Last updated on March 8th, 2025 at 11:35 am
General Conference Applied
S4 E27 – Thursday, March 6, 2025 | “His Hand Ready to Help Us” by Elder Juan Pablo Villar; October 2024 General Conference
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Podcast Episode Outline
Introduction
Bio
- “Elder Juan Pablo Villar was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 31, 2018. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Seventh Quorum of the Seventy in the South America South Area. He served as president of the Spain Barcelona Mission and Second Counselor in the South America South Area Presidency. He also served as Assistant Executive Director of the Temple Department, Assistant Executive Director of the Missionary Department, and a member of the Outreach Committee. He is currently serving in the South America Northwest Area Presidency.
“Elder Villar has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Chile Viña del Mar Mission, stake president, high councilor, bishop, counselor in a bishopric, ward executive secretary, stake and ward Young Men president, and counselor in the Santiago Chile East Mission presidency.
“Elder Villar received a bachelor’s degree in communications in 1994 and a master’s in marketing in 2002. He also obtained a master of business administration from Brigham Young University in 2007. His work experience includes commercial and marketing positions in the pharmaceutical and medical devices industry. He has also worked in the mining industry since 2008, running business improvement programs in Latin America and, most recently, as a senior manager.
“Juan Pablo Villar Saavedra was born in Valparaiso, Chile, on September 11, 1969. He married Carola Cristina Barrios Lopez in 1994. They are the parents of three children.” - This was Elder Villar’s second general conference address. His most recent address was “Exercising Our Spiritual Muscles” from the April 2019 General Conference.
Let Me Know If You Need Anything
- “Occasionally, we think that we only need to be there for someone in need, and many times there is more we can do. Having an eternal perspective can help us receive revelation to offer timely assistance to others in need. We can rely on the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost to discern what kind of help is needed, whether it is temporal support like emotional comfort, food, or aid with daily tasks, or spiritual guidance to help others in their journey to prepare, make, and honor sacred covenants.” -Elder Villar
- At times, we say to those close to us: ‘let me know if you need anything.’ While well-meaning, there is often more that we can and should do for those to whom we minister. Our Heavenly Father knows what those individuals need, and He is willing to reveal those things to us through His Spirit. However, it is incumbent upon us to yearn for the Spirit’s guidance.
Invitation One
What is the speaker inviting me to do?
- “Reach out to [Jesus Christ] in faith.” -Elder Villar
- In my own words: Turn to the Savior first in times of need.
Why does it matter, or why is it important? (Doctrines, Principles, Christlike Attributes)
- Christlike Attribute: “I have faith that God hears and answers my prayers. (Mosiah 27:14)” (Faith)
- “[14] And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath heard the prayers of his people, and also the prayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has prayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the knowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to convince thee of the power and authority of God, that the prayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith.”
What’s in it for us? (Promises)
- “He will always be there, and in His time, He will be ready and willing to grasp our hands and pull us up to a safe place.” -Elder Villar
- “If we think celestial, we will receive the confirmation in our hearts that Jesus Christ is indeed our Rescuer, our Advocate with the Father, and our Redeemer. As we exercise faith in Him, He will save us from our fallen state, beyond our challenges, infirmities, and needs in this temporal life, and give us the greatest of all gifts, which is eternal life.” -Elder Villar
- “His hand will always be there for us, even if we cannot see it or feel it at first, because He was chosen by our Heavenly Father to be our Savior, the Redeemer of all humankind.” -Elder Villar
How will we take action? (Directives, Personal Revelation)
- “When Peter, the senior Apostle, ‘walked on the water, to go to Jesus, … he was afraid; and beginning to sink’; then ‘he cried, saying, Lord, save me.’ Jesus knew the faith Peter had exercised to come unto Him on the water. He was also aware of Peter’s fear. According to the account, Jesus ‘immediately … stretched forth his hand, and caught him,’ saying the following words: ‘O thou of little faith, wherefore didst thou doubt?’ His words were not to scold Peter but to remind him that He, the Messiah, was with him and the disciples.
“If we think celestial, we will receive the confirmation in our hearts that Jesus Christ is indeed our Rescuer, our Advocate with the Father, and our Redeemer. As we exercise faith in Him, He will save us from our fallen state, beyond our challenges, infirmities, and needs in this temporal life, and give us the greatest of all gifts, which is eternal life.” -Elder Villar - The woman with an issue of blood, Mark 5:25-34 – “[25] And a certain woman, which had an issue of blood twelve years, [26] And had suffered many things of many physicians, and had spent all that she had, and was nothing bettered, but rather grew worse, [27] When she had heard of Jesus, came in the press behind, and touched his garment. [28] For she said, If I may touch but his clothes, I shall be whole. [29] And straightway the fountain of her blood was dried up; and she felt in her body that she was healed of that plague. [30] And Jesus, immediately knowing in himself that virtue had gone out of him, turned him about in the press, and said, Who touched my clothes? [31] And his disciples said unto him, Thou seest the multitude thronging thee, and sayest thou, Who touched me? [32] And he looked round about to see her that had done this thing. [33] But the woman fearing and trembling, knowing what was done in her, came and fell down before him, and told him all the truth. [34] And he said unto her, Daughter, thy faith hath made thee whole; go in peace, and be whole of thy plague.”
- Elder Neil L. Andersen, “My Mind Caught Hold upon This Thought of Jesus Christ“, April 2023 General Conference: “My prayer at this Easter season is that we will more consciously shape, strengthen, and secure this preeminent thought of Jesus Christ in the chambers of our soul, allowing it to eagerly flow into our mind, guide us in what we think and do, and continually bring the sweet joy of the Savior’s love.
“Filling our mind with the power of Jesus Christ does not mean that He is the only thought we have. But it does mean that all our thoughts are circumscribed in His love, His life and teachings, and His atoning sacrifice and glorious Resurrection. Jesus is never in a forgotten corner, because our thoughts of Him are always present and ‘all that is in [us adores] him!’ We pray and rehearse in our mind experiences that have brought us closer to Him. We welcome into our mind divine images, holy scriptures, and inspired hymns to gently cushion the countless daily thoughts rushing through our busy lives. Our love for Him does not shield us from the sadness and sorrow in this mortal life, but it allows us to walk through the challenges with a strength far beyond our own.” - “Prophets See around Corners” by Sheri Dew: “I cannot think of anyone I would listen to instead or ahead of the living prophet and the fourteen other men also ordained as prophets, seers, and revelators. …
“This truth bears repeating: No other influencers can see what seers can see or do what seers can do. No other influencers have access to the power of God in the way that a seer does. Even those the world has elevated to positions of power do not have the spiritual capacity, foresight, and discernment of seers, through whom ‘God has provided a means that man, through faith, might work mighty miracles.’
“Seers look outward, to help those they serve. Influencers tend to look inward, meaning their aim is to attract followers. Even the most principled ‘experts’ want something from us: our vote, our business, our money, or some kind of support. They all have personal agendas.
“Prophets of God do not. …
“An Apostle’s only agenda is the Lord’s agenda – which is to help as many as possible find, choose to enter, and then stay on the covenant path. …
“To whom do you listen? Whom have you allowed to be the voice of authority in your life? When you are confused about an issue, where do you first turn for insight and information? Where does the living prophet rank in the list of those to whom you look for advice? How many blind guides, whose myopic vision of life is no better than yours (and who likely want something from you) are you following on podcasts, TikTok, and in the news? Blind guides obscure your vision of seers, who can see around corners. Avoid blind guides as you would the plague.” - President Russell M. Nelson, “Think Celestial!“, October 2023 General Conference: “Spending more time in the temple builds faith. And your service and worship in the temple will help you to think celestial. The temple is a place of revelation. There you are shown how to progress toward a celestial life. There you are drawn closer to the Savior and given greater access to His power. There you are guided in solving the problems in your life, even your most perplexing problems.”
- Mitch: Elder Neil L. Andersen: “Pray and rehearse in our mind experiences that have brought us closer to Him. … Welcome into our mind divine images, holy scriptures, and inspired hymns to gently cushion the countless daily thoughts rushing through our busy lives.” Action: As I pray each evening, I will mentally review my day and rehearse experiences in my mind that brought me closer to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
Invitation Two
What is the speaker inviting me to do?
- “Occasionally, we think that we only need to be there for someone in need, and many times there is more we can do. Having an eternal perspective can help us receive revelation to offer timely assistance to others in need. We can rely on the guidance and inspiration of the Holy Ghost to discern what kind of help is needed, whether it is temporal support like emotional comfort, food, or aid with daily tasks, or spiritual guidance to help others in their journey to prepare, make, and honor sacred covenants.” -Elder Villar
- In my own words: Seek for the Spirit of Discernment to assist others in inspired ways.
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)
- “If I think celestial, I know that we are not left alone in this life.” -Elder Villar
How will we take action? (Directives, Personal Revelation)
- Elder Gary E. Stevenson, “Simply Beautiful—Beautifully Simple“, October 2021 General Conference: “Jens of Denmark prays daily to live the gospel and notice promptings from the Holy Ghost. He has learned to act quickly when he feels directed by the Spirit.
“Jens shared the following:
“‘We live in an idyllic, small, half-timbered house with a thatched roof, in the center of a cozy little village, close to the village pond.
“‘On this night with the most beautiful Danish summer weather imaginable, doors and windows were open, and everything breathed peace and quiet. Due to our gloriously bright and long summer nights, I had not been in a hurry to replace a burned-out light bulb in our utility room.
““Suddenly, I got a strong feeling that I had to replace it immediately! At the same time, I heard my wife, Mariann, call for me and the children to wash our hands because dinner was ready!
“‘I had been married long enough to know that this was not the time to start doing anything else than washing my hands, but I heard myself calling out to Mariann that I would just pop over to the store to buy a new light bulb. I felt a strong urge to leave immediately.
“‘The grocery store was only on the other side of the pond. We usually walked, but today I grabbed my bike. While riding past the pond, out of the corner of my eye I noticed a small boy, about two years old, walking alone near the edge of the pond, very close to the water—suddenly he fell in! One minute he was there—and the next he was gone!
“‘No one had seen this happen but me. I threw my bike on the ground, ran, and jumped into the waist-high pond. The surface of the water immediately closed with duckweed, making it impossible to see through the water. Then I sensed a movement to one side. I put my arm in the water, got hold of a T-shirt, and pulled the little boy up. He started gasping, coughing, and crying. Soon afterward the boy was reunited with his parents.’
“As Brother Jens prays each morning for help to recognize promptings from the Holy Ghost, even something as unusual as to immediately change a light bulb, he also prays that he can be used as a tool to bless God’s children. Jens lives the gospel by seeking divine direction each day, striving to be worthy, then doing his best to follow that direction when it comes.” - President Russell M. Nelson, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ into Our Lives“, April 2017 General Conference: “When you reach up for the Lord’s power in your life with the same intensity that a drowning person has when grasping and gasping for air, power from Jesus Christ will be yours. When the Savior knows you truly want to reach up to Him—when He can feel that the greatest desire of your heart is to draw His power into your life—you will be led by the Holy Ghost to know exactly what you should do.”
- Mitch: “Jens of Denmark prays daily to live the gospel and notice promptings from the Holy Ghost. He has learned to act quickly when he feels directed by the Spirit.” Action: In my daily morning prayers, I will once again prioritize pleading for the constant companionship of the Holy Ghost as well as to notice the personal nature of the promptings I am receiving so that I can act quickly when those personal promptings come.
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 L. Buckner and was entitled “‘Ye Are My Friends’“.
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Tags
Adversity | Faith | Jesus Christ | Ministering
Additional Content
Previous Podcast Episode (“God Loves All His Children” by Elder Gregorio E. Casillas)
Next Podcast Episode (“‘Ye Are My Friends'” by Elder David L. Buckner)