“O Youth of the Noble Birthright”

General Conference Applied

S4 E23 – Thursday, February 20, 2025 | “O Youth of the Noble Birthright” by Brother Bradley R. Wilcox; October 2024 General Conference

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Podcast Episode Outline

Introduction

Bio

• “Bradley (Brad) R. Wilcox was sustained as the First Counselor in the Young Men General Presidency for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 1, 2023. Prior to his call, he had been serving as Second Counselor since April 2020.
  
  “Other Church callings include serving as a member of the Sunday School general board, president of the Chile Santiago East Mission (2003–2006), high councilor, stake Young Men president, counselor in a young single adult stake presidency, bishop, and full-time missionary in the Chile Vina del Mar Mission.
  
  “Brother Wilcox received his bachelor’s and master’s degrees from Brigham Young University and his doctorate in education from the University of Wyoming.
  
  “He is currently a professor in BYU’s Department of Ancient Scripture. He is the author of the book The Continuous Atonement and the BYU devotional address ‘His Grace Is Sufficient.’
  
  “Bradley Ray Wilcox was born on December 25, 1959, in Provo, Utah. He and his wife, Deborah, have four children.”
• This was Brother Wilcox’s second general conference address. His most recent address was “Worthiness Is Not Flawlessness” from the October 2021 General Conference.

Heavenly Father Trusts You

• “It is one thing to be loved and another thing entirely to be trusted. In the For the Strength of Youth guide, we read: ‘Your Father in Heaven trusts you. He has given you great blessings, including the fulness of the gospel and sacred ordinances and covenants that bind you to Him and bring His power into your life. With those blessings comes added responsibility. He knows you can make a difference in the world, and that requires, in many cases, being different from the world.’
  
  “Our mortal experience could be compared to a cruise ship on which God has sent all His children as they journey from one shore to another. The voyage is filled with opportunities to learn, grow, be happy, and progress, but it is also full of dangers. God loves all His children and is concerned about their welfare. He does not want to lose any of them, so He invites those who are willing to become members of His crew—that’s you. Because of your choice to make and keep covenants, He offers you His trust. He trusts you to be different, peculiar, and set apart because of the important work He trusts you to do.
  
  “Think of it! God trusts you—of all the people on the earth, the children of the covenant, His crew members—to help with His work of bringing all His children safely home to Him. No wonder President Brigham Young once said, ‘All the angels in heaven are looking at this little handful of people.'” -Brother Wilcox

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Invitation One

What is the speaker inviting me to do?

• “Does your birthright mean you are better than others? No, but it does mean you are expected to help others be better. Does your birthright mean you are chosen? Yes, but not chosen to rule over others; you are chosen to serve them. Is your birthright evidence of God’s love? Yes, but more important, it is evidence of His trust.” -Brother Wilcox
  • In my own words: Help and serve others and earn God’s trust.
  • “Tattoos on the Heart: The Power of Boundless Compassion” by Gregory Boyle: “Myriad are the examples at Homeboy Industries of homies coloring way outside the lines and being given their ninety-eighth chance. Maybe it’s because we are often forced to start where others have stopped. Some on my senior staff wanted to change our motto, printed on our T-shirts, from ‘Nothing stops a bullet like a job’ to ‘You just can’t disappoint us enough.’ Others would mention that there seem to be no consequences for some actions, and, of course, in the real world, there are consequences. Someone told me once, ‘I mean, what’s it take to get fired at Homeboy – release nerve gas?’ When it seems the best thing for a person, I have, often enough, fired someone. I call the person in and say, ‘The day won’t ever come when I will withdraw love and support from you. I am simply in your corner till the wheels fall off. Oh, by the way, I have to let you go.’ They always agree with me. Nearly always.
    
    “There is no question that everybody working at Homeboy would have been fired anyplace else (including me, I suppose – just ask my board). But as Mark Torres, S.J., beloved spiritual guide at Homeboy Industries, says, ‘We see in the homies what they don’t see in themselves, until they 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)

• “Your covenant relationship with God and Jesus Christ is a relationship of love and trust in which you have access to a greater measure of Their grace—Their divine assistance, endowment of strength, and enabling power. That power is not just wishful thinking, a lucky charm, or self-fulfilling prophecy. It is real.” -Brother Wilcox
  • Footnote 25: “I used to be confused by the many descriptions of God’s power found throughout the scriptures. They speak of grace as enabling power (see Philippians 4:13) but also the Light of Christ as power (see Doctrine and Covenant 88:13). We read of the power of faith (see Alma 18:35), the power of the Holy Ghost (see Moroni 10:7), and power from on high promised in temples (see Doctrine and Covenants 38:32; 105:11). Scriptures also teach of the power of the priesthood (see Doctrine and Covenants 113:8). I couldn’t figure out where one ended and the others began. Finally, I realized that ‘there is no other power, save the power of God’ (Doctrine and Covenants 8:7; see also Romans 13:1). Different labels for God’s power do not describe different powers but varying amounts, uses, and aspects of the same power.” -Brother Wilcox

How will we take action? (Directives, Personal Revelation)

• “The Love of God“, Elder D. Todd Christofferson, October 2021 General Conference: “Because God’s love is all-embracing, some speak of it as ‘unconditional,’ and in their minds they may project that thought to mean that God’s blessings are ‘unconditional’ and that salvation is ‘unconditional.’ They are not. Some are wont to say, ‘The Savior loves me just as I am,’ and that is certainly true. But He cannot take any of us into His kingdom just as we are, ‘for no unclean thing can dwell there, or dwell in his presence.’ Our sins must first be resolved. …
  
  “In acknowledging that God loves us perfectly, we each might ask, ‘How well do I love God? Can He rely on my love as I rely on His?’ Would it not be a worthy aspiration to live so that God can love us not just in spite of our failings but also because of what we are becoming? Oh, that He could say of you and me as He said of Hyrum Smith, for example, ‘I, the Lord, love him because of the integrity of his heart.'”
• “When you look around on this cruise ship called earth, you might see other people sitting in lounge chairs drinking, gambling in casinos, wearing clothing that is too revealing, scrolling endlessly on cell phones, and wasting too much time playing electronic games. But instead of wondering, ‘Why can’t I do that?,’ you can remember that you are not an ordinary passenger. You are a member of the crew. You have responsibilities that passengers do not have. As Sister Ardeth Kapp once said, ‘You can’t be a life[guard] if you look like all the other swimmers on the beach.’
  
  “And before you become discouraged by all the extra obligations, please remember that crew members receive something the other passengers do not: compensation. Elder Neil L. Andersen has said, ‘There is a compensatory spiritual power for the righteous,’ including ‘greater assurance, greater confirmation, and greater confidence.’ Like Abraham of old, you receive greater happiness and peace, greater righteousness, and greater knowledge. Your compensation is not merely a mansion in heaven and streets paved with gold. It would be easy for Heavenly Father to simply give you all that He has. His desire is to help you become all that He is. Thus, your commitments demand more of you because that is how God is making more of you.” -Brother Wilcox
  • “The Atoning One” by Robert L. Millet: “Toward the end of our meeting, our older friend … turned to me and said, ‘Okay, Bob, here’s the question I would like to ask you.’ He continued: ‘Imagine that you are standing before the judgment bar of the Almighty. God turns to you and asks: ‘Robert Millet, what right do you have to enter heaven? Why should I let you in?” It was not the kind of question I had anticipated. This question was theological, to be sure, but it was practical, penetrating, and very personal. For about thirty seconds I tried my best to envision such a scene, searched my soul, and sought to be as clear and candid as possible. Before I share exactly what I said, I want to take us forward twenty-four hours in time.
    
    “The next day, Saturday, I spoke to a large group of LDS single adults from throughout New England who had gathered for a conference at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology in Cambridge. My topic was ‘Hope in Christ.’ Two-thirds of the way through my address, I felt it would be appropriate to share my experience from the day before. I presented to the young people the final question that had been posed to me. I inquired: ‘How should I have responded? How would you respond?’ There was silence in the room. I allowed them to think about it for a minute or so and then walked up to one of the young women on the front row and said, ‘Let’s talk about how we might answer. What do you think?’
    
    “She quickly replied, ‘I have no idea. It’s a really good question.’
    
    “I said to the young woman: ‘Well, what if I took the following approach at the judgment bar? I turn to our Father in Heaven and respond: ‘Well, I should go to heaven because I was baptized into the Church, was involved in Cub Scouts, won the Pinewood Derby two years in a row, served a full-time mission, married in the temple, have a current temple recommend, and attend Church services regularly. I read my scriptures daily, pray in the morning and at night …”
    
    “At that point the young woman interrupted me with these words: ‘Wait … Wait … I don’t feel right about your answer. In fact, it makes me very uncomfortable.’
    
    “‘Why should it make you uncomfortable?’ I responded. ‘I’ve done all of those things, haven’t I? Shouldn’t I provide for the Lord a complete list of my good deeds?’
    
    “She then wisely answered: ‘I think he knows what you’ve done with your life. Your answer sounds like you’re reading God your resume.’
    
    “I then rehearsed with the group what had happened the day before. As I was reflecting on my words to the professor, I also recalled many of the feelings that swirled in my heart at the time, and finally I told the single adults how I had answered. ‘I looked my friend in the eye and replied: ‘I would say to God: I claim the right to enter heaven because of my complete trust in and total reliance upon the merits and mercy and grace of the Lord Jesus Christ.”
    
    “My questioner stared at me for about ten seconds, smiled gently, and said, ‘Bob, that’s the only correct answer.’
    
    “What about all my wonderful accomplishments? What about all those noble deeds? Don’t they matter to the Lord? Well, obviously good works indicate or evidence what we are becoming through the powers of the gospel of Jesus Christ; they manifest who and what we are. They demonstrate our love and gratitude to the Father and the Son. I also know, only too well, that there will never be enough good deeds on my part – prayers, hymns, charitable acts, financial contributions, or thousands of hours of Church service – to save myself. The work of salvation requires the work of a God. …
    
    “‘Brother Millet … what do you wish you had understood about the gospel when you were twenty-five?’
    
    “That was a very different question. I reflected for a few seconds and replied: ‘I wish I had better understood the Fall of Adam and Eve, the plight of fallen man, and the close connection between the Fall and the Savior’s Atonement.’ Then, just as soon as I had finished that sentence, I added: ‘Also, I wish I had understood the concept of grace thirty years ago.’ We discussed my answers for the rest of the hour.
    
    “Not long after that meeting, I was in Southern California speaking to a large audience on the Atonement of Christ. I was reminded of my conversation with that student and related it to the congregation. In fact, over the next four or five years, I found myself repeating that simple experience again and again, emphasizing especially that I wish I had better understood the grace of God. One night I was speaking on a related topic and retold the story, indicating that I really do wish I had understood what grace is, how it operates, how it can lift and liberate us. Then I paused for about twenty seconds and said something like the following: ‘But you know what? On the other hand, I am so very grateful to have been raised in a home where obedience and faithfulness were emphasized and expected. I’m grateful that I learned a discipline about life that now enables me to face hard stuff head on. I’m grateful that the performance of good works – whether that be Church attendance, Church callings, home teaching, payment of tithes and offerings, charitable acts, etc. – are now a part of me. They have contributed to the formation of my character.'”
• Mitch: Journal for 15 minutes on the following topic: “In what ways are my actions demonstrating that Heavenly Father can trust me? In what ways do I need to improve?”

Invitation Two

What is the speaker inviting me to do?

• “Don’t sell your birthright for a mess of pottage. Don’t trade everything for nothing. Don’t let the world change you when you were born to change the world.” -Brother Wilcox
  • In my own words: “I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down.” (Nehemiah 6:3)

Why does it matter, or why is it important? (Doctrines, Principles, Christlike Attributes)

• Christlike Attribute: “I do not lower my standards or behavior so I can impress or be accepted by others. (1 Nephi 8:24–28)” (Integrity)
  • “[24] And it came to pass that I beheld others pressing forward, and they came forth and caught hold of the end of the rod of iron; and they did press forward through the mist of darkness, clinging to the rod of iron, even until they did come forth and partake of the fruit of the tree.
    
    “[25] And after they had partaken of the fruit of the tree they did cast their eyes about as if they were ashamed.
    
    “[26] And I also cast my eyes round about, and beheld, on the other side of the river of water, a great and spacious building; and it stood as it were in the air, high above the earth.
    
    “[27] And it was filled with people, both old and young, both male and female; and their manner of dress was exceedingly fine; and they were in the attitude of mocking and pointing their fingers towards those who had come at and were partaking of the fruit.
    
    “[28] And after they had tasted of the fruit they were ashamed, because of those that were scoffing at them; and they fell away into forbidden paths and were lost.”

What’s in it for us? (Promises)

• “As you fulfill your birthright responsibilities, you are never alone. The Lord of the vineyard labors with you. You are working hand in hand with Jesus Christ. With each new covenant—and as your relationship with Him deepens—you hold each other tighter and tighter until you are firmly clasped together. In that sacred symbol of His grace, you will find both the desire and the strength to live exactly how the Savior lived—differently from the world. You’ve got this because Jesus Christ has got you!” -Brother Wilcox
  • “Stronger and Closer Connection to God Through Multiple Covenants“, Elder Dale G. Renlund, March 5, 2024, BYU Devotional: “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.”

How will we take action? (Directives, Personal Revelation)

• Lehonti:
  • Alma 47:5-19 – “[5] And now [Amalickiah] had got the command of those parts of the Lamanites who were in favor of the king; and he sought to gain favor of those who were not obedient; therefore he went forward to the place which was called Onidah, for thither had all the Lamanites fled; for they discovered the army coming, and, supposing that they were coming to destroy them, therefore they fled to Onidah, to the place of arms.
    
    “[6] And they had appointed a man to be a king and a leader over them, being fixed in their minds with a determined resolution that they would not be subjected to go against the Nephites.
    
    “[7] And it came to pass that they had gathered themselves together upon the top of the mount which was called Antipas, in preparation to battle.
    
    “[8] Now it was not Amalickiah’s intention to give them battle according to the commandments of the king; but behold, it was his intention to gain favor with the armies of the Lamanites, that he might place himself at their head and dethrone the king and take possession of the kingdom.
    
    “[9] And behold, it came to pass that he caused his army to pitch their tents in the valley which was near the mount Antipas.
    
    “[10] And it came to pass that when it was night he sent a secret embassy into the mount Antipas, desiring that the leader of those who were upon the mount, whose name was Lehonti, that he should come down to the foot of the mount, for he desired to speak with him.
    
    “[11] And it came to pass that when Lehonti received the message he durst not go down to the foot of the mount. And it came to pass that Amalickiah sent again the second time, desiring him to come down. And it came to pass that Lehonti would not; and he sent again the third time.
    
    “[12] And it came to pass that when Amalickiah found that he could not get Lehonti to come down off from the mount, he went up into the mount, nearly to Lehonti’s camp; and he sent again the fourth time his message unto Lehonti, desiring that he would come down, and that he would bring his guards with him.
    
    “[13] And it came to pass that when Lehonti had come down with his guards to Amalickiah, that Amalickiah desired him to come down with his army in the night-time, and surround those men in their camps over whom the king had given him command, and that he would deliver them up into Lehonti’s hands, if he would make him (Amalickiah) a second leader over the whole army.
    
    “[14] And it came to pass that Lehonti came down with his men and surrounded the men of Amalickiah, so that before they awoke at the dawn of day they were surrounded by the armies of Lehonti.
    
    “[15] And it came to pass that when they saw that they were surrounded, they pled with Amalickiah that he would suffer them to fall in with their brethren, that they might not be destroyed. Now this was the very thing which Amalickiah desired.
    
    “[16] And it came to pass that he delivered his men, contrary to the commands of the king. Now this was the thing that Amalickiah desired, that he might accomplish his designs in dethroning the king.
    
    “[17] Now it was the custom among the Lamanites, if their chief leader was killed, to appoint the second leader to be their chief leader.
    
    “[18] And it came to pass that Amalickiah caused that one of his servants should administer poison by degrees to Lehonti, that he died.
    
    “[19] Now, when Lehonti was dead, the Lamanites appointed Amalickiah to be their leader and their chief commander.”
• Nehemiah:
  • “We Are Doing a Great Work and Cannot Come Down“, President Dieter F. Uchtdorf, April 2009 General Conference: “Nehemiah of the Old Testament is a great example of staying focused and committed to an important task. Nehemiah was an Israelite who lived in exile in Babylon and served as cupbearer to the king. One day the king asked Nehemiah why he seemed so sad. Nehemiah replied, ‘Why should not my countenance be sad, when the city, the place of my fathers’ [graves], lieth waste, and the gates thereof are consumed with fire?’
    
    “When the king heard this, his heart was softened, and he gave Nehemiah the authority to return to Jerusalem and rebuild the city. However, not everyone was happy with this plan. In fact, several rulers who lived near Jerusalem grieved exceedingly ‘that there was come a man to seek the welfare of the children of Israel.’ These men ‘took great indignation, and mocked the Jews.’
    
    “Fearless, Nehemiah did not allow the opposition to distract him. Instead, he organized his resources and manpower and moved forward rebuilding the city, ‘for the people had a mind to work.’
    
    “But as the walls of the city began to rise, opposition intensified. Nehemiah’s enemies threatened, conspired, and ridiculed. Their threats were very real, and they grew so intimidating that Nehemiah confessed, ‘They all made us afraid.’ In spite of the danger and the ever-present threat of invasion, the work progressed. It was a time of stress, for every builder ‘had his sword girded by his side, and so builded.’
    
    “As the work continued, Nehemiah’s enemies became more desperate. Four times they entreated him to leave the safety of the city and meet with them under the pretense of resolving the conflict, but Nehemiah knew that their intent was to do him harm. Each time they approached him, he responded with the same answer: ‘I am doing a great work, so that I cannot come down.’
    
    “What a remarkable response! With that clear and unchanging purpose of heart and mind, with that great resolve, the walls of Jerusalem rose until they were rebuilt in an astonishing 52 days.
    
    “Nehemiah refused to allow distractions to prevent him from doing what the Lord wanted him to do.”
• Mitch: Journal for 15 minutes on the following topic: “In what ways am I allowing the world to change me, and how might I instead change the world?”

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 Elder Karl D. Hirst and was entitled “God’s Favourite.”

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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

Covenants | Discipleship | Grace | Trust | Youth

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