Last updated on March 2nd, 2025 at 08:19 am
General Conference Applied
S4 E24 – Sunday, February 23, 2025 | “God’s Favourite” by Elder Karl D. Hirst; October 2024 General Conference
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Podcast Episode Outline
Introduction
Bio
- “Elder Karl D. Hirst was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the April 2024 general conference. At the time of his call, he had been serving as an FSY session director.
“Elder Hirst has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the England London South Mission, counselor in a bishopric, ward and stake Young Men president, bishop, stake president, and Area Seventy.
“Elder Hirst received a bachelor of law degree in 1996 from Lancaster University and a master of business administration degree from Alliance Manchester Business School in 2016. Since 1997 he has worked as a barrister.
“Karl Douglas Hirst was born in Bury, Lancashire, United Kingdom, on February 28, 1972. He married Claire Elizabeth Wright in 1993. They are the parents of six children.” - “A barrister in the UK is a specialist legal advisor and court advocate who primarily represents clients in court, providing expert legal advice and arguing cases, typically hired by solicitors to represent clients in court proceedings; they are known for their in-depth knowledge of specific areas of law and are often recognized by their practice of wearing wigs and gowns while appearing in court. In British English, ‘barrister’ is pronounced with the stress on the first syllable, sounding like ‘BARR-uh-stuh’.”
- This was Elder Hirst’s first general conference address.
Broken, But Still Loved
- “We are sometimes cruel and impatient toward ourselves in ways that we could never imagine being toward anyone else. There is much for us to do in this life, but self-loathing and shameful self-condemnation are not on that list. …
“When we don’t feel the warmth of divine love, it hasn’t gone away. God’s own words are that ‘the mountains shall depart, and the hills be removed; but [His] kindness shall not depart from [us].’ So, just to be clear, the idea that God has stopped loving should be so far down the list of possible explanations in life that we don’t get to it until after the mountains have left and the hills are gone! …
“We can confidently disregard brokenness in any way disqualifying us from heavenly love. …
“‘Broken people, perfect love,’ as the song goes.” -Elder Hirst- “Savior of My Soul“, Disciple of Christ: 2024 Youth Album, Written by Connor Austin, Luz Ysabelle Cuevas and Nik Day:
“[1] I’ve heard the stories all my life,
“The Prince of Peace, the Son of God, the source of endless light.
“He healed the sick and calmed the sea,
“He puts to rest the thundering waves inside of me.
“He rescued me,
“He set me free.
“[2] Broken people, perfect love.
“He paved the way and paid the price so we could rise above
“The bands of death and find relief.
“With selfless pain, He bore His cross on Calvary.
“He rescued me,
“He set me free
“I will spend this life
“Giving all my time,
“Living line by line till I see
“How He’d trade His throne for a crown of thorns,
“And He did it all for me.
“[Chorus] Beautiful Savior,
“The Way, the Truth divine.
“King and Deliverer,
“Redeemer of mankind.
“All of His many names
“Show His power and grace.
“He’s the Light, my healer, my guide,
“The Savior of my soul.”
- “Savior of My Soul“, Disciple of Christ: 2024 Youth Album, Written by Connor Austin, Luz Ysabelle Cuevas and Nik Day:
Invitation One
What is the speaker inviting me to do?
- “So if someone we care about seems distant from a sense of divine love, we can follow this pattern—by doing things that bring us closer to God ourselves and then doing things that bring us closer to them—an unspoken beckoning to come to Christ.” -Elder Hirst
- In my own words: Prioritize getting close to God and then getting close to others.
Why does it matter, or why is it important? (Doctrines, Principles, Christlike Attributes)
- Christlike Attribute: “I have faith that God will bring about good things in my life and the lives of others as we devote ourselves to Him and His Son. (Ether 12:12)” (Faith)
- “[12] For if there be no faith among the children of men God can do no miracle among them; wherefore, he showed not himself until after their faith.”
What’s in it for us? (Promises)
- “Is it any surprise that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love those around us? When I see people showing Christlike love for one another, it feels to me as if that love contains more than just their love; it is love that also has divinity in it. When we love one another in this way, as completely and fully as we can, heaven gets involved too.” -Elder Hirst
How will we take action? (Directives, Personal Revelation)
- “I have also enjoyed the comfort that comes to my soul when I wrap myself more tightly in my baptismal covenant and find someone who is mourning a loss or grieving a disappointment and I try to help them hold and process their feelings.” -Elder Hirst
- “Seeing God’s Family through the Overview Lens“, Sister Tamara W. Runia, October 2023 General Conference: “When I graduated from high school and went to BYU, my dad sent letters reminding me of who I was. He became my cheerleader, and everybody needs a cheerleader—someone who isn’t telling you, ‘You’re not running fast enough’; they’re lovingly reminding you that you can.
“Dad exemplified Lehi’s dream. Like Lehi, he knew that you don’t chase after your loved ones who feel lost. ‘You stay where you are and call them. You go to the tree, stay at the tree, keep eating the fruit and, with a smile on your face, continue to beckon to those you love and show by example that eating the fruit is a happy thing!'” - “The Need for a Church“, President Dallin H. Oaks, October 2021 General Conference: “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.'” - Mitch: Before I study the gospel each day, I will pray to learn what Heavenly Father would have me learn to be an instrument in His hands to draw closer to others.
Invitation Two
What is the speaker inviting me to do?
- “I wonder if you could experiment—patiently—with different ways of expressing and receiving divine love.” -Elder Hirst
- In my own words: Learn to express and receive God’s love in different ways.
Why does it matter, or why is it important? (Doctrines, Principles, Christlike Attributes)
- Christlike Attribute: “I reach out in love to help those who are lonely, struggling, or discouraged. (Mosiah 18:9)” (Charity and Love)
- “[9] Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn; yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, and to stand as witnesses of God at all times and in all things, and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life.”
What’s in it for us? (Promises)
- “Is it any surprise that the greatest commandments are to love God and to love those around us? When I see people showing Christlike love for one another, it feels to me as if that love contains more than just their love; it is love that also has divinity in it. When we love one another in this way, as completely and fully as we can, heaven gets involved too.” -Elder Hirst
How will we take action? (Directives, Personal Revelation)
- “I wish I could sit down with you and ask you what circumstances cause you to feel God’s love. Which verses of scripture, which particular acts of service? Where would you be? What music? In whose company? …
“Perhaps the comfort of faithful friends will help. Maybe music? Or serving? Have you kept a record or journal of times when your connection with God was clearer to you? Perhaps you could invite those you trust to share their sources of divine connection with you as you search for relief and understanding.
“I wonder, if Jesus were to choose a place where you and He could meet, a private place where you would be able to have a singular focus on Him, might He choose your unique place of personal suffering, the place of your deepest need, where no one else can go?
“If you do feel filled with love in this season of your life, please try and hold on to it as effectively as a sieve holds water. Splash it everywhere you go. One of the miracles of the divine economy is that when we try to share Jesus’s love, we find ourselves being filled up in a variation of the principle that ‘whosoever will lose his life for my sake shall find it.'” -Elder Hirst - followHim Podcast – Ether 6-11 – Dr. BJ Allen: “You mentioned at the beginning of my bio I have a PhD in Business Administration from UT San Antonio. Towards the end of my PhD program, I had a really bad bout with mental health. I was dealing with really bad anxiety, even some depression. Every day was a struggle, hard to get up, it was hard to keep going, it was hard to keep the faith. Then with a lot of help and blessings … I was able to move on and we moved out after I graduated and I got a job as a business professor. And then I got invited back to UT San Antonio to give a lecture. I was pretty nervous. I was nervous I would get hit with all those negative feelings I had felt. When I went back, actually the opposite happened. I went back to the house I had lived in and I remembered so many prayers I had offered and I went back to my office and remembered all of the dark days, but also the days where I felt God’s love. It became really special to me because one of the darkest times of my life became one of the most sacred. That’s what I remember when I went there, I remember thinking, ‘This is a sacred place, this is my prison temple, this is where I came to know God.'”
- “Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day” by Jay Shetty: “Don’t judge the moment. As soon as you label something as bad, your mind starts to believe it. Instead, be grateful for setbacks. Allow the journey of life to progress at its own pace and in its own roundabout way. The universe may have other plans in store for you.
“There’s a story about a monk who carried water from a well in two buckets, one of which had holes in it. He did this every day, without repairing the bucket. One day, a passer-by asked him why he continued to carry the leaky bucket. The monk pointed out that the side of the path where he carried the full bucket was barren, but on the other side of the path, where the bucket had leaked, beautiful wildflowers had flourished. ‘My imperfection has brought beauty to those around me,’ he said.
“Helen Keller, who became deaf and blind as a toddler after an unidentified illness, wrote, ‘When one door of happiness closes, another opens; but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has been opened for us.’
“When something doesn’t go your way, say to yourself, ‘There’s more for me out there.’ That’s all. You don’t have to think, I’m so grateful I lost my job! When you say, ‘This is what I wanted. This was the only answer,’ all the energy goes to ‘this.’ When you say, ‘This didn’t work out, but there’s more out there,’ the energy shifts to a future full of possibility.” - John 15:12-13 – “[12] This is my commandment, That ye love one another, as I have loved you. [13] Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends.”
- Bluffdale Utah Independence Stake Conference, Saturday, March 6 – Sunday, March 7, 2021, Bishop L. Todd Budge (Presiding Bishopric): “Focus on what people are doing well. As you do, the Holy Ghost will teach them what they can do better.” *This is the key to motivating people.
- Mitch: Each time I catch myself focusing on what people are not doing well, I will consciously change my thoughts to focus on what they are doing well. This is one way I’m learning to express God’s love in different ways.
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 David P. Homer and was entitled “Trusting Our Father.”
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. The best ways to help us are to like and subscribe to the podcast and to share it with others.
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Tags
Individual Worth | Jesus Christ | Love
Additional Content
Previous Podcast Episode (“O Youth of the Noble Birthright” by Brother Bradley R. Wilcox)
Next Podcast Episode (“Trusting Our Father” by Elder David P. Homer)