Podcast

General Conference Applied

Author Simon Sinek has shared the concept of what he calls “The Golden Circle.” “The Golden Circle provides compelling evidence of how much more we can achieve if we start everything we do by first asking a simple question: ‘Why?’ … Put simply, The Golden Circle helps us understand why we do what we do.”

Why

According to Simon: “Very few people or companies can clearly articulate WHY they do what they do. When Simon asks WHY, he’s not referring to making money—that’s a result. Your WHY is your purpose, cause, or belief. WHY does your company exist? WHY do you get out of bed every morning? And WHY should anyone care about the work you do?”

The ‘Why’ of General Conference Applied: I believe that to “give heed to the word of God” (1 Nephi 15:25) and to “trifle not” with these words (Doctrine & Covenants 32:5) means to take action on each invitation from the Lord (i.e., through His servants) that is delivered in General Conference and in other non-General Conference forums.

How

According to Simon: “Companies and people know HOW they do what they do and can typically communicate these processes clearly. HOWs are often utilized to explain that a product or service is better than a competitor’s—but HOWs can be so much more than that.”

The ‘How’ of General Conference Applied: I study ancient and modern scriptures and secular literature to more fully understand the current will of the Lord (i.e., General Conference and other non-General Conference forums) and to develop creative and empowering ways to take action on these invitations.

What

According to Simon: “Every single company and organization on the planet knows WHAT they do. This is true no matter how big or small, and no matter what industry. Everyone is easily able to describe the products or services a company provides or the job function they have within that system. WHATs are easy to identify and important to have, but are less impactful than the WHY.”

The ‘What’ of General Conference Applied: I share my creative findings and my testimony of this process in a weekly podcast called General Conference Applied. Want to listen?

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All Podcast Episodes

  • S4 E40 – Sunday, April 6, 2025 – “Focus on Jesus Christ and His Gospel” by Elder I. Raymond Egbo – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E39 – Thursday, April 3, 2025 – Non-General Conference Applied: March 2025 Invitations Recap
  • S4 E38 – Sunday, March 30, 2025 – “Sons and Daughters of God” by Elder Rubén V. Alliaud – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E37 – Thursday, March 27, 2025 – “The Words of Christ and the Holy Ghost Will Lead Us to the Truth” by Elder Takashi Wada – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E36 – Sunday, March 23, 2025 – “Mortality Works!” by Elder Brook P. Hales – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E35 – Thursday, March 20, 2025 – “Embrace the Lord’s Gift of Repentance” by Elder Jorge M. Alvarado – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E34 – Sunday, March 16, 2025 – Non-General Conference Applied: February 2025 Invitations Recap
  • S4 E33 – Thursday, March 13, 2025 – “The Man Who Communed with Jehovah” by Elder Kyle S. McKay – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E32 – Sunday, March 9, 2025 – “The Wind Did Never Cease to Blow” by Elder Aroldo B. Cavalcante – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E31 – Thursday, March 6, 2025 – “Be Thou Clean” by Elder D. Martin Goury – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E30 – Sunday, March 2, 2025 – “‘Ye Are My Friends'” by Elder David L. Buckner – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E29 – Thursday, February 27, 2025 – “His Hand Ready to Help Us” by Elder Juan Pablo Villar – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E28 – Sunday, February 23, 2025 – “God Loves All His Children” by Elder Gregorio E. Casillas – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E27 – Thursday, February 20, 2025 – “Trusting Our Father” by Elder David P. Homer – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E26 – Sunday, February 16, 2025 – Non-General Conference Applied: January 2025 Invitations Recap
  • S4 E25 – Thursday, February 13, 2025 – “God’s Favourite” by Elder Karl D. Hirst – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E24 – Sunday, February 9, 2025 – “O Youth of the Noble Birthright” by Brother Bradley R. Wilcox – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E23 – Thursday, February 6, 2025 – “Seek Him with All Your Heart” by Bishop L. Todd Budge – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E22 – Sunday, February 2, 2025 – “Bonded to Jesus Christ: Becoming the Salt of the Earth” by Elder José A. Teixeira – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E21 – Thursday, January 30, 2025 – “Seeking Answers to Spiritual Questions” by Sister Tracy Y. Browning – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E20 – Sunday, January 26, 2025 – “The Joy of Our Redemption” by Sister Kristin M. Yee – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E19 – Thursday, January 23, 2025 – “Live Up to Your Privileges” by President Emily Belle Freeman – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E18 – Sunday, January 19, 2025 – “Welcome to the Church of Joy” by Elder Patrick Kearon – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E17 – Thursday, January 16, 2025 – Non-General Conference Applied: December 2024 Invitations Recap
  • S4 E16 – Sunday, January 12, 2025 – “Aligning Our Will with His” by Elder Ulisses Soares – October 2024 General Conference
  • S4 E15 – Thursday, January 9, 2025 – “Holiness to the Lord in Everyday Life” by Elder Gerrit W. Gong – October 2024 General Conference
  • S3 E20 – Sunday, August 25, 2024 – “It Is Wisdom in the Lord That We Should Have the Book of Mormon” by President Mark L. Pace – April 2024 General Conference
  • S3 E12 – Sunday, July 7, 2024 – “The Powerful, Virtuous Cycle of the Doctrine of Christ” by Elder Dale G. Renlund – April 2024 General Conference
  • S3 E3 – Sunday, May 5, 2024 – “All Will Be Well Because of Temple Covenants” by President Henry B. Eyring – April 2024 General Conference
  • S2 E26 – Sunday, March 31, 2024 – “Sir, We Would Like to See Jesus” by Elder Robert M. Daines and “The Savior’s Healing Power upon the Isles of the Sea” by Elder J. Kimo Esplin – October 2023 General Conference
  • S2 E25 – Sunday, March 24, 2024 – “Humble to Accept and Follow” by Elder Joni L. Koch and “Eternal Truth” by Elder John C. Pingree Jr. – October 2023 General Conference
  • S2 E24 – Sunday, March 17, 2024 – “God Knows and Loves You” by Elder Alan T. Phillips and “Divine Parenting Lessons” by Elder Valeri V. Cordón – October 2023 General Conference
  • S2 E23 – Sunday, March 10, 2024 – “The Power of Jesus Christ in Our Lives Every Day” by Elder Joaquin E. Costa and “Bearing Witness of Jesus Christ in Word and Actions” by Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella – October 2023 General Conference
  • S2 E22 – Sunday, March 3, 2024 – “Love Thy Neighbour” by Elder Ian S. Ardern and “We Are His Children” by Elder Christophe G. Giraud-Carrier – October 2023 General Conference
  • S2 E21 – Sunday, February 25, 2024 – “Do You Want to Be Happy?” by Elder Yoon Hwan Choi and “Hallmarks of Happiness” by Elder Gary B. Sabin – October 2023 General Conference

“President Russell M. Nelson has testified that “God’s long-established pattern of teaching His children through prophets assures us that He will bless each prophet and that He will bless those who heed prophetic counsel.” So the key is to follow the living prophet. Brothers and sisters, unlike vintage comic books and classic cars, prophetic teachings do not become more valuable with age. That is why we should not seek to use the words of past prophets to dismiss the teachings of living prophets.”

Elder Allen D. Haynie; “A Living Prophet for the Latter Days” – April 2023 General Conference

“We, like the ten virgins, have lamps; but do we have oil? I fear there are some who are just getting by on a thin skiff of oil, too busy with worldly pressures to properly prepare. Oil comes from believing and acting on prophecy and the words of living prophets, President Nelson in particular, his counselors, and the Twelve Apostles.”

Elder Ronald A. Rasband; “Hosanna to the Most High God” – April 2023 General Conference

“My dear brothers and sisters, for two days we have been well taught by servants of the Lord who have sought diligently to know what He would have them say. We have been given our charge for the next six months. Now the question is, how will we be different because of what we have heard and felt?”

President Russell M. Nelson; “Make Time for the Lord” – October 2021 General Conference

“The living prophet is more important to us than a dead prophet… God’s revelations to Adam did not instruct Noah how to build the ark. Noah needed his own revelation. Therefore, the most important prophet, so far as you and I are concerned, is the one living in our day and age to whom the Lord is currently revealing His will for us… Our marching orders for each six months are found in the general conference addresses… Beware of those who would pit the dead prophets against the living prophets, for the living prophets always take precedence.”

Elder Ezra Taft Benson; “Fourteen Fundamentals in Following the Prophet” – BYU Devotional, February 26, 1980

Why I Started General Conference Applied

  1. The Covid-19 pandemic changed the world, but not all of those changes were negative. I, along with many others, have benefited from the Come, Follow Me podcasts that started during the pandemic. In early 2023, I had the thought to look for General Conference-related podcasts, and I found General Conference Review, which I have enjoyed. The REVIVAL podcast was also recently recommended to me, and I have enjoyed that as well. My hope is that General Conference Applied can add value to your life, just as these other podcasts have added value to my life.
  2. The scriptures are important, and I strive to make time every day to study them. That being said, the most important prophet for us is the current President of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The four quotes I shared above speak to this importance.
  3. In addition to the four quotes, I listened to the following section in Saints Volume 1 Chapter 40 in July 2023: “Reluctantly, Brigham agreed to preach, and he walked home with the prophet. They found Hyrum standing beside the fireplace, speaking to a full house. He held the Bible, Book of Mormon, and Doctrine and Covenants in his hand and declared that they were the law God had given them to build up His kingdom. “Everything more than these,” Hyrum said, “is of man and is not of God.” Brigham listened to Hyrum’s sermon, his emotions rising. Beside him, Joseph sat with his face buried in his hands. When Hyrum finished, Joseph nudged Brigham and said, “Get up.” Brigham stood and picked up the scriptures Hyrum had set down. He laid the books in front of him, one by one, so everyone in the room could see. “I would not give the ashes of a rye straw for these three books,” he declared, “without the living oracles of God.” Lacking a latter-day prophet, he said, the Saints were no better off than they were before God revealed the gospel through Joseph Smith. When he finished, Brigham could tell his sermon had moved Hyrum. Rising to his feet, Hyrum humbly asked the Saints to forgive him. Brigham was right, he said. As valuable as the scriptures were, they were no substitute for a living prophet.”
  4. Two verses in the book of Acts sum up what I am attempting to accomplish with General Conference Applied. In Acts 2:37 and Acts 9:6, individuals asked an important question: what should I do? General Conference talks make us feel good, there’s nothing wrong with that. But I believe our leaders are inviting us to do something. Thus, in General Conference Applied, we will attempt to answer two questions:
    • First, what is the speaker inviting me to do?
    • Second, how might I consider taking action?
  5. These questions are summarized nicely in Doctrine & Covenants 131:3 – “And if he does not, he cannot obtain it.”

Looking to the Future

Does anyone know what I need to do to be able to utilize Church footage – for example, church music or the speaker’s voice – within my podcast episodes? I think it would be powerful to hear the speaker’s voice, rather than my voice, to share stories and the most important quote from the talk, in particular, in future podcast episodes.

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