"The Teachings of Jesus Christ"

Last updated on August 14th, 2023 at 03:09 pm

General Conference Applied

S1 E3 – Sunday, August 13, 2023 | “The Teachings of Jesus Christ” by President Dallin H. Oaks; April 2023 General Conference

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Powerful Stories

In S1 E2, we discussed President Nelson’s invitation “to study again the account of the Savior’s appearance to the Nephites in the Americas, as recorded in 3 Nephi.” As I prepared for this episode, the inspiration I received was to share two stories from 3 Nephi because there is not a story shared in President Oaks’ talk.

Desire More Teachings

3 Nephi 17:1-5 – “Behold, now it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words he looked round about again on the multitude, and he said unto them: Behold, my time is at hand. I perceive that ye are weak, that ye cannot understand all my words which I am commanded of the Father to speak unto you at this time. Therefore, go ye unto your homes, and ponder upon the things which I have said, and ask of the Father, in my name, that ye may understand, and prepare your minds for the morrow, and I come unto you again. But now I go unto the Father, and also to show myself unto the lost tribes of Israel, for they are not lost unto the Father, for he knoweth whither he hath taken them. And it came to pass that when Jesus had thus spoken, he cast his eyes round about again on the multitude, and beheld they were in tears, and did look steadfastly upon him as if they would ask him to tarry a little longer with them.”

3 Nephi 19:1-3 – “And now it came to pass that when Jesus had ascended into heaven, the multitude did disperse, and every man did take his wife and his children and did return to his own home. And it was noised abroad among the people immediately, before it was yet dark, that the multitude had seen Jesus, and that he had ministered unto them, and that he would also show himself on the morrow unto the multitude. Yea, and even all the night it was noised abroad concerning Jesus; and insomuch did they send forth unto the people that there were many, yea, an exceedingly great number, did labor exceedingly all that night, that they might be on the morrow in the place where Jesus should show himself unto the multitude.”

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We Have Been Promised More Teachings, If We Have Faith

3 Nephi 26:6-12 – “And now there cannot be written in this book even a hundredth part of the things which Jesus did truly teach unto the people; But behold the plates of Nephi do contain the more part of the things which he taught the people. And these things have I written, which are a lesser part of the things which he taught the people; and I have written them to the intent that they may be brought again unto this people, from the Gentiles, according to the words which Jesus hath spoken. And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them. And if it so be that they will not believe these things, then shall the greater things be withheld from them, unto their condemnation. Behold, I was about to write them, all which were engraven upon the plates of Nephi, but the Lord forbade it, saying: I will try the faith of my people. Therefore I, Mormon, do write the things which have been commanded me of the Lord. And now I, Mormon, make an end of my sayings, and proceed to write the things which have been commanded me.”

Most Important Quote

“Before the Fall, our Heavenly Father spoke directly to Adam and Eve. Thereafter, the Father introduced His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Redeemer and gave us the command to “hear Him.” From this direction we conclude that the scriptural records of words spoken by “God” or the “Lord” are almost always the words of Jehovah, our risen Lord, Jesus Christ.

“We are given the scriptures to direct our lives. As the prophet Nephi taught us, we should “feast upon the words of Christ; for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do.” (see 2 Nephi 32:3)”

As we discussed in S1 E2, President Russell M. Nelson stated: “Whatever questions or problems you have, the answer is always found in the life and teachings of Jesus Christ.”

What stood out to me in President Oaks’ quote is that hearing the words of Jesus Christ is a command from our Heavenly Father. It reminded me of what President Russell M. Nelson stated in his April 2020 General Conference address entitled “Hear Him“: “The adversary is clever. For millennia he has been making good look evil and evil look good. His messages tend to be loud, bold, and boastful. However, messages from our Heavenly Father are strikingly different. He communicates simply, quietly, and with such stunning plainness that we cannot misunderstand Him.”

The Best Footnote

Footnote 2 – “See “The Father and the Son: A Doctrinal Exposition by the First Presidency and the Twelve,” Improvement Era, Aug. 1916, 934, 939.” (This article was republished in the April 2002 Ensign).

This footnote was attached to the following phrase that President Oaks shared in his talk: “”Before the Fall, our Heavenly Father spoke directly to Adam and Eve. Thereafter, the Father introduced His Only Begotten Son, Jesus Christ, as our Savior and Redeemer and gave us the command to “hear Him.” From this direction we conclude that the scriptural records of words spoken by “God” or the “Lord” are almost always the words of Jehovah, our risen Lord, Jesus Christ.”
I may have learned this in Seminary or Institute a number of years ago, but I found it to be an excellent reminder.

Questions for Reflection Asked by the Speaker

None

Action Items

In the Saturday evening adult session of my Stake’s most recent Stake Conference (March 2023), a member of the Stake Presidency encouraged us not to write down what we heard, but the inspiration we received. He mentioned that oftentimes the inspiration we receive is completely “off topic” from what we are seeing or listening to. (As a side note, I wrote that down… I’m glad I did though!) The purpose of General Conference Applied is not to disregard “off topic” inspiration. Rather, in addition to “off topic” inspiration, it is a reminder that General Conference speakers have actually invited us to do specific things, and it is our opportunity to act on their invitations. As discussed in S1 E2, however, just as the brother of Jared determined how to get light in the barges, we also have opportunity to act on General Conference invitations in creative ways.

This talk, “The Teachings of Jesus Christ,” was unique. In his talk, President Oaks read 34 quotes from our Savior Jesus Christ. There was a brief introduction and conclusion, but the majority of the talk was the Savior’s words. After studying this talk, I have identified 5 action items that I would like to discuss. However, there were many more action items, and they may resonate more with you than the action items I have identified.

“Seek Not the Things of This World”

1: “Wherefore, seek not the things of this world but seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you… Therefore, forsake the world, and save your souls; for what is a man profited, if he shall gain the whole world, and lose his own soul? Or what shall a man give in exchange for his soul?”

10 ideas to “seek ye first to build up the kingdom of God, and to establish his righteousness”:

President Nelson has stated in a June 2018 devotional: “The Lord is hastening His work to gather Israel. That gathering is the most important thing taking place on earth today. Nothing else compares in magnitude, nothing else compares in importance, nothing else compares in majesty. And if you choose to, if you want to, you can be a big part of it. You can be a big part of something big, something grand, something majestic! When we speak of the gathering, we are simply saying this fundamental truth: every one of our Heavenly Father’s children, on both sides of the veil, deserves to hear the message of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ. They decide for themselves if they want to know more.” Here is a journal prompt: “How can I more fully engage and participate in the gathering of Israel?”
For an excellent reminder about what matters most, study President M. Russell Ballard’s April 2023 General Conference address entitled “Remember What Matters Most.”
To determine how you are currently spending your time, consider keeping a time diary. This is explained on the blog of Laura Vanderkam, author of “168 Hours: You Have More Time Than You Think.” Are you spending time on things that last?
In his book “Essentialism: The Disciplined Pursuit of Less,” author Greg McKeown quoted John Maxwell: “You cannot overestimate the unimportance of practically everything.” Here is a journal prompt: “What really matters in my life?”
Consider following those on social media (such as the First Presidency, the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles, the General Presidencies, and other Church leaders) who are seeking to build up the kingdom of God. Learn from their actions and examples, and strive to emulate them in your own creative way.
Habit 3 of author Stephen Covey‘s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” states: “Put First Things First.” What does this look like in my life?
In the “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People,” author Stephen Covey asks the reader to reflect on life as a ladder, and making sure our ladder is propped against the right wall. What does this look like in my life?
In “The ONE Thing: The Surprisingly Simple Truth About Extraordinary Results,” author Gary Keller shares what he calls “the focusing question”: “What’s the ONE Thing I can do such that by doing it everything else will be easier or unnecessary?” Can I streamline my work pursuits so that I can dedicate more time to my spiritual pursuits?
Jacob 2:17-19 – “Think of your brethren like unto yourselves, and be familiar with all and free with your substance, that they may be rich like unto you. But before ye seek for riches, seek ye for the kingdom of God. And after ye have obtained a hope in Christ ye shall obtain riches, if ye seek them; and ye will seek them for the intent to do good—to clothe the naked, and to feed the hungry, and to liberate the captive, and administer relief to the sick and the afflicted.” Here is a journal prompt: “Why am I seeking for riches?”
I have often criticized Esau for trading his birthright for a mess of pottage. (Genesis 25:29-34) However, my actions speak louder than my words. Here is a journal prompt: “Do my current actions demonstrate to my Heavenly Father that I am first seeking to build up His kingdom?” (“What Shall a Man Give in Exchange for His Soul?“)

Deny All Ungodliness

2: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross and follow me. And now for a man to take up his cross, is to deny himself all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep my commandments.”

In his April 2023 General Conference address entitled “Focus on Jesus Christ,” Brother Milton Camargo shared how focusing our thoughts on Jesus Christ through our covenants can help us to deny ourselves of all ungodliness: “Our covenants help us focus our attention, our thoughts, and our actions on Christ. As we “cleave unto the covenants [we have] made,” we can more easily identify “the things of this world” that we should “lay aside” and “the things of a better [world]” we should diligently seek. (see Doctrine and Covenants 25:10,13) That’s what the people of Ammon did in the Book of Mormon. As they learned of Jesus Christ and began to focus their lives on Him, they recognized that they should bury their weapons of war and became perfectly honest and “distinguished for their zeal towards God.” (see Alma 27:27 and Alma 24:17-18) Covenant keeping leads us to seek after whatever invites the influence of the Spirit and reject whatever drives it away—“for we know that if we can be worthy of the presence of the Holy Ghost, we can also be worthy to live in the presence of Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.” (see “Conversion Is Our Goal“) This may mean that we have to change our vocabulary, using kinder words. It could mean replacing spiritually unhealthy habits with new habits that strengthen our relationship with the Lord, such as daily prayer and scripture study, individually and with our family.”

10 ideas to “deny all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep [God’s] commandments”:

Watch the video or read the transcript of President Thomas S. Monson’s talk “Keeping Commandments 100% of the Time.” Then commit yourself to being 100% obedient. (This video excerpt comes from President Monson’s October 2010 General Conference address entitled “The Three Rs of Choice.” “In closing may I share with you an example of one who determined early in life what his goals would be. I speak of Brother Clayton M. Christensen, a member of the Church who is a professor of business administration in the business school at Harvard University. When he was 16 years old, Brother Christensen decided, among other things, that he would not play sports on Sunday. Years later, when he attended Oxford University in England, he played center on the basketball team. That year they had an undefeated season and went through to the British equivalent of what in the United States would be the NCAA basketball tournament. They won their games fairly easily in the tournament, making it to the final four. It was then that Brother Christensen looked at the schedule and, to his absolute horror, saw that the final basketball game was scheduled to be played on a Sunday. He and the team had worked so hard to get where they were, and he was the starting center. He went to his coach with his dilemma. His coach was unsympathetic and told Brother Christensen he expected him to play in the game. Prior to the final game, however, there was a semifinal game. Unfortunately, the backup center dislocated his shoulder, which increased the pressure on Brother Christensen to play in the final game. He went to his hotel room. He knelt down. He asked his Heavenly Father if it would be all right, just this once, if he played that game on Sunday. He said that before he had finished praying, he received the answer: “Clayton, what are you even asking me for? You know the answer.” He went to his coach, telling him how sorry he was that he wouldn’t be playing in the final game. Then he went to the Sunday meetings in the local ward while his team played without him. He prayed mightily for their success. They did win. That fateful, difficult decision was made more than 30 years ago. Brother Christensen has said that as time has passed, he considers it one of the most important decisions he ever made. It would have been very easy to have said, “You know, in general, keeping the Sabbath day holy is the right commandment, but in my particular extenuating circumstance, it’s okay, just this once, if I don’t do it.” However, he says his entire life has turned out to be an unending stream of extenuating circumstances, and had he crossed the line just that once, then the next time something came up that was so demanding and critical, it would have been so much easier to cross the line again. The lesson he learned is that it is easier to keep the commandments 100 percent of the time than it is 98 percent of the time.” (see also “Decisions For Which I’ve Been Grateful“)
Here is a topic to journal about: “For me, what does it mean to ‘deny all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep [God’s] commandments?'”
Learn about our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. The more we know about Them, the more we can become like Them.
Study the temple recommend questions and commit to always being temple worthy. (President Nelson shared these questions in his October 2019 General Conference address entitled “Closing Remarks“)
Study the new For the Strength of Youth: A Guide For Making Choices manual.
Learn about your ancestors who joined the Church and what they gave up to follow Jesus Christ.
Replace music of the world with uplifting, righteous music.
Ponder what the Savior gave up in life to perform the Atonement. Express profound gratitude for Him in your next prayer, and commit to being a little more righteous.
Discuss as a family the importance of keeping the commandments. Are they really that important, or are they outdated? What do your children think?
Have a discussion in Elders Quorum or Relief Society centered on this question: “what does it mean to ‘deny all ungodliness, and every worldly lust, and keep [God’s] commandments?'”

“Ask, and it Shall be Given You”

3: “And I say unto you, Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you. For every one that asketh receiveth; and he that seeketh findeth; and to him that knocketh it shall be opened.”

In the August 8, 2023 Church News podcast episode, new Young Women General President Emily Belle Freeman shared: “My youngest daughter, Grace, at the age of 12, at a girls camp where we were studying Doctrine and Covenants 11, and we gave each of the girls a morning opportunity to go and receive revelation for one question that they wanted to ask. And I’ll never forget: After that one hour, when she came back, she said, “I got my answer.” And I said, “Well, what was it?” And she said, “I’m going to serve a mission.” And I thought it was remarkable that at 12, that was the one question she thought was important to take into scripture. And she worked the next six years of her life to prepare for that call in her life and to go to Sacramento, California, and to serve that mission there.”

10 ideas to “Ask, and it shall be given you; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you”:

There is power in actually knowing what you want, clearly asking for it, and then having faith that you will receive. In his book “Be Your Future Self Now: The Science of Intentional Transformation,” author Benjamin Hardy stated: “Start asking, and you’ll start receiving. It’s startling how fast you’ll get what you want once you directly ask. For example, in the past three days, I’ve opened emails from people offering exactly what I want. There are two things I’m looking for at this particular moment. One is a right-fit collaboration with someone I can write a future book with. I’ve told others about my goal, knowing it will come. I’ve received messages from really interesting people, all of whom I would be happy to work with. Additionally, all of whom are happy to pay what I’m asking. When you ask, the doors open. Often, we’re afraid to ask for exactly what we want because we don’t think we can get it. So, we lower what we ask for, and receive at the level of our internal acceptance… When you ask directly and clearly for exactly what you want, what you want will come to you… Just ask. Don’t be afraid. And don’t be ashamed. As you get better at clarifying, simplifying, and asking, you’ll receive with increased swiftness.” In his book “The Gap and the Gain,” author and entrepreneur coach Dan Sullivan shared: “I’ve noticed that people who measure their accomplishments in terms of specifics tend to be happier and a lot more energized than people who speak and think in generalities. Someone who responds to a question like, “How are things going?” with an answer like, “Things are pretty good” isn’t actually connecting with their real experience. But if you think about specific facts when you assess your situation, this grounds your feeling in reality. For example, saying, “This recently completed project earned ten times as much money as it did last year” is very different from saying, “This project did pretty well.” If you work in the world of generalities, it’s easy to get confused about what’s really going on, and your sense of your achievements will be vague and unclear.”
Study the following three General Conference talks: 1. “Ask, Seek, Knock” (President Russell M. Nelson); 2. “Reverence Invites Revelation” (Elder Boyd K. Packer); 3. “Obtaining Help from the Lord” (Elder Richard G. Scott).
Write down a question before attending church or the temple, before studying the gospel, and before praying, and then seeking for inspiration to answer that question.
If you can’t think of a question that you want answered, then that’s your question: “Why don’t I have a question that I want Heavenly Father to answer?”
Habit 2 of author Stephen Covey’s “The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People” states: “Begin With the End in Mind.” What does this look like in my life?
Study Elder Richard G. Scott’s October 2009 General Conference address entitled “To Acquire Spiritual Guidance” and write down 10 things you learned from the personal experience he shared.
Study the scriptures to specifically learn from those individuals who asked and received. Make notes of your findings in a study journal.
In “Think and Grow Rich,” author Napoleon Hill stated: “Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve.”
Consider acting on President Nelson’s invitation from his April 2021 General Conference address entitled “Christ Is Risen; Faith in Him Will Move Mountains”: “What would you do if you had more faith? Think about it. Write about it. Then receive more faith by doing something that requires more faith.”
As a family, brainstorm questions we have. Children ask great questions, untainted by the experiences of life. Engage in a creative activity to find answers to these questions (if they are available), or join together as a family to ask Heavenly Father for an answer.

“On These Two Commandments Hang All the Law and the Prophets”

4: “[The great commandment in the law is this:] Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind. This is the first and great commandment. And the second is like unto it, Thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself. On these two commandments hang all the law and the prophets.”

Elder D. Todd Christofferson delivered a BYU Devotional entitled “The First Commandment First” on March 22, 2022. In his remarks, he asked a rhetorical question: “Why is the first commandment the overarching priority?” He shared four reasons:

“First is the foundational nature of this first commandment. Wonderful and essential as the second commandment is, it does not provide the necessary foundation for our lives, nor is it intended to. Obeying the second commandment makes us nice people, but to what end? What is the point of our existence? For purpose, direction, and meaning, we must look to the first and great commandment. Putting the first commandment first does not diminish or limit our ability to keep the second commandment. To the contrary, it amplifies and strengthens it. It means that we enhance our love by anchoring it in divine purpose and power. It means that we have the Holy Ghost to inspire us in ways to reach out that we would never have seen on our own. Our love of God elevates our ability to love others more fully and perfectly because we in essence partner with God in the care of His children.”
“Second, ignoring the first commandment, or reversing the order of the first and second commandments, risks a loss of balance in life and destructive deviations from the path of happiness and truth. Love of God and submission to Him provide checks against our tendency to corrupt virtues by pushing them to the extreme. Compassion for our neighbor’s distress, for example, even when the suffering is brought about by his or her own transgression, is noble and good. But an unbridled compassion could lead us, like Alma’s son Corianton, to question God’s justice and misunderstand His mercy. There are those, for example, who believe that loving others means we must twist or ignore God’s laws in a way or ways that advocate or condone sin. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland addressed this misperception when he taught: ‘So if love is to be our watchword, as it must be, then by the word of Him who is love personified, we must forsake transgression and any hint of advocacy for it. . . . Jesus clearly understood what many in our modern culture seem to forget: that there is a crucial difference between the commandment to forgive sin (which He had an infinite capacity to do) and the warning against condoning it (which He never ever did even once).'”
“Third, the first commandment must be first because attempts at love that are not grounded in God’s truths risk harming the person or persons we are trying to help. Speaking to students here at BYU, President Russell M. Nelson taught: ‘Because the Father and the Son love us with infinite, perfect love and because They know we cannot see everything They see, They have given us laws that will guide and protect us. There is a strong connection between God’s love and His laws.'”
“Well, those are three reasons why the first commandment is first, but we should probably list one more that is in reality sufficient in itself: the first commandment is first because God put it first.”

Idea for taking action: Study Elder Christofferson’s BYU Devotional, and then journal utilizing this prompt: “Am I putting the first commandment first in my life? If so, how can I continue to do so? If not, how and when am I going to change?”

“Be Perfect”

5: “Therefore I would that ye should be perfect even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect.”

In his April 2023 General Conference address entitled “The Imperfect Harvest,” Elder Vern P. Stanfill shared this tender counsel regarding the Savior’s invitation to “be perfect”: “It is often a temptation in our world and even within the culture of the Church to obsess about perfection. Social media, unrealistic expectations, and often our own self-criticism create feelings of inadequacy—that we are not good enough and never will be. Some even misunderstand the invitation of the Savior to “be ye therefore perfect.” Remember that perfectionism is not the same as being perfected in Christ. (see Moroni 10:32) Perfectionism requires an impossible, self-inflicted standard that compares us to others. This causes guilt and anxiety and can make us want to withdraw and isolate ourselves. Becoming perfected in Christ is another matter. It is the process—lovingly guided by the Holy Ghost—of becoming more like the Savior. The standards are set by a kind and all-knowing Heavenly Father and clearly defined in the covenants we are invited to embrace. It relieves us of the burdens of guilt and inadequacy, always emphasizing who we are in the sight of God. While this process lifts us and pushes us to become better, we are measured by our personal devotion to God that we manifest in our efforts to follow Him in faith. As we accept the Savior’s invitation to come unto Him, we soon realize that our best is good enough and that the grace of a loving Savior will make up the difference in ways we cannot imagine.”

Idea for taking action: Study Elder Stanfill’s General Conference address, as well as Moroni 10:32, and then journal utilizing this prompt: “Do I love God with all my ‘might, mind, and strength? If so, how can I continue to do so? If not, how and when am I going to change?”