Last updated on March 31st, 2024 at 11:29 am
General Conference Applied
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
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Corresponding Talk Outline: “Humble to Accept and Follow” and “Eternal Truth“
Podcast Episode Outline
REMEMBER THIS
If you remember nothing else from this podcast episode, remember this:
- Elder Joni L. Koch has invited us to be humble and accept divine guidance, and Elder John C. Pingree Jr. has invited us to invite the Spirit by teaching truth.
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 “Humble to Accept and Follow,” I identified Prophets and Revelation as the fundamental doctrine, Prophets of God as the fundamental principle, and Humility as the fundamental Christlike attribute. In “Eternal Truth,” I identified Prophets and Revelation as the fundamental doctrine, Prophets of God as the fundamental principle, and Knowledge as the fundamental Christlike attribute. I have included a detailed breakdown of this doctrine, principle, and Christlike attribute in the talk outlines (“Humble to Accept and Follow” and “Eternal Truth“), but I will share additional insights during this podcast episode.
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?
Invitations
1: “May we be humble to follow the counsel of our prophets and accept that only God and Jesus Christ can transform us—through ordinances and covenants received in His Church—into the best version of ourselves in this life and, one day, make us perfect in Christ.”
- What This Means (in 6 words or less): Be humble and accept divine guidance.
1: “Our aim is to teach truth in a way that invites the converting power of the Holy Ghost.”
- What This Means (in 6 words or less): Invite the Spirit by teaching truth.
Overview
Bio
Joni L. Koch
“Elder Joni L. Koch was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 1, 2017. At the time of his call, he had been serving as president of the Mozambique Maputo Mission. He previously served as Second Counselor in the Africa Southeast Area Presidency, and he is currently serving as the President of the Brazil Area.
“Elder Koch has served in numerous Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Brazil São Paulo North Mission, bishop, stake mission president, stake president, Area Seventy, and president of the Mozambique Maputo Mission.
“Elder Koch received a bachelor of science degree in statistics from Brigham Young University in 1991. He received an executive MBA/logistics from FGV/SP in 1994. During his career he has worked in senior management positions at Cargill Foods, APM Maersk Group, and most recently as the CEO of Conexão Marítima Ltda.
“Joni Luiz Koch was born in Joinville, Santa Catarina, Brazil, on March 19, 1962. He married Liliane Michele Ludwig in April 1988. They are the parents of two daughters.”
John C. Pingree Jr.
“Elder John C. Pingree Jr. was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on April 1, 2017. He is currently serving as the Executive Director of the Correlation Department. He previously served in the Mexico Area Presidency, the North America West Area Presidency, and the Temple Department.
“Elder Pingree has served in a number of Church callings, including full-time missionary in the Massachusetts Boston Mission, elders quorum president, high councilor, bishop, stake president, president of the Texas Houston Mission, and Area Seventy.
“Elder Pingree received a bachelor of arts in English in 1990 and a bachelor of science in political science in 1991, both from the University of Utah. He also received a master of business administration degree from Harvard Business School in 1993. During his career, he worked in the fields of biotechnology, health care, and finance. He also volunteered with several global health and human rights organizations.
“John Cannon Pingree Jr. was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on August 11, 1966. He married Anne Pugsley in March 1990. They are the parents of five children.”
Connection
This was Elder Koch’s second General Conference address. His first General Conference address (“Apart, but Still One“) was delivered in the October 2017 General Conference.
Elder Koch’s father was a humble servant of the Lord who made a lasting impact on Elder Koch at an early age. Here is a story from “Apart, but Still One”:
- “It is also likely that we will all experience some correction from our ecclesiastical leaders, which will be a test of how united we are with them.
“I was only 11, but I remember that 44 years ago, the meetinghouse where my family attended church was to experience major remodeling. Before that undertaking began, there was a meeting in which local leaders and area leaders were discussing how the members would participate with labor in that effort. My father, who had previously presided over that unit for years, expressed his very strong opinion that this work should be done by a contractor and not by amateurs.
“Not only was his opinion rejected, but we heard that he was severely and publicly rebuked on that occasion. Now, this was a man who was very dedicated to the Church and had been a World War II soldier in Europe, used to resisting and fighting for what he believed in! One wondered what his reaction might be after this incident. Would he persist with his opinion and continue to oppose the decision already made?
“We had seen families in our ward who had become weaker in the gospel and had stopped attending meetings because they could not be one with those who were leading. I myself also witnessed many of my friends from Primary not remaining faithful in their youth because their parents were always finding fault with those inside the Church.
“My dad, however, decided to remain one with our fellow Saints. Some days later, when ward members were gathering to help in the construction, he ‘invited’ our family to follow him to the meetinghouse, where we would make ourselves available to help in any way.
“I was furious. I felt like asking him, ‘Dad, why in the world are we going to help in the construction if you were against having the members do it?’ But the look on his face discouraged me from doing that. I wanted to be well for the rededication. So, fortunately, I decided to be quiet and just go and help in the building!
“Father did not get to see the new chapel, as he passed away before the conclusion of this work. But we in the family, led now by my mom, continued doing our part until it was finished, and that kept us united with my father, with the Church members, with our leaders, and, most important, with the Lord!”
This was Elder Pingree’s second General Conference address. His first General Conference address (“‘I Have a Work for Thee’“) was also delivered in the October 2017 General Conference. I will share a quote from this General Conference address later in this podcast episode.
How might I consider taking action?
Invitations
1: “May we be humble to follow the counsel of our prophets and accept that only God and Jesus Christ can transform us—through ordinances and covenants received in His Church—into the best version of ourselves in this life and, one day, make us perfect in Christ.”
- What This Means (in 6 words or less): Be humble and accept divine guidance.
Ideas for Taking Action
- Embrace the living prophet’s recent invitations.
- “I would like to explore first how humble we’ve been, or should be, in following the counsel of our prophet. A pop quiz for us individually could be:
“Do we mention the full name of the Church in all our interactions? President Russell M. Nelson said, ‘To remove the Lord’s name from the Lord’s Church is a major victory for Satan.’
“Are we letting God prevail in our lives by accepting our prophet’s very specific invitation? ‘Today I call upon our members everywhere to lead out in abandoning attitudes and actions of prejudice.’
“Are we overcoming the world, trusting the doctrine of Christ more than the philosophies of men, as our prophet taught?
“Have we become peacemakers, saying positive things to and about people? President Nelson taught us last general conference the following: ‘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.'” -Elder Koch - “The Plateau Effect: Getting from Stuck to Success” by Bob Sullivan and Hugh Thompson:
“We’ve established that mere repetition won’t burn facts into your brain. But well-timed repetition is pretty foolproof. How well timed? The recipe: Space reviews so that the first is done after five seconds, the next after twenty-five seconds, the third after two minutes, the next at ten minutes, then one hour, five hours, one day, five days, twenty-five days, four months, two years, and that’s it, the information is locked in permanently.” (Note that the concepts of ‘retrieval’ and ‘reflection’ are also discussed in great detail in the book “Make It Stick: The Science of Successful Learning” by Peter C. Brown, Henry L. Roediger III, and Mark A. McDaniel.
- “I would like to explore first how humble we’ve been, or should be, in following the counsel of our prophet. A pop quiz for us individually could be:
- Believe Church leaders speak for Jesus.
- “During this conference we’ve heard and will yet hear the unfailing counsel of our prophets and apostles. It’s a perfect occasion to develop humility and let our strong opinions be swallowed by an even stronger conviction that the Lord does speak through these chosen leaders.” -Elder Koch
- Prophets of God (Gospel Principle): “We should do those things the prophets tell us to do. President Wilford Woodruff said that a prophet will never be allowed to lead the Church astray:
“‘The Lord will never permit me or any other man who stands as President of this Church to lead you astray. It is not in the programme. It is not in the mind of God. If I were to attempt that, the Lord would remove me out of my place’ (Teachings of Presidents of the Church: Wilford Woodruff [2004], 199).” - “Hope of Israel“, June 2018 Worldwide Youth Devotional, President Russell M. Nelson:
“Let me tell you about an experience I had in 1979. I was then serving as the General President of the Sunday School. I was invited to attend a meeting of Church leaders at which the President of the Church, President Spencer W. Kimball, spoke. He charged us to pray that the doors of nations would be opened so that the gospel of Jesus Christ could be brought to all people on earth. He specifically mentioned China and asked that we pray for the people of China. He also said, ‘We should be of service to the Chinese people. We should learn their language. We should pray for them and help them.’
“I returned home to my wife, Dantzel (who passed away more than 13 years ago), and said to her, ‘President Kimball asked us in that meeting to learn Chinese! And I did not hear him say, ‘Everyone except Brother Nelson!’ So, would you be willing to study Mandarin Chinese with me?’ Of course, she agreed and we were tutored in Mandarin.
“Six weeks after President Kimball’s charge, I was attending the annual meeting of the American Association for Thoracic Surgery. It was being held in Boston, Massachusetts. That morning, I had prayed in my hotel room for the people of China, just as President Kimball had requested. I went to the first meeting of the day and sat where I always sat at these professional meetings—at the front of the room. As the meeting proceeded, however, I became increasingly uncomfortable in my chair. As the lights were turned down for a slide presentation, I slipped out of my chair and walked quietly to the back of the room—a place where I would usually never sit. When the lights came up again, I found myself sitting by a Chinese doctor. He introduced himself as Professor Wu Ying-Kai from Beijing, China!
“After a pleasant conversation with him, I extended an invitation for him to visit Salt Lake City and give a lecture at the University of Utah Medical School. He gladly accepted and did exceptionally well. Then he returned to China.
“Not long thereafter, he invited me to be a visiting professor of surgery at Shandong Medical University in Jinan, China. That led to subsequent invitations for me to serve as a visiting professor at two more universities in China.
“These wonderful professional experiences—prior to my call to the Twelve—climaxed when I was asked by Chinese surgeons to perform an open-heart operation to save the life of their most celebrated opera star. That I did, and gratefully that operation was a success. It was, incidentally, the last one of my professional life.
“For almost 40 years now, I have been praying for the people of China. I rejoice in my association with medical colleagues and other dear friends in China. What a joy it is for me now to be officially designated as an ‘old friend of China.’
“It is my testimony that when we follow through with whatever the prophet of God asks us to do, the way will be opened and lives will be changed.” - “A Living Prophet for the Latter Days“, April 2023 General Conference, Elder Allen D. Haynie:
“Knowing by revelation that there is a living prophet on the earth changes everything. It causes one to be uninterested in the debate about when is a prophet speaking as a prophet or whether one is ever justified in selective rejection of prophetic counsel. Such revealed knowledge invites one to trust the counsel of a living prophet, even if we do not fully understand it. After all, a perfect and loving Father in Heaven has chosen the pattern of revealing truth to His children through a prophet, someone who never sought such a sacred calling and who has no need of our help to be aware of his own imperfections. A prophet is someone God has personally prepared, called, corrected, inspired, rebuked, sanctified, and sustained. That is why we are never spiritually at risk in following prophetic counsel.”
- Consider ourselves pencils in God’s hand.
- “Above all, in developing humility, we must also understand and accept that we are not able to overcome our challenges or to achieve our full potential through our own efforts only.” -Elder Koch
- “‘I Have a Work for Thee’“, Elder John C. Pingree Jr., October 2017 General Conference:
“As God works through us, the adversary may tempt us to take credit for any accomplishments. However, we can emulate the Savior’s humility by deflecting personal praise and glorifying the Father (see Matthew 5:16; Moses 4:2). When a reporter tried to recognize Mother Teresa for her life’s mission to help the poor, she retorted: ‘It’s [God’s] work. I am like a … pencil in his hand. … He does the thinking. He does the writing. The pencil has nothing to do with it. The pencil has only to be allowed to be used.'” - Humility (Christlike Attribute): “Humility is willingness to submit to the will of the Lord. It is willingness to give Him the honor for what is accomplished. It is being teachable (see Doctrine and Covenants 136:32). Humility includes gratitude for God’s blessings and acknowledgment of your constant need for His help. He helps those who are humble.
“Humility is a sign of spiritual strength, not of weakness. Humility is a vital catalyst for spiritual growth (see Ether 12:27).
“When you humbly trust the Lord, you can have the assurance that His commandments are for your good. You are confident that you can do whatever He requires of you if you rely on Him. You are also willing to trust His servants and follow their counsel. Humility will help you be obedient, work hard, and serve.”
- Consistently renew and remember our covenants.
- “Attending sacrament meeting weekly and worshipping in the temple regularly to participate in the ordinances and to receive and renew covenants is a sign that we recognize our dependence on Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ.” -Elder Koch
- “Are You Still Willing?“, October 2022 General Conference, Elder Kevin W. Pearson:
“One Sunday, while I was preparing to partake of the sacrament after several weeks of stake conference assignments, an interesting and powerful thought passed through my mind.
“As the priest began offering the blessing on the bread, words I had heard so many times before pressed forcefully upon my mind and heart. ‘And witness unto thee, O God, the Eternal Father, that they are willing to take upon them the name of thy Son, and always remember him and keep his commandments which he has given them; that they may always have his Spirit to be with them.’ How many times have we witnessed unto God that we are willing?
“As I pondered the significance of those sacred words, the word willing impressed me as never before. A flood of sweet and sacred experiences filled my mind and heart with love and gratitude for the atoning sacrifice of the Savior and His crucial role in the Father’s plan of redemption for my family and me. Then I heard and felt the penetrating words of the prayer on the water: ‘That they may witness unto thee … that they do always remember him.’ I understood clearly in that moment that keeping my covenants must be more than good intentions.
“Partaking of the sacrament is not a passive religious ritual implying our mere consent. It is a powerful reminder of the reality of the Savior’s infinite Atonement and the need to always remember Him and keep His commandments. Willingness to focus on the Savior is so crucial it is the central message of the two most quoted scriptures in the Church: the sacrament prayers. Understanding the truth of what Heavenly Father so willingly offers each of us through His Only Begotten Son should evoke our utmost efforts to always be willing in return.
“Is our own spiritual foundation built solidly on Jesus Christ? …
“The Church is a gathering place for imperfect individuals who love God and who are willing to follow the Lord Jesus Christ. That willingness is rooted in the reality that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the living God. This divine truth can be known only by the power of the Holy Ghost. Therefore, our willingness is directly proportionate to the amount of time we commit to be in holy places where the influence of the Holy Ghost is present.
“We would do well to spend more time in meaningful conversation discussing our concerns with a loving Father in Heaven and less time seeking the opinions of other voices. We could also choose to change our daily news feed to the words of Christ in the holy scriptures and to prophetic words of His living prophets.
“The importance we place on our Sabbath day observance, paying an honest tithe, holding a current temple recommend, attending the temple, and honoring our sacred temple covenants are all powerful indicators of our willingness and evidence of our commitment. Are we willing to put forth more than a superficial effort into strengthening our faith in Christ?”
“Brothers and sisters, the command, invitation, and promise from the Lord is clear and comforting: ‘Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers.’ (Doctrine and Covenants 112:10) -Elder Koch
- “Latter-day Counsel: Selections from Addresses of President Gordon B. Hinckley“, March 2001 Ensign: “‘Be humble. There is no place for arrogance in our lives. There is no place for conceit in our lives. There is no place for egotism in our lives. We have work to do. We have things to accomplish. … ‘Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers’ (D&C 112:10). People ask me what is my favorite scripture, and I say I have many of them. But that is one of them. ‘Be thou humble; and the Lord thy God shall lead thee by the hand, and give thee answer to thy prayers” (meeting with Spokane, Washington, youth and young single adults, 22 Aug. 1999).”
Invitations
1: “Our aim is to teach truth in a way that invites the converting power of the Holy Ghost.”
- What This Means (in 6 words or less): Invite the Spirit by teaching truth.
Ideas for Taking Action
- Center on Heavenly Father and Jesus.
- “Center on Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and Their fundamental doctrine.” -Elder Pingree
- “The Lord directed His servants to avoid focusing on tenets, or concepts, that are not central to His gospel: ‘And of tenets thou shalt not talk, but thou shalt declare repentance and faith on the Savior, and remission of sins by baptism, and by fire, yea, even the Holy Ghost’ (Doctrine and Covenants 19:31).” -Elder Pingree
- “Sir, We Would Like to See Jesus“, October 2023 General Conference, Elder Robert M. Daines:
“That is what we all want—we want to see Jesus for who He is and to feel His love. This should be the reason for most of what we do in the Church—and certainly of every sacrament meeting. If you’re ever wondering what kind of lesson to teach, what kind of meeting to plan, and whether to just give up on the deacons and play dodgeball, you might take this verse as your guide: will this help people see and love Jesus Christ? If not, maybe try something else.” - “We Talk of Christ“, October 2020 General Conference, Elder Neil L. Andersen:
“In our worship services, let us focus on the Savior Jesus Christ and the gift of His atoning sacrifice. This does not mean we cannot tell an experience from our own life or share thoughts from others. While our subject might be about families or service or temples or a recent mission, everything in our worship should point to the Lord Jesus Christ.
“Thirty years ago, President Dallin H. Oaks spoke of a letter he had received ‘from a man who said he had attended [a sacrament] meeting and listened to seventeen testimonies without hearing the Savior mentioned.’ President Oaks then noted, ‘Perhaps that description is exaggerated [but] I quote it because it provides a vivid reminder for all of us.’ He then invited us to speak more of Jesus Christ in our talks and class discussions. I have observed that we are focusing more and more on Christ in our Church meetings. Let’s consciously continue with these very positive efforts.”
- “Center on Heavenly Father, Jesus Christ, and Their fundamental doctrine.” -Elder Pingree
- Simple, contextual, vetted ideas are best.
- “Stay grounded in the scriptures and the teachings of latter-day prophets. Rely on doctrine established through multiple authoritative witnesses.” -Elder Pingree
- “Elder Neil L. Andersen observed: ‘A few question their faith when they find a statement made by a Church leader decades ago that seems incongruent with our doctrine. There is an important principle that governs the doctrine of the Church. The doctrine is taught by all 15 members of the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve. It is not hidden in an obscure paragraph of one talk. True principles are taught frequently and by many. Our doctrine is not difficult to find’ (“Trial of Your Faith,” Ensign or Liahona, Nov. 2012, 41).” -Elder Pingree
- “Avoid speculation, personal opinions, or worldly ideas.” -Elder Pingree
- “President Dallin H. Oaks warned that there are some ‘who select a few sentences from the teachings of a prophet and use these to support their political agenda or other personal purposes. … To wrest the words of a prophet to support a private agenda, political or financial or otherwise, is to try to manipulate the prophet, not to follow him’ (“Our Strengths Can Become Our Downfall” [Brigham Young University fireside, June 7, 1992], 7, speeches.byu.edu).” -Elder Pingree
- “Teach a point of doctrine within the context of related gospel truths.” -Elder Pingree
- “President Marion G. Romney instructed, ‘Searching [the scriptures] for the purpose of discovering what they teach as enjoined by Jesus is a far cry from hunting through them for the purpose of finding passages which can be pressed into service to support a predetermined conclusion’ (“Records of Great Worth,” Ensign, Sept. 1980, 3).” -Elder Pingree
- “Stay grounded in the scriptures and the teachings of latter-day prophets. Rely on doctrine established through multiple authoritative witnesses.” -Elder Pingree
- Don’t offend the Spirit.
- “Use teaching methods that invite the influence of the Spirit.” -Elder Pingree
- “To Acquire Spiritual Guidance“, October 2009 General Conference, Elder Richard G. Scott:
“Now I share an experience that taught me a way to gain spiritual guidance. One Sunday I attended the priesthood meeting of a Spanish branch in Mexico City. I vividly recall how a humble Mexican priesthood leader struggled to communicate the truths of the gospel in his lesson material. I noted the intense desire he had to share those principles he strongly valued with his quorum members. He recognized that they were of great worth to the brethren present. In his manner, there was an evidence of a pure love of the Savior and love of those he taught.
“His sincerity, purity of intent, and love permitted a spiritual strength to envelop the room. I was deeply touched. Then I began to receive personal impressions as an extension of the principles taught by that humble instructor. They were personal and related to my assignments in the area. They came in answer to my prolonged, prayerful efforts to learn.
“As each impression came, I carefully wrote it down. In the process, I was given precious truths that I greatly needed in order to be a more effective servant of the Lord. The details of the communication are sacred and, like a patriarchal blessing, were for my individual benefit. I was given specific directions, instructions, and conditioned promises that have beneficially altered the course of my life.
“Subsequently, I visited the Sunday School class in our ward, where a very well-educated teacher presented his lesson. That experience was in striking contrast to the one enjoyed in the priesthood meeting. It seemed to me that the instructor had purposely chosen obscure references and unusual examples to illustrate the principles of the lesson. I had the distinct impression that this instructor was using the teaching opportunity to impress the class with his vast store of knowledge. At any rate, he certainly did not seem as intent on communicating principles as had the humble priesthood leader.
“In that environment, strong impressions began to flow to me again. I wrote them down. The message included specific counsel on how to become more effective as an instrument in the hands of the Lord. I received such an outpouring of impressions that were so personal that I felt it was not appropriate to record them in the midst of a Sunday School class. I sought a more private location, where I continued to write the feelings that flooded into my mind and heart as faithfully as possible. After each powerful impression was recorded, I pondered the feelings I had received to determine if I had accurately expressed them in writing. As a result, I made a few minor changes to what had been written. Then I studied their meaning and application in my own life.
“Subsequently I prayed, reviewing with the Lord what I thought I had been taught by the Spirit. When a feeling of peace came, I thanked Him for the guidance given. I was then impressed to ask, ‘Was there yet more to be given?’ I received further impressions, and the process of writing down the impressions, pondering, and praying for confirmation was repeated. Again I was prompted to ask, ‘Is there more I should know?’ And there was. When that last, most sacred experience was concluded, I had received some of the most precious, specific, personal direction one could hope to obtain in this life. Had I not responded to the first impressions and recorded them, I would not have received the last, most precious guidance.
“What I have described is not an isolated experience. It embodies several true principles regarding communication from the Lord to His children here on earth. I believe that you can leave the most precious, personal direction of the Spirit unheard because you do not respond to, record, and apply the first promptings that come to you.”
- Communicate clearly like Heavenly Father.
- “Communicate clearly to avoid misunderstanding.” -Elder Pingree
- “Speaking of our Heavenly Father, President Russell M. Nelson testified, ‘He communicates simply, quietly, and with such stunning plainness that we cannot misunderstand Him’ (“Hear Him,” Ensign or Liahona, May 2020, 89).” -Elder Pingree
- “The 5AM Club: Own Your Morning, Elevate Your Life” by Robin Sharma:
“The Spellbinder … has invested decades of his rich life creating these frameworks to explain the philosophy and methodology of The 5 AM Club. They look simple because it’s taken him his entire professional lifetime to handcraft them. It takes long years of extreme attention and ardent isolation to strip away the complexities of any work to reach the simplicity that sits at the touchstone of genuine genius. It’s like when an amateur looks at a masterpiece. It looks simple because he doesn’t comprehend the expertise of the master in taking away all that was unnecessary. Removing the non-essentials to produce the gem takes years of dedication. And decades of devotion. Making things look simple to the untrained eye is the mark of a maestro.”
- “Communicate clearly to avoid misunderstanding.” -Elder Pingree
“How we teach truth really matters. Paul encouraged us to speak ‘the truth in love’ (see Ephesians 4:14–15). Truth has the best chance of blessing another when conveyed with Christlike love.
“Truth taught without love can cause feelings of judgment, discouragement, and loneliness. It often leads to resentment and division—even conflict. On the other hand, love without truth is hollow and lacks the promise of growth.
“Both truth and love are essential for our spiritual development. Truth provides the doctrine, principles, and laws necessary to gain eternal life, while love engenders the motivation needed to embrace and act upon what is true.”
Report on Prior Week’s Action Item
Last week I committed to identifying and extending one invitation to each of my children, to my wife, and to myself, that would point them and me to Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.
The invitations I identified and extended are personal, but suffice it to say that they involve each of us more consistently praying to our Heavenly Father, morning and night, on our knees, personally and as a companionship. There is no such thing as being too busy for prayer. As religious reformer Martin Luther stated: “I have so much to do that I shall spend the first three hours in prayer.”
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
This week, I commit to developing a process whereby I am periodically reviewing the recent teachings of President Russell M. Nelson, and then identifying how humble I’ve been in following his counsel.
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 Koch has invited us to be humble and accept divine guidance, and Elder Pingree has invited us to invite the Spirit by teaching truth.
Tags
“Humble to Accept and Follow”
Humility | Pride | Prophets
“Eternal Truth”
Church Doctrine | Holy Ghost | Love | Prophets | Revelation | Teaching | Truth