"The Joy of Our Redemption"

Last updated on February 16th, 2025 at 10:47 pm

General Conference Applied

S4 E19 – Thursday, February 6, 2025 | “The Joy of Our Redemption” by Sister Kristin M. Yee; October 2024 General Conference

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Podcast Episode Outline

Introduction

Bio

“Sister Kristin M. Yee was sustained as Second Counselor in the Relief Society General Presidency for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 2, 2022. At the time of her call, she had been serving on the Primary General Advisory Council.

“Sister Yee has served in many Church callings, including as stake Relief Society president, ward Relief Society presidency counselor and teacher, ward Young Women president, Gospel Doctrine teacher, ward missionary, and temple ordinance worker.

“Sister Yee holds undergraduate degrees in fine arts from Brigham Young University–Idaho and Brigham Young University. She earned a master of public administration from BYU.

“She worked as an artist and producer at Disney Interactive Studios and now works for the Church as a manager of special projects for the Publishing Services Department. Her gospel-themed paintings include portraits of the Savior’s mortal ministry.

“Kristin Mae Yee was born May 5, 1981, in Sacramento, California, in the United States. She later moved to Idaho and Utah.”
This was Sister Yee’s second general conference address. Her most recent address was “Beauty for Ashes: The Healing Path of Forgiveness” from the October 2022 General Conference.

Paint a Portrait of Jesus Christ

“The process wasn’t easy. Sometimes it didn’t look as I had hoped. Sometimes there were moments of inspired strokes and ideas. And many times, I just had to try again and again and again.

“When I thought the oil painting was finally complete and dry, I began to apply a transparent varnish to protect it from dirt and dust. As I did, I noticed the hair in the painting start to change, smear, and dissolve. I quickly realized that I had applied the varnish too soon, that part of the painting was still wet!

“I had literally wiped away a portion of my painting with the varnish. Oh, how my heart sank. I felt as though I had just destroyed what God had helped me to do. I cried and felt sick inside. In despair, I did what anyone would typically do in a situation like this: I called my mother. She wisely and calmly said, ‘You won’t get back what you had, but do the very best you can with what you’ve got.’

“So I prayed and pled for help and painted through the night to repair things. And I remember looking at the painting in the morning—it looked better than it did before. How was that possible? What I thought was a mistake without mend was an opportunity for His merciful hand to be manifest. He was not done with the painting, and He was not done with me. What joy and relief filled my heart. I praised the Lord for His mercy, for this miracle that not only saved the painting but taught me more about His love and power to save each of us from our mistakes, weaknesses, and sins and to help us become something more.

“Just as the depth of my gratitude for the Savior grew as He mercifully helped me to repair the ‘unrepairable’ painting, so has my personal love and gratitude for my Savior intensified as I’ve sought to work with Him on my weaknesses and to be forgiven of my mistakes. I will forever be grateful to my Savior that I can change and be cleansed.” -Sister Yee
- “Believe in God“, Sister Kristin M. Yee, BYU-Idaho Devotional, January 28, 2025: “When I paint, I call this transition period the ‘in-between period’ where the painting doesn’t look like what you want it to. Where you’re in new territory, without the answers and not feeling confident. It’s when you’re sitting in unfamiliarity and adjustment. I’ve gratefully observed, however, that this uncomfortable ‘in-between period’ often comes just before something good or even great.”

What is the speaker inviting me to do, and how might I consider taking action?

Invitations

1: “The redeeming power of Jesus Christ is one of the greatest promised blessings of our covenants. Ponder this as you participate in sacred ordinances.”

Christlike Attribute:
This is a direct response to my action item from President Emily Belle Freeman’s October 2024 General Conference address “Live Up to Your Privileges” (see General Conference Applied season 4 episode 18)
“What Do We Mean When We Say the Church Is True?” by Elder J. Devn Cornish: “So what do we mean when we say the Church is true if we don’t mean that it’s perfect? … We mean that those who receive the saving ordinances and keep the associated covenants, repenting sincerely as required, positively will be exalted in the celestial kingdom of God.”
Action:

2: “Let us not defend ourselves from the good that God desires to bless us with. From the love and mercy that He desires us to feel. From the light and knowledge He desires to bestow upon us. From the healing that He knows we so readily need. From the deeper covenant relationship He intends for all His sons and daughters. I pray we may lay aside any ‘weapons of war’ that we’ve consciously or even unconsciously taken up to defend ourselves from the blessings of God’s love.”

Christlike Attribute:
Action:

3: “If you are struggling with a situation you think you should have overcome by now, don’t give up. Be patient with yourself, keep your covenants, repent often, seek the help of your leaders if needed, and go to the house of the Lord as regularly as you can. Listen for and heed the promptings He sends you.”

Christlike Attribute:
Action:

Take Action

How will you take action on the invitations extended in this General Conference address?

Conclusion

As we conclude this episode, I have some important information. Show notes for this and all other episodes can be found on my website, mitchellryanpeterson.com. On my website, you will also find my weekly What? Eye. Read. 💡 newsletter.

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I promise that you will get more out of each General Conference Applied episode when you study the General Conference address first. Thank you for joining me in this effort to become doers of the word and to take action on general conference invitations.