"One in Christ" - Mitch Peterson

Last updated on October 26th, 2023 at 04:00 pm

General Conference Applied

S1 E9 – Sunday, September 24, 2023 | “One in Christ” by Elder D. Todd Christofferson; April 2023 General Conference

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Podcast Episode Outline

Report on Prior Week’s Action Item

My action item from Elder Quentin L. Cook’s April 2023 General Conference address (“Safely Gathered Home”) was to discuss as a family how we are currently helping to gather Israel, and where we might make improvements.

Report: I did not complete this action item this past week, so this will be my action item again this next week.

Introduction

In each episode of General Conference Applied, we are attempting to answer two questions:

What is the speaker inviting me to do?
How might I consider taking action?

What is the speaker inviting me to do?

Directives / Invitations

“In sum, it is ‘every man seeking the interest of his neighbor, and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God.'” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:19)
“A year ago, President Russell M. Nelson pled with us in these words: ‘None of us can control nations or the actions of others or even members of our own families. But we can control ourselves. My call today, dear brothers and sisters, is to end conflicts that are raging in your heart, your home, and your life. Bury any and all inclinations to hurt others—whether those inclinations be a temper, a sharp tongue, or a resentment for someone who has hurt you. The Savior commanded us to turn the other cheek [see 3 Nephi 12:39], to love our enemies, and to pray for those who despitefully use us [see 3 Nephi 12:44].'” (The Power of Spiritual Momentum, April 2022 General Conference)
“I say again that it is only in and through our individual loyalty to and love of Jesus Christ that we can hope to be one—one within, one at home, one in the Church, eventually one in Zion, and above all, one with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.”

How might I consider taking action?

In this talk, Elder Christofferson quoted President Marion G. Romney, a former counselor in the First Presidency, who said: “If a single person, yielding to Satan, is filled with the works of the flesh, he wars within himself. If two yield, they each war within themselves and fight with each other. If many people yield, a society [reaps] the harvest of great stress and contention. If the rulers of a country yield, there is world-wide contention… As the works of the flesh have universal application, so likewise does the gospel of peace. If one man lives it, he has peace within himself. If two men live it, they each have peace within themselves and with each other. If the citizens live it, the nation has domestic peace. When there are enough nations enjoying the fruit of the Spirit to control world affairs, then, and only then, will the war-drums throb no longer, and the battle flags be furl’d.”

Being one within, at home, in the Church, in Zion, and with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost are all interrelated. Let me summarize a story that Elder Christofferson shared about B.H. Roberts, a former member of the Presidency of the Seventy:

“Elder Brigham Henry Roberts (commonly known as B. H. Roberts), born in England in 1857, served as a member of the First Council of the Seventy—what we refer to today as the Presidency of the Seventy. Elder Roberts was an able and tireless defender of the restored gospel and of the Church in some of its most difficult times.

“In 1895, however, Elder Roberts’s service in the Church was put in jeopardy by contention. B. H. had been appointed as a delegate to the convention that drafted a constitution for Utah when it became a state. Afterward, he decided to become a candidate for the United States Congress but did not notify or seek permission from the First Presidency. President Joseph F. Smith, a counselor in the First Presidency, censured B. H. for that failure in a general priesthood meeting. Elder Roberts lost the election and felt his defeat was due in large part to President Smith’s statements. He was critical of Church leaders in some political speeches and interviews. He withdrew from active Church service. In a lengthy meeting in the Salt Lake Temple with members of the First Presidency and Council of the Twelve, B. H. remained adamant in justifying himself. Later, ‘President [Wilford] Woodruff gave [Elder Roberts] three weeks to reconsider his position. If he remained unrepentant, they would release him from the Seventy.’

“In a subsequent private meeting with Apostles Heber J. Grant and Francis Lyman, B. H. was initially unyielding, but love and the Holy Spirit ultimately prevailed. Tears came to his eyes. The two Apostles were able to respond to certain perceived slights and offenses that troubled B. H., and they left with a heartfelt plea for reconciliation. The next morning, after lengthy prayer, Elder Roberts sent a note to Elders Grant and Lyman that he was prepared to reunite with his brethren.

“When he later met with the First Presidency, Elder Roberts said, ‘I went to the Lord and received light and instruction through His Spirit to submit to the authority of God.’ Motivated by his love of God, B. H. Roberts remained a faithful and an able Church leader to the end of his life.”

After sharing this story, Elder Christofferson stated (and this is my most important quote from the talk):

“We can also see in this example that unity does not mean simply agreeing that everyone should do his or her own thing or go his or her own way. We cannot be one unless we all bend our efforts to the common cause. It means, in B. H. Roberts’s words, submitting to the authority of God. We are different members of the body of Christ, fulfilling different functions at different times—the ear, the eye, the head, the hand, the feet—yet all of one body. (See 1 Corinthians 12:14–27) Therefore, our goal is ‘that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.’ (1 Corinthians 12:25)

“Unity does not require sameness, but it does require harmony. We can have our hearts knit together in love, be one in faith and doctrine, and still cheer for different teams, disagree on various political issues, debate about goals and the right way to achieve them, and many other such things. But we can never disagree or contend with anger or contempt for one another.”

What is our “Common Cause”?

General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints section 1.2: “We come unto Christ and assist in God’s work by:

“Living the gospel of Jesus Christ.
“Caring for those in need.
“Inviting all to receive the gospel.
“Uniting families for eternity.”

General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints section 1.3: “Jesus Christ established His Church to enable individuals and families to assist God in fulfilling His work of salvation and exaltation. To help accomplish this divine purpose, the Church and its leaders provide:

“Priesthood authority and keys.
“Covenants and ordinances.
“Prophetic direction.
“Scriptures.
“Gospel learning and teaching support.
“Service and leadership opportunities.
“A community of Saints.”

Be One with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost

In his October 2021 General Conference address entitled “The Greatest Possession,” Elder Jeffrey R. Holland shared the following: “Friends, in our present moment we find all manner of divisions and subdivisions, sets and subsets, digital tribes and political identities, with more than enough hostility to go around. Might we ask ourselves if a ‘higher and holier’ (President Russell M. Nelson, “Closing Remarks,” October 2019 General Conference) life, to use President Russell M. Nelson’s phrase, is something we could seek? When doing so, we would do well to remember that stunning period in the Book of Mormon in which those people asked and answered that question so affirmatively:

“‘And it came to pass that there was no contention among all the people, in all the land … because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people.

“‘And there were no envyings, nor strifes, … nor any manner of lasciviousness; and surely there could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.

“‘There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God.

“‘And how blessed were they!’ (4 Nephi 1:13, 15–18)

“What is the key to this breakthrough in contented, happy living? It is embedded there in the text in one sentence: ‘The love of God … did dwell in the hearts of the people.’ (4 Nephi 1:15) When the love of God sets the tone for our own lives, for our relationships to each other and ultimately our feeling for all humankind, then old distinctions, limiting labels, and artificial divisions begin to pass away, and peace increases…

“Of course, we are speaking here of the first great commandment given to the human family—to love God wholeheartedly, without reservation or compromise, that is, with all our heart, might, mind, and strength. (Mark 12:30) This love of God is the first great commandment in the universe. But the first great truth in the universe is that God loves us exactly that way—wholeheartedly, without reservation or compromise, with all of His heart, might, mind, and strength…

“It is then, and really only then, that we can effectively keep the second great commandment in ways that are not superficial or trivial. If we love God enough to try to be fully faithful to Him, He will give us the ability, the capacity, the will, and the way to love our neighbor and ourselves. Perhaps then we will be able to say once again, ‘There could not be a happier people among all the people who had been created by the hand of God.'” (4 Nephi 1:16)
My takeaway from Elder Holland’s quote: when we are truly one with God, becoming one within, at home, in the Church, and in Zion becomes much more likely.
In his October 2021 General Conference address entitled “The Love of God,” Elder Christofferson shared the following: “In acknowledging that God loves us perfectly, we each might ask, ‘How well do I love God? Can He rely on my love as I rely on His?’ Would it not be a worthy aspiration to live so that God can love us not just in spite of our failings but also because of what we are becoming? …

“Our Father and our Redeemer have blessed us with commandments, and in obeying Their commandments, we feel Their perfect love more fully and more profoundly. (John 15:10)

“Here is the solution for our incessantly quarrelsome times—the love of God. In the golden age of Book of Mormon history following the Savior’s ministry, it is reported that ‘there was no contention in the land, because of the love of God which did dwell in the hearts of the people. (4 Nephi 1:15) As we strive toward Zion, remember the promise in Revelation: ‘Blessed are they that do his commandments, that they may have right to the tree of life, and may enter in through the gates into the [holy] city.'” (Revelation 22:14)
My takeaway from Elder Christofferson’s quote: keep the commandments – and not just the Ten, but the commandments that current day prophets, seers, and revelators are issuing to us. This is a fantastic way to show Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ that we love Them.

Be One Within

Stephen R. Covey stated: “How different our lives are when we really know what is deeply important to us, and keeping that picture in mind, we manage ourselves each day to be and to do what really matters most.” (Thus, create a Personal or Family Mission Statement).
Motivational speaker and author Zig Ziglar once said: “The great majority of people are ‘wandering generalities’ rather than ‘meaningful specifics’. The fact is that you can’t hit a target that you can’t see. If you don’t know where you are going, you will probably end up somewhere else. You have to have goals.”
Personal Mission Statement
Overcome the natural man by developing Christlike attributes
I would like to share a quote from ‘Think Like a Monk: Train Your Mind for Peace and Purpose Every Day‘ by Jay Shetty: “I flash back to a class Gauranga Das taught called “Cancers of the Mind: Comparing, Complaining, Criticizing.” In the class, we talked about negative thought habits, including gossip. One of the exercises we did was keeping a tally of every criticism we spoke or thought. For each one, we had to write down ten good things about the person…

“I went through the exercise, dutifully noting every criticism I let slip. Next to each, I jotted down ten positive qualities. The point of the exercise wasn’t hard to figure out—every person was more good than bad—but seeing it on the page made the ratio sink in. This helped me see my own weaknesses differently. I tended to focus on my mistakes without balancing them against my strengths. When I found myself being self-critical, I reminded myself that I too had positive qualities. Putting my negative qualities in context helped me recognize the same ratio in myself, that I am more good than bad. We talked about this feedback loop in class: When we criticize others, we can’t help but notice the bad in ourselves. But when we look for the good in others, we start to see the best in ourselves too…

“Becoming aware of negativity means learning to spot the toxic impulses around you. To help us confront our own negativity, our monk teachers told us to try not to complain, compare, or criticize for a week, and keep a tally of how many times we failed. The goal was to see the daily tally decrease. The more aware we became of these tendencies, the more we might free ourselves from them.

“Listing your negative thoughts and comments will help you contemplate their origins. Are you judging a friend’s appearance, and are you equally hard on your own? Are you muttering about work without considering your own contribution? Are you reporting on a friend’s illness to call attention to your own compassion, or are you hoping to solicit more support for that friend?”
My takeaway from Jay Shetty’s quote: Accept the invitation that President Russell M. Nelson shared in his April 2023 General Conference address entitled “Peacemakers Needed” – “Today, I am asking us to interact with others in a higher, holier way. Please listen carefully. ‘If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report or praiseworthy’ that we can say about another person—whether to his face or behind her back—that should be our standard of communication.”

Be One at Home

The Family: A Proclamation to the World states: “Happiness in family life is most likely to be achieved when founded upon the teachings of the Lord Jesus Christ. Successful marriages and families are established and maintained on principles of faith, prayer, repentance, forgiveness, respect, love, compassion, work, and wholesome recreational activities.”
Family Mission Statement
Most weeks, Sundays are long, and I’m simply trying to occupy my kids to “get through the day.” I have contemplated ways I might make the Sabbath “a delight” instead. The inspiration that I have received is to serve. As a family, we could bake bread or make cookies for others. We could also engage in family history work. I feel like this would get our week off to a better start – thinking outside of ourselves. It would also help us come together in a common cause.

Be One in the Church

General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – section 1.3.7: “As a community of Saints, Church members gather regularly to worship God and to remember the Savior by partaking of the sacrament (see Moroni 6:4–6; Doctrine and Covenants 20:77). Members also care for and minister to one another (see Ephesians 2:19).”
Pinewood Derby and Barbalha Scripture Mastery – a piece of Heaven.
I have felt out of the loop in Church, and I now have a better understanding of others who have felt the same.
As we discussed in General Conference Applied season 1 episode 8 while discussing Elder Quentin L. Cook’s talk “Safely Gathered Home,” we are all part of one large family. Are we treating each member of our ward as family?

Be One in Zion

In episode 3.38 of the Choosing Glory podcast, right around the 15:00 minute mark of the episode, Lili Anderson stated: “The practice of Zion is that the rich do not covet their own possessions, but give freely to those who are struggling so that all can have an opportunity to grow.”
My takeaway from Lili Anderson’s quote: Moses 7:18 states the following: “And the Lord called his people Zion, because they were of one heart and one mind, and dwelt in righteousness; and there was no poor among them.” In both Lili Anderson’s quote and in this verse of scripture, I don’t think we are just talking about money. I know plenty of people who have more money than most, but who are desperately unhappy. To me, Zion is a place where powerful, life-changing ideas are shared freely. Deep, meaningful relationships are cultivated, while trivial, unimportant actions are abandoned. We, as Elder Christofferson quoted in his talk, “‘[seek] the interest of [our] neighbor, and [do] all things with an eye single to the glory of God.'” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:19)

This Week’s Action Item

“That which is measured improves. That which is measured and reported improves exponentially.”
Karl Pearson, an early 20th-century British mathematician

“Those who measure their progress improve. Those who measure and report their progress improve exponentially.”
Dan Sullivan, founder and president of The Strategic Coach Inc.

“Do something, do anything! But to start, just do ONE thing.”
Mitch Peterson

My action item this week will be discussing as a family how we are currently helping to gather Israel, and where we might make improvements.

Talk Outline

Powerful Stories

“A rather dramatic example of overcoming division is found in our Church history. Elder Brigham Henry Roberts (commonly known as B. H. Roberts), born in England in 1857, served as a member of the First Council of the Seventy—what we refer to today as the Presidency of the Seventy. Elder Roberts was an able and tireless defender of the restored gospel and of the Church in some of its most difficult times.

Most Important Quote

“We can also see in this example that unity does not mean simply agreeing that everyone should do his or her own thing or go his or her own way. We cannot be one unless we all bend our efforts to the common cause. It means, in B. H. Roberts’s words, submitting to the authority of God. We are different members of the body of Christ, fulfilling different functions at different times—the ear, the eye, the head, the hand, the feet—yet all of one body. (See 1 Corinthians 12:14–27) Therefore, our goal is ‘that there should be no schism in the body; but that the members should have the same care one for another.’ (1 Corinthians 12:25)

The Best Footnote

Footnote 24: “Interestingly, B. H. Roberts ran for Congress again in 1898, this time with First Presidency consent, and was elected. Given the deep prejudice against the Church at that time, however, and the fact that he had engaged in plural marriage, the House of Representatives refused to seat him. Nevertheless, in hearings before the House regarding his service, B. H. was an eloquent and impassioned defender of the Church and its doctrine.” (See Saints, 3:83–86; Truman G. Madsen, Defender of the Faith: The B. H. Roberts Story [1980], 241–72.)

Questions for Reflection Asked by the Speaker

“In our extremely contentious world, how can unity be achieved, especially in the Church, where we are to have ‘one Lord, one faith, one baptism’? (Ephesians 4:5)

Elder Christofferson’s response: “We are too diverse and at times too discordant to be able to come together as one on any other basis or under any other name. Only in Jesus Christ can we truly become one.”

Directives / Invitations

“In sum, it is ‘every man seeking the interest of his neighbor, and doing all things with an eye single to the glory of God.'” (Doctrine and Covenants 82:19)
“A year ago, President Russell M. Nelson pled with us in these words: ‘None of us can control nations or the actions of others or even members of our own families. But we can control ourselves. My call today, dear brothers and sisters, is to end conflicts that are raging in your heart, your home, and your life. Bury any and all inclinations to hurt others—whether those inclinations be a temper, a sharp tongue, or a resentment for someone who has hurt you. The Savior commanded us to turn the other cheek [see 3 Nephi 12:39], to love our enemies, and to pray for those who despitefully use us [see 3 Nephi 12:44].'” (The Power of Spiritual Momentum, April 2022 General Conference)
“I say again that it is only in and through our individual loyalty to and love of Jesus Christ that we can hope to be one—one within, one at home, one in the Church, eventually one in Zion, and above all, one with the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost.”

Promises

None.