Last updated on February 17th, 2025 at 12:41 am
February 16, 2025
Here is the best thing I heard (What?), saw (Eye.), and read (Read.) this week, as well as the best idea (💡) I developed.
What?
Two comments from an Elders Quorum discussion that I led on Sunday, February 9, 2025:
- One member of my Elders Quorum was in attendance at the April 2018 General Conference session in which Elders Gerrit W. Gong and Ulisses Soares were sustained as the newest members of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He was in attendance with an investigator of the Church. As this member of my Elders Quorum left the Conference Center, Elder Gerrit W. Gong was already on the plaza outside the Conference Center shaking Conference-goers hands. He shook my Elders Quorum member’s hand as well as the investigator’s hand and bore a powerful witness of the truthfulness of this latter-day work.
- Another member of my Elders Quorum shared a fantastic insight for quorums and organizations of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. He said, in effect, that Elders Quorum is where we come together as a quorum and develop a plan for how we will live the gospel of Jesus Christ, and then our actions during the week is our demonstration of how we are executing that plan.
- One of the most powerful things that President Russell M. Nelson has taught for me personally since becoming the President of the Church comes from his April 2021 General Conference address that was entitled “What We Are Learning and Will Never Forget“: “The work that the Lord has given to priesthood quorums was never meant to be confined to a meeting. Meetings are only a small part of what a quorum is meant for and what it can do. My brethren of the Aaronic Priesthood and elders quorums, expand your vision of why we have quorums. How does the Lord wish you would use your quorum to accomplish His work—now? Seek revelation from the Lord. Humble yourself! Ask! Listen! If you have been called to lead, counsel as a presidency and with quorum members. Whatever your priesthood office or calling, let God prevail in your commitment as a member of your quorum and in your service. Experience with joy the righteousness you will bring to pass as you are ‘anxiously engaged in a good cause.’ Quorums are in a unique position to accelerate the gathering of Israel on both sides of the veil.”
Eye.
- Watching four people walk away from $1,000,000 to keep others in the Beast Games was stunning. It made me consider my current attachment to money and if I truly value relationships over money.
Read.
“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.'” - I also shared my thoughts on this quote in General Conference Applied season 4 episode 23 which will go live on Thursday, February 20, 2025.
💡
Write a personal birthday card for each of my family members each year.
- Inspired by “The Energy Bus: 10 Rules to Fuel Your Life, Work, and Team with Positive Energy” by Jon Gordon.
Additional Content
Next Newsletter (February 23, 2025 – Newsletter Subtitle)