of putting God first when we discuss the first commandment, but we model it when we set aside worldly distractions and keep the Sabbath day holy every week. We can teach the importance of temple covenants when we speak about the doctrine of celestial marriage, but we model it when we honor our covenants, treating our spouse with dignity.”
- Family Responsibilities (Gospel Principle): “In the sacred responsibilities of parenthood, “fathers and mothers are obligated to help one another as equal partners” (“The Family: A Proclamation to the World,” Ensign, Nov. 1995, 102). They should work together to provide for the spiritual, emotional, intellectual, and physical needs of the family. … One of the best ways parents can teach their children is by example. Husbands and wives should show love and respect for each other and for their children by both actions and words. It is important to remember that each member of the family is a child of God. Parents should treat their children with love and respect, being firm but kind to them. Parents should understand that sometimes children will make wrong choices even after they have been taught the truth. When this happens, parents should not give up. They should continue to teach their children, to express love for them, to be good examples to them, and to fast and pray for them.”
- “The Language of the Gospel“, April 2017 General Conference, Elder Valeri V. Cordón:
- “When I was young, I worked in my father’s factory during vacations. The first question my father always asked after I received my salary was ‘What are you going to do with your money?’
“I knew the answer and responded, ‘Pay my tithing and save for my mission.’
“After working with him for about eight years and constantly answering his same question, my father figured he had taught me about paying my tithing. What he didn’t realize was that I had learned this important principle in just one weekend. Let me tell you how I learned that principle.
“After some events related to a civil war in Central America, my father’s business went bankrupt. He went from about 200 full-time employees to fewer than five sewing operators who worked as needed in the garage of our home. One day during those difficult times, I heard my parents discussing whether they should pay tithing or buy food for the children.
“On Sunday, I followed my father to see what he was going to do. After our Church meetings, I saw him take an envelope and put his tithing in it. That was only part of the lesson. The question that remained for me was what we were going to eat.
“Early Monday morning, some people knocked on our door. When I opened it, they asked for my father. I called for him, and when he arrived, the visitors told him about an urgent sewing order they needed as quickly as possible. They told him that the order was so urgent that they would pay for it in advance. That day I learned the principles of paying tithing and the blessings that follow. …
“It is not enough just to talk to our children about the importance of temple marriage, fasting, and keeping the Sabbath day holy. They must see us making room in our schedules to attend the temple as frequently as we can. They need to see our commitment to fasting regularly12 and keeping the entire Sabbath day holy. If our youth cannot fast two meals, cannot study the scriptures regularly, and cannot turn off the TV during a big game on Sunday, will they have the spiritual self-discipline to resist the powerful temptations of today’s challenging world, including the temptation of pornography?”
- “When I was young, I worked in my father’s factory during vacations. The first question my father always asked after I received my salary was ‘What are you going to do with your money?’
- “Invite to Act”
- “Third: Invite to Act. … To assist our children with the building of their testimonies, we encourage them to use their agency to choose what is right and prepare them for a lifetime on God’s covenant path. It would be wise to encourage each of our children to accept President Nelson’s invitation to take charge of his or her own testimony of Jesus Christ and His gospel—to work for it, to nurture it so that it will grow, to feed it truth, and to not pollute it with false philosophies of unbelieving men and women. … We must do everything we can to create an environment where our children can feel His divine influence.”
- “Choose You This Day“, October 2018 General Conference, Elder Dale G. Renlund:
- “Our Heavenly Father’s goal in parenting is not to have His children do what is right; it is to have His children choose to do what is right and ultimately become like Him. If He simply wanted us to be obedient, He would use immediate rewards and punishments to influence our behaviors.
“But God is not interested in His children just becoming trained and obedient ‘pets’ who will not chew on His slippers in the celestial living room. No, God wants His children to grow up spiritually and join Him in the family business.”
- “Our Heavenly Father’s goal in parenting is not to have His children do what is right; it is to have His children choose to do what is right and ultimately become like Him. If He simply wanted us to be obedient, He would use immediate rewards and punishments to influence our behaviors.
- “Our General Conference ‘Walk and Talk’“, March 2024 Liahona, Elder David A. Bednar:
- “If people appropriately are seeking for the spiritual gift of faith in the Lord, they need to act in accordance with His teachings. Invitations are key because faith in the Savior is a principle of action and power. And as His servant, I strive to extend invitations that can help people strengthen their faith in and devotion to Him.
“Many times in our Church service we may say things such as, ‘I challenge you to do X.’ But I do not find such language in the ministry of the Savior, in the scriptures, or in the teachings of Church leaders. The Savior did, and Church leaders should, invite, entice, encourage, and promise blessings—a more Christlike approach to helping individuals and families.”
- “If people appropriately are seeking for the spiritual gift of faith in the Lord, they need to act in accordance with His teachings. Invitations are key because faith in the Savior is a principle of action and power. And as His servant, I strive to extend invitations that can help people strengthen their faith in and devotion to Him.
Other Ideas
- Help children do hard things:
- As children do hard things, direct them to seek guidance and direction from their Heavenly Father through the Holy Ghost.
- “Grit: The Power of Passion and Perseverance” by Angela Duckworth:
- “In our family, we live by the Hard Thing Rule. It has three parts. The first is that everyone—including Mom and Dad—has to do a hard thing. A hard thing is something that requires daily deliberate practice…
“This brings me to the second part of the Hard Thing Rule: You can quit. But you can’t quit until the season is over, the tuition payment is up, or some other ‘natural’ stopping point has arrived. You must, at least for the interval to which you’ve committed yourself, finish whatever you begin. In other words, you can’t quit on a day when your teacher yells at you, or you lose a race, or you have to miss a sleepover because of a recital the next morning. You can’t quit on a bad day.
“And, finally, the Hard Thing Rule states that you get to pick your hard thing. Nobody picks it for you because, after all, it would make no sense to do a hard thing you’re not even vaguely interested in…
“Next year, Amanda will be in high school. Her sister will follow the year after. At that point, the Hard Thing Rule will change. A fourth requirement will be added: each girl must commit to at least one activity, either something new or the piano and viola they’ve already started, for at least two years…
“For parents who would like to encourage grit without obliterating their children’s capacity to choose their own path, I recommend the Hard Thing Rule.”
- “In our family, we live by the Hard Thing Rule. It has three parts. The first is that everyone—including Mom and Dad—has to do a hard thing. A hard thing is something that requires daily deliberate practice…
Report on Prior Week’s Action Item
I need to report on the action items from both General Conference Applied season 2 episode 22 and season 2 episode 23.
- Season 2 episode 22: I had committed to taking action on this sentence: “Teach your children not to exclude anyone, and make specific family plans about handling bullying over race or differences of appearance, language, or ability.” In a family home evening discussion on Sunday, March 10, 2024, we discussed the definitions of race, appearance, language, and ability (my children are still young – 8, 6, and 2). We considered the importance of treating everyone with kindness. And regarding a “specific family plan,” we determined that, at the end of each day, we would report something nice that we did for someone else.
- This plan fit nicely with this quote from ‘The Whole-Brain Child: 12 Revolutionary Strategies to Nurture Your Child’s Developing Mind‘ by Daniel J. Siegel M.D. and Tina Payne Bryson: “There are plenty of practical ways to encourage your kids to remember. The most natural is to ask questions that lead to recollection. With very young children, keep things simple, focusing on returning their attention to the details of their day. … Another mom who had recently divorced wanted to make sure that she stayed emotionally connected to her daughters as they went through that difficult period. So she began the ritual of asking, as they ate dinner together each evening, ‘Tell me about your day. Give me one high point, one low point, and one act of kindness you performed for someone.’ Again, activities and questions like these not only encourage recollection but also push children to think more deeply about their own emotions and actions, about sharing their days with someone, and about how they can help others.”
- Season 2 episode 23: I committed to posting a reel on Facebook / Instagram, bearing testimony of Jesus Christ. I have recorded the brief testimony, and the reel will likely be posted in the next day or two, depending upon the schedule of my very beautiful and talented social media manager (i.e., my wife, Morgan)! In the testimony, I shared an insight about Jesus Christ from this week’s Y Religion podcast episode (episode 100, “I Know That My Redeemer Lived”). This was the best thing I heard this week, and so I will be sharing a quote from that podcast episode in my ‘What? Eye. Read.’ newsletter – if you haven’t already subscribed to my newsletter, head to my website to subscribe!
This Week’s Action Item
“That which is measured improves. That which is measured and reported improves exponentially.”
Karl Pearson, an early 20th-century British mathematician
“Those who measure their progress improve. Those who measure and report their progress improve exponentially.”
Dan Sullivan, founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc.
“Do something, do anything! But to start, just do ONE thing.”
Mitch Peterson
This week, I commit to identifying and extending one invitation to each of my children, to my wife, and to myself, that will point them and me to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. These invitations will also involve the necessity to plead for guidance from Heavenly Father.
Let Me Know
How will you take action on this General Conference address? Let me know on social media or email me.
REMEMBER THIS
If you remember nothing else from this podcast episode, remember this:
- Elder Phillips has invited us to plead for guidance from Heavenly Father, and Elder Cordón has invited parents to point children to Heavenly Father.
Tags
“God Knows and Loves You”
Atonement | Divine Nature | God the Father | Jesus Christ | Love
“Divine Parenting Lessons”
Agency | Children | Discipleship | Parenthood | Patriarchal Blessings | Teaching | Testimony