Last updated on February 16th, 2025 at 10:46 pm
General Conference Applied
S4 E21 – Thursday, February 13, 2025 | “Bonded to Jesus Christ: Becoming the Salt of the Earth” by Elder José A. Teixeira; October 2024 General Conference
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Podcast Episode Outline
Introduction
Bio
- “Elder José A. Teixeira was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 5, 2008.
“José Augusto Teixeira da Silva was born in Vila Real, Portugal, on February 24, 1961. He married Filomena Teles Grilo in June 1984. They are the parents of three children.
“He also served in the Portuguese Air Force and was assigned to CINCIBERLANT, NATO; he was awarded for his services to that international military unit.
“Elder Teixeira has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Portugal Lisbon Mission, elders quorum president, district president, counselor in a bishopric, national public affairs director, stake president, Area Seventy, and as a mission president in the Brazil São Paulo South Mission.
“Elder Teixeira is currently serving in the Presidency of the Seventy. He has also served as the President of the Europe Area and the South America South Area.
“His education is in accounting, auditing, and business management. He was an international controller for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, with responsibility for Europe and Africa. In this capacity, he managed the Europe/Africa processing center in Solihull, England, and supervised the controllers in the Europe East, Europe Central, Europe West, Africa Southeast, and Africa West Areas.” - This was Elder Teixeira’s fourth general conference address. His most recent address was “Remember Your Way Back Home” from the April 2021 General Conference.
Fill Our Lives with Purpose and Service
- “When our lives are filled with purpose and service, we avoid spiritual apathy; on the other hand, when our lives are deprived of divine purpose, meaningful service to others, and sacred opportunities for pondering and reflection, we gradually become suffocated by our own activity and self-interest, risking losing our savor. The antidote to this is to continue to be involved in service—being anxiously engaged in good works and the betterment of ourselves and the society we live in.” -Elder Teixeira
Invitation One
What is the speaker inviting me to do?
- “Just like the marnotos put forth great effort to ensure they harvest the highest quality of salt, so should we, as the Lord’s covenant people, always do our very best so that our love and example are, as much as possible, a pure reflection of our Savior, Jesus Christ.” -Elder Teixeira
- In my own words: Strive to emulate our Savior, Jesus Christ, in all that we do.
Why does it matter, or why is it important? (Doctrines, Principles, Christlike Attributes)
- Christlike Attribute: “I look for opportunities to serve others. (Mosiah 2:17)” (Charity and Love)
- “[17] And behold, I tell you these things that ye may learn wisdom; that ye may learn that when ye are in the service of your fellow beings ye are only in the service of your God.”
What’s in it for us? (Promises)
- “As we remain bonded to the Lord, our lives will naturally reflect His light, and we will become the salt of the earth.” -Elder Teixeira
- Alma 17:22-25 – “[22] And the king inquired of Ammon if it were his desire to dwell in the land among the Lamanites, or among his people. [23] And Ammon said unto him: Yea, I desire to dwell among this people for a time; yea, and perhaps until the day I die. [24] And it came to pass that king Lamoni was much pleased with Ammon, and caused that his bands should be loosed; and he would that Ammon should take one of his daughters to wife. [25] But Ammon said unto him: Nay, but I will be thy servant. Therefore Ammon became a servant to king Lamoni. And it came to pass that he was set among other servants to watch the flocks of Lamoni, according to the custom of the Lamanites.”
How will we take action? (Directives, Personal Revelation)
- “Like salt can lose its essence, we can also lose our spiritual vitality if our faith in Jesus Christ becomes casual. We may look the same on the outside, but without a strong inner faith, we lose our ability to make a difference in the world and bring out the best in those around us.
“So how can we channel our energy and efforts to make a difference and be the change the world needs today? How can we preserve discipleship and continue to be a positive influence? …
“When our lives are filled with purpose and service, we avoid spiritual apathy; on the other hand, when our lives are deprived of divine purpose, meaningful service to others, and sacred opportunities for pondering and reflection, we gradually become suffocated by our own activity and self-interest, risking losing our savor. The antidote to this is to continue to be involved in service—being anxiously engaged in good works and the betterment of ourselves and the society we live in.” -Elder Teixeira - Mitch: I will better prioritize “sacred opportunities for pondering and reflection.” It’s better to serve, but prioritizing the important relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ is best.
Invitation Two
What is the speaker inviting me to do?
- “Do simple things that, with consistent efforts in small and meaningful acts, can deepen our discipleship and commitment to Jesus Christ.” -Elder Teixeira
- In my own words: Focus on simple ways that we can become committed to Jesus Christ.
Why does it matter, or why is it important? (Doctrines, Principles, Christlike Attributes)
- Christlike Attribute: “I work hard until the job is completed. (Doctrine and Covenants 10:4)” (Diligence)
- “[4] Do not run faster or labor more than you have strength and means provided to enable you to translate; but be diligent unto the end.”
What’s in it for us? (Promises)
- “As we keep the house of the Lord central in our lives, intentionally strengthen others by living the gospel, accept callings to serve, and use digital tools with purpose, we can preserve our spiritual vitality. Just as salt in its purest form has the power to enhance and preserve, so too does our faith in Jesus Christ when it is nourished and protected by our dedication to Christlike service and love.
“As we remain bonded to the Lord, our lives will naturally reflect His light, and we will become the salt of the earth. In this effort, we not only enrich our lives but also strengthen our families and our communities.” -Elder Teixeira- “The Sacred Life of Trees: How Each of Us Can Protect and Support Physical and Spiritual Forests“, Sister Sharon Eubank, BYU-Idaho Speech, February 15, 2024: “I am occasionally asked, ‘Why doesn’t the Church spend more money on humanitarian work? Why doesn’t it stop building expensive temples and focus its resources on relieving the poor?’ This is a legitimate question for the Church of Jesus Christ. But is it money that solves society’s ills? The world has poured two trillion dollars into addressing chronic issues in Africa. Why isn’t the situation better? Because money isn’t really the issue. Lasting progress comes through trusted relationships, infrastructure, reducing corruption, and the ability of people to work together. Money doesn’t necessarily create those things. They must be developed alongside the resources and, frankly, it is much harder work.
“I will never discount the one thing this Church does that lifts entire communities in rapid development. It invites men and women of all social classes and backgrounds to enter sacred buildings and make the most binding and important promises of their mortal lives. In those buildings, they promise not to steal or lie, they promise to be faithful to their spouse and children. They vow they will seek the interest of their neighbors and be peacemakers and become devoted to the idea that we are all one family—all valued and alike unto God. If those promises made in holy temples are kept, it transforms society faster than any aid or development project ever could. The greatest charitable development on the planet is for people to bind themselves to their God and mean it. So, thank goodness the Church builds 335 temples and counting. It is the greatest poverty alleviation system in the world.
“The most important thing you can do as a humanitarian is to keep your covenants with God. The second most important thing you can do is connect in goodness with others around you.
“I testify of the power of keeping covenants with Jesus Christ, the Savior and Redeemer of the world. He is the vine, and we are the branches. He overcomes every single thing blocking our progress.”
- “The Sacred Life of Trees: How Each of Us Can Protect and Support Physical and Spiritual Forests“, Sister Sharon Eubank, BYU-Idaho Speech, February 15, 2024: “I am occasionally asked, ‘Why doesn’t the Church spend more money on humanitarian work? Why doesn’t it stop building expensive temples and focus its resources on relieving the poor?’ This is a legitimate question for the Church of Jesus Christ. But is it money that solves society’s ills? The world has poured two trillion dollars into addressing chronic issues in Africa. Why isn’t the situation better? Because money isn’t really the issue. Lasting progress comes through trusted relationships, infrastructure, reducing corruption, and the ability of people to work together. Money doesn’t necessarily create those things. They must be developed alongside the resources and, frankly, it is much harder work.
How will we take action? (Directives, Personal Revelation)
- “Here are four simple yet profound ways we can strive to be the salt of the earth:
“1. Keeping the house of the Lord at the center of our devotion. …
“2. Being deliberate in our efforts to strengthen others by living the gospel together. We can strengthen our families through consistent and intentional efforts to bring gospel principles into our lives and to our homes.
“3. Being willing to accept a calling and serving in the Church. …
“4. Using digital communication tools with purpose.” -Elder Teixeira - Mitch: Ponder what it means to “[keep] the house of the Lord at the center of [my] devotion,” and then take the necessary steps to get in alignment with this directive.
What will you do?
How will you take action on the invitations extended in this General Conference address?
Conclusion
The focus of our next podcast episode will be the October 2024 General Conference address that was delivered by Bishop L. Todd Budge and was entitled “Seek Him with All Your Heart.”
As we conclude this episode, we would invite you to refer to the podcast episode details for each podcast episode where we have provided important information for connecting with us and further supporting the General Conference Applied Podcast.
Please remember that General Conference Applied is meant to be a supplement for your review of General Conference Addresses. We 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 us in this effort to become doers of the word and to take action on general conference invitations.
Tags
Discipleship | Faith | Jesus Christ | Service
Additional Content
Previous Podcast Episode (“Seeking Answers to Spiritual Questions” by Sister Tracy Y. Browning)
Next Podcast Episode (“Seek Him with All Your Heart” by Bishop L. Todd Budge)