Last updated on July 21st, 2024 at 08:43 pm
General Conference Applied
S3 E12 – Sunday, July 7, 2024 | “The Powerful, Virtuous Cycle of the Doctrine of Christ” by Elder Dale G. Renlund; April 2024 General Conference
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Introduction
Doctrine: 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.”
Principle: Faith in Jesus Christ: “We must center our faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. To have faith in Jesus Christ means to have such trust in Him that we obey whatever He commands. As we place our faith in Jesus Christ, becoming His obedient disciples, Heavenly Father will forgive our sins and prepare us to return to Him.”
Christlike Attribute: Faith in Jesus Christ: “Faith is not only a feeling; it is a decision. With prayer, study, obedience, and covenants, we build and fortify our faith. Our conviction of the Savior and His latter-day work becomes the powerful lens through which we judge all else. Then, as we find ourselves in the crucible of life, … we have the strength to take the right course” (Neil L. Andersen, “It’s True, Isn’t It? Then What Else Matters?” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 74).
What is the speaker inviting me to do, and how might I consider taking action?
Invitations
1: “I invite you to live the doctrine of Christ repeatedly, iteratively, and intentionally and help others on their way.”
- Live the doctrine of Jesus Christ in such a way that you continually draw nearer to Jesus Christ and help others to do the same.
Practical Example
- “Years ago, my wife, Ruth; our daughter, Ashley; and I joined other tourists on a kayaking excursion in the state of Hawaii in the United States. A kayak is a low-to-the-water, canoe-like boat in which the rower sits facing forward and uses a double-bladed paddle to pull front to back on one side and then on the other. The plan was to row to two small islands off the coast of Oahu and back again. I was confident because, as a young man, I had paddled kayaks across mountain lakes. Hubris [“exaggerated pride or self-confidence”] never bodes well, does it?
“Our guide gave us instructions and showed us the ocean kayaks we would use. They differed from the ones I had previously paddled. I was supposed to sit on top of the kayak, instead of down inside it. When I got onto the kayak, my center of gravity was higher than I was accustomed to, and I was less stable in the water.
“As we started out, I rowed faster than Ruth and Ashley. After a while, I was far ahead of them. Though proud of my heroic pace, I stopped paddling and waited for them to catch up. A large wave—about 13 centimeters [5 inches]—hit the side of my kayak and flipped me over into the water. By the time I had turned the kayak upright and struggled to get back on top, Ruth and Ashley had passed me by, but I was too winded to resume paddling. Before I could catch my breath, another wave, this one truly enormous—at least 20 centimeters [8 inches]—hit my kayak and flipped me over again. By the time I managed to right the kayak, I was so out of breath I feared I would not be able to climb on top.
“Seeing my situation, the guide rowed over and steadied my kayak, making it easier for me to climb on top. When he saw that I was still too breathless to row on my own, he hitched a towrope to my kayak and began paddling, pulling me along with him. Soon I caught my breath and began paddling adequately on my own. He let go of the rope, and I reached the first island without further assistance. Upon arrival, I flopped down on the sand, exhausted.
“After the group had rested, the guide quietly said to me, ‘Mr. Renlund, if you just keep paddling, maintaining your momentum, I think you’re going to be fine.’ I followed his advice as we paddled to the second island and then back to our starting point. Twice the guide rowed by and told me I was doing great. Even larger waves hit my kayak from the side, but I was not flipped over.
“By consistently paddling the kayak, I maintained momentum and forward progress, mitigating the effect of waves hitting me from the side. The same principle applies in our spiritual lives. We become vulnerable when we slow down and especially when we stop. If we maintain spiritual momentum by continually ‘rowing’ toward the Savior, we are safer and more secure because our eternal life depends on our faith in Him.
“Spiritual momentum is created ‘over a lifetime as we repeatedly embrace the doctrine of Christ.’ Doing so, President Russell M. Nelson taught, produces a ‘powerful virtuous cycle.’ [Note that the title of Elder Renlund’s address comes from President Nelson’s October 2022 General Conference address ‘Overcome the World and Find Rest’]. Indeed, the elements of the doctrine of Christ—such as faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, entering a covenant relationship with the Lord through baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end—are not intended to be experienced as one-time, check-the-box events. In particular, ‘enduring to the end’ is not really a separate step in the doctrine of Christ—as though we complete the first four elements and then hunker down, grit our teeth, and wait to die. No, enduring to the end is repeatedly and iteratively applying the other elements of the doctrine of Christ [note that this is Elder Renlund’s definition of ‘enduring to the end’], creating the ‘powerful virtuous cycle’ that President Nelson described.
“Repeatedly means that we experience the elements of the doctrine of Christ over and over throughout our lives. Iteratively means that we build on and improve with each repetition. Even though we repeat the elements, we are not just spinning in circles without a forward trajectory. Instead, we draw closer to Jesus Christ each time through the cycle.
“Momentum involves both speed and direction. If I had paddled the kayak vigorously in the wrong direction, I could have created significant momentum, but I would not have reached the intended destination. Similarly, in life, we need to ‘row’ toward the Savior to come unto Him.” - “Why the Church“, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, October 2015 General Conference: “We do not strive for conversion to the Church but to Christ and His gospel, a conversion that is facilitated by the Church. The Book of Mormon expresses it best when it says that the people ‘were converted unto the Lord, and were united unto the church of Christ.’ [3 Nephi 28:23]
“Repeatedly” [“Repeatedly means that we experience the elements of the doctrine of Christ over and over throughout our lives.”]
- “Our faith in Jesus Christ needs to be nourished daily. It is nourished as we pray daily, study the scriptures daily, reflect on the goodness of God daily, repent daily, and follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost daily. Just as it is not healthy to defer eating all our food until Sunday and then binge our weekly allotment of nutrition, it is not spiritually healthy to restrict our testimony-nourishing behavior to one day in the week.” -Elder Renlund
- “Choosing Glory” by Dr. Lili De Hoyos Anderson: “I once heard Truman Madsen tell of renewing his temple recommend. His stake president, a close personal friend, asked Brother Madsen, ‘Now that you’ve answered the questions in the book, do you want to answer my questions?’ Brother Madsen said he was feeling pretty good that day so he agreed to answer his friend’s questions. As he recounted the conversation, Brother Madsen no longer remembered all the questions asked, but they were along the lines of:
“Do you, like the righteous Nephites written of in the eleventh chapter of Helaman, sufficiently understand the true doctrine of the gospel so that you receive ‘many revelations daily’ (see Helaman 11:23)?
“Are you living in such a way that at least one of the gifts of the Spirit is operational in your life on a daily basis?
“Do you shake at the appearance of sin (see 2 Nephi 4:31)?
“Brother Madsen said that he rather quickly decided to stick to the questions in the book. Well, I suspect we all would do better with the questions in the book. From time to time, however, it would be helpful for us all to consider such questions, as well as those suggested by Elder Dallin H. Oaks:
“What is the state of our personal preparation for eternal life? … What is the measure of our compliance with covenants, including the sacred promises we made in the waters of baptism, in receiving the holy priesthood, and in the temples of God? Are we promisers who do not fulfill and believers who do not perform? [“Preparation for the Second Coming“, April 2004 General Conference]
“Pondering and then acting on such questions can help us move forward from honorable, terrestrial compliance to valiant, celestial devotion.”
“Iteratively” [“Iteratively means that we build on and improve with each repetition. Even though we repeat the elements, we are not just spinning in circles without a forward trajectory. Instead, we draw closer to Jesus Christ each time through the cycle.”]
- “As we conscientiously partake of the sacrament, we invite the Holy Ghost into our lives, just like when we were baptized and confirmed. As we keep the covenant described in the sacrament prayers, the Holy Ghost becomes our companion.
“As the Holy Ghost exerts a greater influence in our lives, we progressively and iteratively develop Christlike attributes. Our hearts change. Our disposition to do evil diminishes. Our inclination to do good increases until we only want ‘to do good continually.’ And we thereby access the heavenly power needed to endure to the end. Our faith has increased, and we are ready to repeat the powerful, virtuous cycle again.” -Elder Renlund - “Forward spiritual momentum also propels us to make additional covenants with God in the house of the Lord. Multiple covenants draw us closer to Christ and connect us more strongly to Him. Through these covenants, we have greater access to His power. To be clear, baptismal and temple covenants are not, in and of themselves, the source of power. The source of power is the Lord Jesus Christ and our Heavenly Father. Making and keeping covenants create a conduit for Their power in our lives. As we live according to these covenants, we eventually become inheritors to all that Heavenly Father has.” -Elder Renlund
“Multiple Covenants Bind Us More Strongly to God” [“Stronger and Closer Connection to God Through Multiple Covenants“, March 5, 2024, BYU Devotional, Elder Dale G. Renlund]
Introduction:
- “For everyone, the covenant path starts with the covenant of baptism. For men, the covenant path includes the essential step of receiving the Melchizedek Priesthood. For all, the covenant path continues with the covenants in the temple endowment, which encompasses five covenants. These five covenants, however, are not separable—you cannot choose to make a subset of the five; you make all five or none. The final covenant we make with God in the temple is the one that is made when a man and a woman are sealed together in the new and everlasting covenant of marriage.
“Why are multiple covenants needed? It is because the multiple covenants are not only sequential but are also additive and even synergistic in our relationship with God. Each covenant adds a bond, drawing us closer to and strengthening our connection with God. …
“President Russell M. Nelson suggests that we deepen our relationship with God when we make multiple covenants. He said:
“‘God has a special love for each person who makes a covenant with Him in the waters of baptism. And that divine love deepens as additional covenants are made and faithfully kept.’
“This means that we develop a stronger and closer connection to God through those multiple covenants. When we confront life’s challenges, the likelihood is decreased that we distance ourselves from God. …
“Multiple covenants draw us closer to God and strengthen our connection to Him. The purpose of these bonds is to help us become more converted, faithful, and committed disciples of Jesus Christ.”
Three Invitations:
- “As an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ, I have invitations for each of you. My invitation for those who have been baptized but who are not yet endowed is that you prepare for and receive your endowment. The decision to receive the endowment is personal and should be made prayerfully. It depends only on your agency—no one else’s. Further, it is not the role of anyone else—leaders, friends, peer groups, family, or me—to decide this for you or unduly influence you to do so. For most of you listening to me today, you meet all the criteria to be endowed if you feel a desire to receive and honor sacred temple covenants throughout your life.
“Until you are ready, continue to prepare. This includes doing family history work and qualifying for and using a temple recommend for proxy baptisms and confirmations. Also, focus intently on the covenant you have already made. Conscientiously partake of the sacrament weekly. If you choose to miss sacrament meeting when you could attend, you place yourself in spiritual jeopardy. Continue to faithfully live the gospel of Jesus Christ.” - “Let us turn to those who have been baptized and endowed but who are not sealed to a spouse. We all know that being sealed to a spouse involves someone else’s agency. You do not determine this step solely on your own. My invitation focuses on what you can do.
“If being sealed to a spouse is not yet your blessing to the extent that it involves your agency, do not delay taking advantage of your opportunities. Do not close the door to the possibility. In May 2023, President Dallin H. Oaks taught:
“‘A loving Heavenly Father has a plan for His young adults, and part of that plan is marriage and children.
“[Quoting himself from 2005:] ‘We counsel you to channel your associations with the opposite sex into dating patterns that have the potential to mature into marriage.’
“Remember, eternal life is not a question of current marital status but of discipleship; that is, being ‘valiant in the testimony of Jesus.’ You receive access to the grace of Christ through obedience to the laws and ordinances of the gospel. Additionally, I invite you to focus on the covenants you have made. Go to the temple often and participate in family history work. Conscientiously partake of the sacrament weekly. As you do, you will strengthen your connection with Jesus Christ.” - “For those who have been sealed to a spouse, this sealing is a milestone in your life, not a bookend. You need to press forward and focus on the covenants you have made, just as I have encouraged the others to do: conscientiously partaking of the sacrament, worshipping in the temple, and doing family history work. In addition, seek to become a better spouse by acquiring Christlike attributes. Become the spouse your spouse deserves. If you are blessed to be a parent, become the parent your children deserve.”
Conclusion:
- “God established multiple covenants to bless us, not condemn us. Focusing intently on the covenants we have made and preparing for the next one is the best way to prepare to receive all that Heavenly Father has. [Note that for most of us, the “next” covenant we will make is partaking of the sacrament]. It is how we ‘think celestial.’ I testify that Jesus Christ is mighty to save. He desires a close relationship with you, even a covenantal relationship. I pray that you may make covenants with real intent and allow those covenants to bless you now and into the eternities.”
“Intentionally”
- “When we assume responsibility for our own testimonies, we gain spiritual momentum and gradually develop bedrock faith in Jesus Christ, and the doctrine of Christ becomes central to the purpose of life.” -Elder Renlund
- “Choosing Glory” by Dr. Lili De Hoyos Anderson: “The trap of terrestrial stress ensnares many good people. Such people may accomplish significant temporal good, but ultimately, they get lost in the ‘thick of thin things’. The problem for these ‘honorable men of the earth’ (Doctrine and Covenants 76:75) is that although they may be largely free of telestial stress and obedient to basic commandments, they are so busy with terrestrial concerns that they do not ever move into the spiritual wilderness and get about the true business of life. It’s tragic that by concentrating so much on performing good works, we may prevent ourselves from ever beginning the essential saving works. We can get caught up in the urgent at the expense of the vital. Many temporal tasks have deadlines attached: ‘If I do not put gas in the car, I’ll be in trouble’; ‘If I do not pay this bill on time, I’ll be in trouble’; ‘If I do not get the Christmas shopping done, I’ll be in trouble.’ Too often these urgent tasks get in the way of the vital ones, which generally have no clear deadlines attached. If we don’t study the scriptures today, the house won’t fall down. If we don’t have a bonding family time this week, we’ll get by. If we don’t have meaningful prayer and learn to receive revelation – well, maybe we can work that in next week. We get caught, again, putting things that matter most at the mercy of things that ultimately matter much less.”
- “Mentor to Millions: Secrets of Success in Business, Relationships, and Beyond” by Kevin Harrington and Mark Timm: “How many families sit around the kitchen table and talk about their future and then do nothing to get there? So many of them never have an on-purpose, intentional, scheduled family meeting – ever. The only time they meet is in the upstairs hallway talking about their schedules for the next day, or at dinner with their iPhones out, barely paying attention to each other about who’s doing what and when.
“In business, we meet every week, or we don’t function. We take that time to talk about who we are, what we stand for, and why we’re in business to begin with; about how we satisfy our customers and our community; about our purpose and how we live it.
“Why aren’t we doing this with our families? It’s the rarest ones who sit down together and say, ‘We’re not an accident. We were put here for a reason. Let’s start sincerely and ardently believing that and do something about it as a family. That means we’re going to have to act intentionally – to run our family like it’s a business. Like it matters.’
“That’s the only way it works.”
“Help Others On Their Way”
- “The momentum produced by living the doctrine of Christ not only powers the transformation of our divine nature into our eternal destiny but also motivates us to help others in appropriate ways.” -Elder Renlund
- 7/6/2024 journal entry: We can know that we are “[living] the doctrine of Christ iteratively” when we are motivated to help others come to Christ in helpful ways. If we are not motivated to help others, or if we are motivated to help them in unhelpful ways, then we should consider our ways.
Examples of “Helpful Ways”
- “Consider how the expedition guide helped me after I flipped over in the kayak. He did not shout from afar an unhelpful question such as, ‘Mr. Renlund, what are you doing in the water?’ He did not paddle up and chide me, saying, ‘Mr. Renlund, you would not be in this situation if you were more physically fit.’ He did not start towing my kayak while I was just trying to get on top of it. And he did not correct me in front of the group. Instead, he gave me the help I needed at the time I needed it. He gave me advice when I was receptive. And he went out of his way to encourage me.
“As we minister to others, we do not need to ask unhelpful questions or state the obvious. Most people who are struggling know that they are struggling. We should not be judgmental; our judgment is neither helpful nor welcome, and it is most often ill-informed.
“Comparing ourselves to others can lead us to make pernicious errors, especially if we conclude that we are more righteous than those who are struggling. Such a comparison is like drowning hopelessly in three meters of water [about 10 feet], seeing someone else drowning in four meters of water [about 13 feet], judging him a greater sinner, and feeling good about yourself. After all, we are all struggling in our own way. None of us earns salvation. We never can. …
“We do need all our compassion, empathy, and love as we interact with those around us. Those who are struggling ‘need to experience the pure love of Jesus Christ reflected in [our] words and actions.’ As we minister, we encourage others frequently and offer help. Even if someone is not receptive, we continue to minister as they allow. …
“The Savior’s job is to heal. Our job is to love—to love and minister in such a way that others are drawn to Jesus Christ.” - “The Virtue of Kindness“, Elder Joseph B. Wirthlin, April 2005 General Conference: “Many years ago, when I was called as a bishop, I had a desire for the bishopric to visit those who were less active in the Church and see if there was anything we could do to bring the blessings of the gospel into their lives.
“One day we visited a man in his 50s who was a respected mechanic. He told me the last time he had been to church was when he was a young boy. Something had happened that day. He had been acting up in class and was being noisier than he should when his teacher became angry, pulled him out of class, and told him not to come back.
“He never did.
“It was remarkable to me that an unkind word spoken more than four decades earlier could have had such a profound effect. But it had. And, as a consequence, this man had never returned to church. Neither had his wife or children.
“I apologized to him and expressed my sorrow that he had been treated that way. I told him how unfortunate it was that one word spoken in haste, and so long ago, could have the effect of excluding his family from the blessings that come from Church activity.
“‘After 40 years,’ I told him, ‘it’s time the Church made things right.’
“I did my best to do so. I reassured him that he was welcome and needed. I rejoiced when this man and his family eventually returned to church and became strong and faithful members. In particular, this good brother became an effective home teacher because he understood how something as small as an unkind word could have consequences that extend throughout a lifetime and perhaps beyond.
“Kindness is the essence of greatness and the fundamental characteristic of the noblest men and women I have known. Kindness is a passport that opens doors and fashions friends. It softens hearts and molds relationships that can last lifetimes. …
“One way you can measure your value in the kingdom of God is to ask, ‘How well am I doing in helping others reach their potential? Do I support others in the Church, or do I criticize them?’
“If you are criticizing others, you are weakening the Church. If you are building others, you are building the kingdom of God. As Heavenly Father is kind, we also should be kind to others. …
“Who can tell what far-reaching impact we can have if we are only kind?”
Conclusion
- “Kingdoms of Glory“, President Dallin H. Oaks, October 2023 General Conference: “The Apostle Paul taught that the Lord’s teachings and commandments were given that we may all attain ‘the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ.’ That process requires far more than acquiring knowledge. It is not even enough to be convinced of the gospel; we must act so that we are converted by it. In contrast to other preaching, which teaches us to know something, the gospel of Jesus Christ challenges us to become something.
“From such teachings we conclude that the Final Judgment is not just an evaluation of a sum total of good and evil acts—what we have done. It is based on the final effect of our acts and thoughts—what we have become. We qualify for eternal life through a process of conversion. As used here, this word of many meanings signifies a profound change of nature. It is not enough for anyone just to go through the motions. The commandments, ordinances, and covenants of the gospel are not a list of deposits required to be made in some heavenly account. The gospel of Jesus Christ is a plan that shows us how to become what our Heavenly Father desires us to become.” - “The Challenge to Become“, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, October 2000 General Conference: “We must not give up hope. We must not stop striving. We are children of God, and it is possible for us to become what our Heavenly Father would have us become.
“How can we measure our progress? The scriptures suggest various ways. I will mention only two.
“After King Benjamin’s great sermon, many of his hearers cried out that the Spirit of the Lord ‘has wrought a mighty change in us, or in our hearts, that we have no more disposition to do evil, but to do good continually’ (Mosiah 5:2). If we are losing our desire to do evil, we are progressing toward our heavenly goal.
“The Apostle Paul said that persons who have received the Spirit of God ‘have the mind of Christ’ (1 Corinthians 2:16). I understand this to mean that persons who are proceeding toward the needed conversion are beginning to see things as our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, see them. They are hearing His voice instead of the voice of the world, and they are doing things in His way instead of by the ways of the world.”
Take Action
How will you take action on the invitations extended in this General Conference address?
Tags
Baptism | Church Doctrine | Covenants | Discipleship | Endurance | Faith | Holy Ghost | Jesus Christ | Repentance
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