“Love Is Spoken Here”

Posted on by Mitch Peterson

Last updated on January 7th, 2024 at 12:52 am

General Conference Applied

S2 E13 – Sunday, December 31, 2023 | “Love Is Spoken Here” by Elder Gerrit W. Gong; October 2023 General Conference

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Corresponding Talk Outline: “Love Is Spoken Here“

Podcast Episode Outline

REMEMBER THIS

If you remember nothing else from this podcast episode, remember this:

  • Elder Gong is inviting us to speak and hear Jesus Christ’s love.

Introduction

Doctrines, Principles, and Christlike Attributes

As we have discussed in previous episodes of General Conference Applied, it is important to identify the fundamental doctrine, principle, and Christlike attribute of each General Conference address. In “Love Is Spoken Here,” I identified Restoration as the fundamental doctrine, Charity as the fundamental principle, and Charity and Love as the fundamental Christlike attribute. I have included a detailed breakdown of this doctrine, principle, and Christlike attribute in the talk outline, but I will share additional insights during this podcast episode.

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

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

What is the speaker inviting me to do?

Invitations

1: “May we each learn to speak and hear His love here, in our hearts and homes, and in our gospel callings, activities, ministering, and service.”

  • What This Means (in 6 words or less): Speak and hear Jesus Christ’s love.

Overview

Accept Callings (Even If We’re Busy)

“When Sister Gong and I were married, Elder David B. Haight counseled: ‘Always hold a calling in the Church. Especially when life is busy,’ he said, ‘you need to feel the Lord’s love for those you serve and for you as you serve.’ I promise that love is spoken here, there, and everywhere as we answer yes to Church leaders to serve the Lord in His Church.”

  • Elder Yoon Hwan Choi, “Do You Want to Be Happy?“, October 2023 General Conference: “When I was called to be a bishop, it was during the most difficult time of my life. I was a young father in my early 30s, but I was in trouble financially because of family challenges. I couldn’t find any solution, and I thought the challenges would never end. I was exhausted financially and emotionally. I started doubting my spiritual strength as well. It was at that difficult time that my stake president extended the calling to me. I accepted the call anyway, although it was hard.

    “My wife also had an interview with the stake president, but she could not say yes, and she did not say no either but kept shedding tears. She cried for the whole week, asking Heavenly Father, ‘Why now?’ and ‘Do You really know each individual?’ She didn’t get an answer, but I was sustained as bishop on the following Sunday. She did not ask Heavenly Father those questions anymore but supported me in my calling for six years.

    “On the Sunday when I was released, my wife heard a voice while she was receiving the sacrament. The voice whispered to her, ‘Because it was too hard for you to walk, I called him as a bishop in order to hold you and walk for you.’ Looking back at the past six years, she realized that all of the many challenges that seemed to be endless had now been resolved along the way.

    “We learned that when we think it is not a good time for us to receive a calling, it may be the time we need that calling the most. Whenever the Lord asks us to serve in any calling, whether it is a lighter or heavier calling, He sees our needs. He provides the strength we need and has blessings ready to be poured out upon us as we faithfully serve.”
Zion Community

“The Lord’s restored Church can be an incubator for a Zion community. As we worship, serve, enjoy, and learn His love together, we anchor each other in His gospel. We may disagree politically or on social issues but find harmony as we sing together in the ward choir. We nurture connection and fight isolation as we regularly minister with our hearts in each other’s homes and neighborhoods.”

  • Mosiah 18:21 – “And he commanded them that there should be no contention one with another, but that they should look forward with one eye, having one faith and one baptism, having their hearts knit together in unity and in love one towards another.”
  • Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “Come to Zion“, October 2008 General Conference: “Zion is Zion because of the character, attributes, and faithfulness of her citizens. Remember, ‘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’ (Moses 7:18). If we would establish Zion in our homes, branches, wards, and stakes, we must rise to this standard. It will be necessary (1) to become unified in one heart and one mind; (2) to become, individually and collectively, a holy people; and (3) to care for the poor and needy with such effectiveness that we eliminate poverty among us. We cannot wait until Zion comes for these things to happen—Zion will come only as they happen.”
  • Elder Kevin W. Pearson, November 15, 2023, Utah Area Broadcast: “If Zion is characterized by the character and attributes of her people, we must begin by making our own personal lives and homes more sacred and holy. As we place the Savior and sacred covenants at the center of our lives, our homes will increasingly feel more like the temple, and the temple will increasingly feel more like our home.”
Words Matter

“When we meet the Lord, I imagine Him saying, with words of instruction and promise, ‘My love is spoken here.'”

  • President Dallin H. Oaks, “Kingdoms of Glory” (General Conference Applied S2 E2), October 2023 General Conference: “We know from modern revelation that ‘all kingdoms have a law given’ and that the kingdom of glory we receive in the Final Judgment is determined by the laws we choose to follow in our mortal journey. Under that loving plan, there are multiple kingdoms—many mansions—so that all of God’s children will inherit a kingdom of glory whose laws they can comfortably ‘abide.'”
  • Speak today as we will one day speak in the Celestial Kingdom.

How might I consider taking action?

Invitations

1: “May we each learn to speak and hear His love here, in our hearts and homes, and in our gospel callings, activities, ministering, and service.”

  • What This Means (in 6 words or less): Speak and hear Jesus Christ’s love.
  • 1 Nephi 11:21-23 (video adaptation: Lehi’s Vision; Nephi’s Vision): “Knowest thou the meaning of the tree which thy father saw? And I answered him, saying: Yea, it is the love of God, which sheddeth itself abroad in the hearts of the children of men; wherefore, it is the most desirable above all things. And he spake unto me, saying: Yea, and the most joyous to the soul.”
    • We speak Jesus Christ’s love when we say those things that help us and others get to the tree of life. We hear Jesus Christ’s love when we hear those things that get us to the tree of life.
  • President Russell M. Nelson, “The Love and Laws of God“, BYU Speech, September 17, 2019: “Sometimes we as leaders of the Church are criticized for holding firm to the laws of God, defending the Savior’s doctrine, and resisting the social pressures of our day. But our commission as ordained apostles is ‘to go into all the world to preach [His] gospel unto every creature.’ That means we are commanded to teach truth.

    “In doing so, sometimes we are accused of being uncaring as we teach the Father’s requirements for exaltation in the celestial kingdom. But wouldn’t it be far more uncaring for us not to tell the truth—not to teach what God has revealed?

    “It is precisely because we do care deeply about all of God’s children that we proclaim His truth. We may not always tell people what they want to hear. Prophets are rarely popular. But we will always teach the truth!

    “My dear young friends, exaltation is not easy. Requirements include a focused and persistent effort to keep God’s laws, rigorously repenting when we don’t. But the reward for doing so is far greater than anything we can imagine, because it brings us joy here and ‘never-ending happiness’ hereafter.

    “Thus our commission as apostles is to teach nothing but truth. That commission does not give us the authority to modify divine law.”
  • Elder D. Todd Christofferson, “The Love of God“, October 2021 General Conference: “I have long been impressed by, and have also felt, the yearning love of the prophets of God in their warnings against sin. They are not motivated by a desire to condemn. Their true desire mirrors the love of God; in fact, it is the love of God. They love those to whom they are sent, whoever they may be and whatever they may be like. Just as the Lord, His servants do not want anyone to suffer the pains of sin and poor choices…

    “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?”
  • Elder Carlos A. Godoy, “For the Sake of Your Posterity“, October 2023 General Conference: “It is so sad when we come across inactive members or nonmembers of the Church who at one time had the gospel within their families and lost it because of their parents’ or grandparents’ decision to take a break from the Church. That decision could have an impact on their posterity forever!

    “Their children and grandchildren have been precluded from the protection and the blessings of the gospel of Jesus Christ in their lives. Even more heartbreaking, they have lost the promises of an eternal family which were there one day. The decision of one has impacted a whole chain of descendants. A legacy of faith has been broken…

    “Some may think, ‘We don’t need to attend church every Sunday,’ or ‘We will pay tithing when things get better,’ or ‘I will not support the Church leaders in this subject.’

    “‘But,’ they say, ‘we know the Church is true, and we will never leave the gospel of Jesus Christ.’

    “Those with thoughts like these do not realize the negative impact this ‘lukewarm’ type of membership will have on their lives and on the lives of their posterity. The parents may remain active, but the risk of losing their children is high—in this life and in eternity.

    “Regarding those who will not inherit celestial glory with their families, the Lord says, ‘These are they who are not valiant in the testimony of Jesus; wherefore, they obtain not the crown over the kingdom of our God.’ Is that what we want for ourselves or our children? Shouldn’t we be more valiant and less lukewarm for our own sake and for the sake of our posterity?”
  • ‘The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success‘ by Bob Sullivan and Hugh Thompson: “We’ve spent twenty years each talking to people for a living, people from all walks of life, and without hesitation we can say this – most people are lonely, and then desperately happy when someone asks them a question and truly listens for the answer.”
Directives (“an official or authoritative instruction”)

1: “With warmth and reverence, our sacrament and other meetings focus on Jesus Christ. We speak reverently of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, personal and real, not only of atonement in the abstract. We call Jesus Christ’s restored Church in His name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We use reverent prayer language when we address Heavenly Father and warm respect when we speak with each other. As we recognize Jesus Christ at the heart of temple covenants, we refer less to ‘going to the temple’ and more to ‘coming to Jesus Christ in the house of the Lord.’ … Please, let us be understanding and kind as we learn new languages of love together… Let us always speak with warm and reverent gratitude for God’s work and glory and the merits, mercy, and grace of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.”

  • “With warmth and reverence, our sacrament and other meetings focus on Jesus Christ.”
    • Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, October 2023 General Conference, “Bearing Witness of Jesus Christ in Word and Actions“: “When my wife, Elaine, and I went to Spain in 2022, we attended Sunday meetings in a small unit of the Church there. As I sat on the stand and my wife in the congregation, I noticed that she sat by an older woman. When the sacrament meeting ended, I walked toward Elaine and asked her to introduce me to her new friend. She did so and indicated that this woman, who was not a member of the Church, had been visiting the Church for about two years. When I heard that, I asked this God-fearing woman what made her come back and attend our meetings for such an extended period. The woman lovingly replied, ‘I like to come here because you speak of Jesus Christ in your meetings.’

      “Clearly, members of the Church in that unit in Spain talked, taught, and testified of Christ in their meetings.”
  • “We speak reverently of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, personal and real, not only of atonement in the abstract.”
    • President Russell M. Nelson, April 2017 General Conference, “Drawing the Power of Jesus Christ Into Our Lives“: “It is doctrinally incomplete to speak of the Lord’s atoning sacrifice by shortcut phrases, such as ‘the Atonement’ or ‘the enabling power of the Atonement’ or ‘applying the Atonement’ or ‘being strengthened by the Atonement.’ These expressions present a real risk of misdirecting faith by treating the event as if it had living existence and capabilities independent of our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

      “Under the Father’s great eternal plan, it is the Savior who suffered. It is the Savior who broke the bands of death. It is the Savior who paid the price for our sins and transgressions and blots them out on condition of our repentance. It is the Savior who delivers us from physical and spiritual death.

      “There is no amorphous entity called ‘the Atonement’ upon which we may call for succor, healing, forgiveness, or power. Jesus Christ is the source. Sacred terms such as Atonement and Resurrection describe what the Savior did, according to the Father’s plan, so that we may live with hope in this life and gain eternal life in the world to come. The Savior’s atoning sacrifice—the central act of all human history—is best understood and appreciated when we expressly and clearly connect it to Him.”
  • “We call Jesus Christ’s restored Church in His name, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.”
    • Elder Adilson de Paula Parrella, October 2023 General Conference, “Bearing Witness of Jesus Christ in Word and Actions“: President Nelson, God’s living prophet, in a 2018 general conference address titled “The Correct Name of the Church,” said: ‘It is a correction. It is the command of the Lord. Joseph Smith did not name the Church restored through him; neither did Mormon. It was the Savior Himself who said, ‘For thus shall my church be called in the last days, even The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints’ [Doctrine and Covenants 115:4].’

      “We all left general conference that day committed and determined to follow the prophet and to use the revealed name of the Church from then on. I really watched myself to make sure I used the correct name of the Church. The first few times, I had to be very conscious and not allow myself to go back to the old ways. After the first attempts, I felt more comfortable with using the revealed name of the Church. I admit that many times, I would speak the name of the Church quickly. I felt concerned that people would not pay attention to the Church’s full name and that they might think it to be a bit long.

      “However, I later realized that speaking the full name of the Church with intent gave me valuable opportunities to speak the name of Jesus Christ and in fact bear testimony of the Savior by declaring His name in the name of His Church. I also noticed that when I spoke the correct name of the Church with others, I more frequently remembered Jesus Christ and felt His influence in my life.

      “By following the prophet, we can all learn to testify more of Jesus Christ by using the correct name of the Church, thus taking upon us more fully the name of the Lord.”
  • “We use reverent prayer language when we address Heavenly Father and warm respect when we speak with each other.”
    • Preach My Gospel – Chapter 4: Seek and Rely on the Spirit: “Jesus taught us how to pray (see Matthew 6:9–13; 3 Nephi 18:19). Pray sincerely and with real intent to act on the promptings you receive from the Holy Ghost. Effective prayer requires humble, sustained effort (see Moroni 10:3–4; Doctrine and Covenants 8:10).

      “Use language that conveys a loving, worshipful relationship with God. In English, use scriptural language such as Thee, Thou, Thy, and Thine rather than the more common pronouns you, your, and yours.

      “Always express gratitude. A conscious effort to be grateful will help you recognize how merciful God has been in your life. It will open your heart and mind to inspiration.”
  • “As we recognize Jesus Christ at the heart of temple covenants, we refer less to ‘going to the temple’ and more to ‘coming to Jesus Christ in the house of the Lord.’”
    • Church News podcast, episode 133 (“Elder David A. Bednar on Latter-day Saint temples and the ‘power of godliness’ that comes through covenants and the ordinances”): “This is a real opportunity to maybe focus on what matters most in relationship to the temple. It is the house of the Lord. I am not suggesting we should never use the word ‘temple,’ but it is most appropriately referred to as the ‘house of the Lord.’ We are all aware that a number of years ago President Nelson taught us that we should not speak of the Atonement separate and apart from the Savior. That the Atonement is not a separate thing, that we are not healed by the Atonement, we are healed by Christ because of and through the Atonement that He offered. We have an opportunity now to do the same thing with temples. That will always be a part of our vocabulary. But it just seems to me that if we just talk ‘temple, temple, temple,’ we focus on the structure and we miss what matters most, which is the connection to the resurrected and living Christ that is possible through the covenants and ordinances available to us in the temple. So, I think we routinely talk about the temple, but I do not think we talk nearly as much about the covenants and ordinances. And I do not think we should even talk about the covenants and ordinances separate from—and apart from—the Savior. So, if we get the sequence of the Savior, we are connected to Him [through] the covenants and ordinances, and the place where we receive the covenants and ordinances is in the house of the Lord—I just think that is a better way for us to focus on what matters most, which is the Father’s plan and the role of Jesus Christ in the Father’s plan.”
    • Elder Bednar reaffirmed this in a December 9, 2023, leadership training that my wife attended.
  • “Please, let us be understanding and kind as we learn new languages of love together.”
    • Elder Gong shared: “New at church, a convert was told her skirts were too short. Instead of taking offense, she replied, in effect, ‘My heart is converted; please be patient as my skirts catch up.'”
    • Charity and Love (Christlike Attribute): “As you pray for the gift of charity, you will be less inclined to dwell on negative feelings such as anger or envy. You will become less likely to judge or criticize others. You will have more desire to try to understand them and their points of view. You will become more patient and try to help people when they are struggling or discouraged. (See Moroni 7:45.)

      “Charity, like faith, leads to action. You strengthen it as you serve others and give of yourself.

      “Charity is transformative.”
    • Elder David A. Bednar, “And Nothing Shall Offend Them“, October 2006 General Conference: “You and I cannot control the intentions or behavior of other people. However, we do determine how we will act. Please remember that you and I are agents endowed with moral agency, and we can choose not to be offended.”
  • “Let us always speak with warm and reverent gratitude for God’s work and glory and the merits, mercy, and grace of Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice.”
    • Express gratitude for Jesus Christ and His atoning sacrifice in every prayer.

2: “Stake and ward leaders, let’s do our part. As we call (and release) brothers and sisters to serve in the Lord’s Church, let’s please do so with dignity and inspiration. Help each feel appreciated and that they can be successful. Please counsel with and listen to sister leaders. May we remember, as President J. Reuben Clark taught, in the Lord’s Church we serve where called, ‘which place one neither seeks nor declines.'”

  • Elder Gong stated: “I promise that love is spoken here, there, and everywhere as we answer yes to Church leaders to serve the Lord in His Church.”
  • General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 30.2 (Extending a Calling): “Receiving a call to serve should be a meaningful spiritual experience for a member. Callings to serve the Lord are sacred and joyful opportunities. Leaders communicate this by the way they extend a calling. They should not extend callings in a casual manner.”
  • General Handbook: Serving in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints – 30.6 (Releasing Members from Callings): “Extending a release is an important opportunity for a leader to express gratitude and to acknowledge God’s hand in the member’s service. The leader meets with the member personally to inform him or her of the release before it is announced publicly. He may choose to invite the member to share what he or she has learned by serving in the calling.”
  • Church News article, July 29, 2021, “Inside Church headquarters: 8 principles to help stake, ward and family councils be more effective”:
    • “‘Revelation is scattered among the various members of a council,’ Elder Bednar explained. ‘As an issue comes forward for consideration, we need, invite and hear counsel from everyone.'”
    • “‘The voice of women at every level, including the home, is critical,’ President Ballard said.”
    • “Progress is made when women and men are unified and work together, President Bingham said. To women questioning their value in a council, she said, ‘Your voice as a woman matters.'”
    • “Elder Uchtdorf said the general women leaders who serve with him on executive councils ‘are as wonderful and exceptional as the Brethren who serve in these councils. Each one is of the same great importance for the work.'”
    • “While inviting every voice to contribute, council members should ‘listen to learn’ rather than simply waiting for a turn to speak, said President Bingham. A wise council leader often waits to be the last person to share his or her thoughts to avoid unintentionally cutting off discussion.”
    • “‘That’s true of the leader and every member of the council,’ President Eyring said, ‘is to listen and be open to the possibility that through someone’s experience and point of view, the Lord might reveal His work more clearly to you.'”
  • For Church leaders, here is a journal prompt: Am I effectively listening to others with whom I am serving? If not, how will I change this week?

3: “For some time I have felt that, in many places in the Church, a few more ward activities, of course planned and implemented with gospel purpose, could knit us together with even greater belonging and unity.”

Other Ideas
  • Elder Gong asked two questions for reflection. In your journal this week, respond to these questions. If you identify changes that need to be made in your life, take action.
    • “So, where and how does Jesus Christ speak to you in love?”
    • “Where and how do you hear His love spoken here?”

Report on Prior Week’s Action Item

Last week I committed to focusing on the principle of the sacrament during my daily study of The Book of Mormon. In particular, I would focus on how this weekly ordinance is helping me strengthen my relationship with my Heavenly Father and with my Savior Jesus Christ, and how it is helping me to become like Them.

I did not keep this commitment this past week.

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

In my journal this week, I will journal for 20 minutes (10 minutes per question) to respond to these two questions for reflection from Elder Gong’s address: 1) “So, where and how does Jesus Christ speak to you in love?” and 2) “Where and how do you hear His love spoken here?”

Let Me Know

How will you take action on this General Conference address? Let me know on social media or email me.

REMEMBER THIS

If you remember nothing else from this podcast episode, remember this:

  • Elder Gong is inviting us to speak and hear Jesus Christ’s love.

Tags

Belonging | Church Callings | Covenants | Jesus Christ | Love | Reverence | Service | Unity

Additional Content

Previous Podcast Episode (“Jesus Christ Is the Treasure” by Elder Dale G. Renlund)

Next Podcast Episode (“Brothers and Sisters in Christ” by Elder Ulisses Soares)

All Podcast Episodes

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