"Fruit That Remains" - Mitch Peterson

Last updated on October 3rd, 2024 at 12:56 am

General Conference Applied

S3 E28 – Sunday, September 22, 2024 | “Fruit That Remains” by Elder Matthew L. Carpenter; April 2024 General Conference

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Podcast Episode Outline

Introduction

Bio

“Elder Matthew L. Carpenter was sustained as a General Authority Seventy of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints on March 31, 2018. At the time of his call, he had been serving as a member of the Sixth Quorum of the Seventy in the North America Central Area. He has served as Area President of the Africa Central Area, First Counselor in the Africa Central Area Presidency, Second Counselor in the North America Central Area Presidency, Assistant to the Utah Area Presidency, and on various committees at Church headquarters. He is currently serving at Church headquarters as an Assistant Executive Director of the Priesthood and Family Department.

“Prior to his call as a Seventy, Elder Carpenter has served in a number of Church callings including full-time missionary in the Switzerland Geneva Mission, ward missionary, ward mission leader, counselor in a stake mission presidency, Scoutmaster, stake Young Men president, high councilor, counselor in a bishopric, bishop, and stake president.

“Elder Carpenter received a bachelor of science degree in business management from Brigham Young University in 1983. In 1987 he received a master’s degree in business administration from Harvard Business School. During his professional career, he has worked as chief financial officer, president, and chief executive officer of various commercial financial institutions.

“Matthew Leslie Carpenter was born in Salt Lake City, Utah, on October 21, 1959. He married Michelle (Shelly) Kay Brown in 1982. They are the parents of five children.”
This was Elder Carpenter’s second general conference address:
- “Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?” – October 2018 General Conference

What is the speaker inviting me to do, and how might I consider taking action?

“As a young boy, I loved fresh, ripe peaches. To this day, the idea of biting into a juicy, ripe peach with its tangy flavor makes my mouth water. When fully matured peaches are picked, they last two to four days before they spoil. I have fond memories of joining with my mother and my siblings in our kitchen as we would preserve harvested peaches for the coming winter by sealing them in bottles. If we preserved the peaches correctly, this delicious fruit would last several years, not just two to four days. If properly prepared and heated, the fruit is preserved until the seal is broken.

“Christ directed us to ‘go and bring forth fruit, … that your fruit should remain.’ But He wasn’t speaking about peaches. He was talking about God’s blessings to His children. If we make and keep covenants with God, the blessings associated with our covenants can extend beyond this life and be sealed upon us, or preserved, forever, becoming fruit that remains for all eternity. …

“To be exalted in the highest degree of the celestial kingdom, one must enter into marriage by the proper authority and then be true to the covenants made in that marriage. As we are faithful to these covenants, the Holy Spirit of Promise can seal our marriage covenant. Such sealed blessings become fruit that remains.

“What is required to faithfully keep the new and everlasting covenant of marriage?

“President Russell M. Nelson has taught there are two types of bonds when we enter into this eternal marriage covenant: a lateral bond between husband and wife, and a vertical bond with God. To have the blessings of exaltation sealed upon us and remain after this life, we must be true to both the lateral and the vertical bonds of the covenant.” -Elder Carpenter

Invitations

1: “To keep the lateral bond with your spouse, God has counseled us to ‘love [your] wife [or husband] with all [your] heart, and … cleave unto her [or him] and none else.’ … To keep the lateral bond in the covenant, each partner must desire to be in the marriage.”

Love your spouse, cleave unto them, and desire to be with them.
Christlike Attribute: “I say positive things about others.” (Charity and Love)
- I witnessed a great example the other night while speaking with an inspiring couple.
“For those who are married, to cleave unto her or him and none else means you counsel together in love, you love and care for each other, you prioritize time with your spouse over outside interests, and you call upon God to help you overcome your weaknesses. It also means there is no emotional intimacy or sexual relations of any kind outside of your marriage, including flirting or dating, and there is no pornography, which engenders lust.” -Elder Carpenter
“President Dallin H. Oaks recently taught: ‘We also know that He [God] will force no one into a sealing relationship against his or her will. The blessings of a sealed relationship are assured for all who keep their covenants but never by forcing a sealed relationship on another person who is unworthy or unwilling.’ -Elder Carpenter
Questions:
1. What does ‘[prioritizing] time with your spouse over outside interests’ look like in your life?
  - “We Can Do Better and Be Better“, President Russell M. Nelson, April 2019 General Conference: “Months ago, I received a heartbreaking letter from a dear sister. She wrote: ‘[My daughters and I] feel we are in fierce competition for our husbands’ and sons’ undivided attention, with 24/7 sports updates, video games, stock market updates, [and] endless analyzing and watching of games of every [conceivable] sport. It feels like we’re losing our front-row seats with our husbands and sons because of their permanent front-row seats with [sports and games].’
    
    “Brethren, your first and foremost duty as a bearer of the priesthood is to love and care for your wife. Become one with her. Be her partner. Make it easy for her to want to be yours. No other interest in life should take priority over building an eternal relationship with her. Nothing on TV, a mobile device, or a computer is more important than her well-being. Take an inventory of how you spend your time and where you devote your energy. That will tell you where your heart is. Pray to have your heart attuned to your wife’s heart. Seek to bring her joy. Seek her counsel, and listen. Her input will improve your output.
    
    “If you have a need to repent because of the way you have treated the women closest to you, begin now. And remember that it is your responsibility to help the women in your life receive the blessings that derive from living the Lord’s law of chastity. Never be the reason that a woman is unable to receive her temple blessings.
    
    “Brethren, we all need to repent. We need to get up off the couch, put down the remote, and wake up from our spiritual slumber. It is time to put on the full armor of God so we can engage in the most important work on earth. It is time to ‘thrust in [our] sickles, and reap with all [our] might, mind, and strength.’ The forces of evil have never raged more forcefully than they do today. As servants of the Lord, we cannot be asleep while this battle rages.
    
    “Your family needs your leadership and love. Your quorum and those in your ward or branch need your strength. And all who meet you need to know what a true disciple of the Lord looks like and acts like.”
2. Is there a scriptural account that demonstrates loving your spouse, cleaving unto them, and desiring to be with them?
3. What can President Nelson teach us about loving our spouse?
  - Church News Podcast Episode 12: Sister Wendy Nelson joins Sister Sheri Dew to talk about President Nelson’s 3 years as Prophet:
    - [Sister Sheri Dew]: “Let’s switch direction now here just for a second. During the last several years, President Nelson has spoken repeatedly really about the strength, the influence the importance, the contribution, the value of the depth of Latter-day Saint women. As his wife, what is your unique view of that? What do you see personally about his regard for women. Here he is the father of nine daughters, and a terrific daughter-in-law; and married to a wonderful woman, Dantzel, a marvelous woman; and upon her passing a second marvelous woman, but what do you see about his regard for women?”
      
      [Sister Wendy Nelson]: “Well, this is a man, President Nelson, it is deep in his soul, in his cells, I’m sure if we cut him, it would come out ‘I honor womanhood.’ He was raised by a father who absolutely adored and cherished and respected and honored his mother, meaning Russell’s mother. And one of the very first things he ever taught his son was to honor his mother. But I’ll just give you a personal example. And that is, if I just think of this one little illustration in my own life, which happens every single day. He will never go through a doorway first. If I am with him, he’ll stand to the side, he always has me walk through the doorway first. If we are in the kitchen, we walked down the hall to go to the office, we walked down the hall together. And then he stands to the side for me to go in through the doorway first. That to me says it all, his honoring of woman.”
  - Church News Podcast Episode 67: Sister Nelson on being an eyewitness to President Nelson’s four years as Prophet:
    - [Sarah Jane Weaver]: “What does [President Russell M. Nelson] do in his own home that we can all emulate in our homes?”
      
      [Sister Wendy Nelson]: “The voice of the Prophet in his own home is kind and loving and lifting. I love my husband’s love of words, and I love his respect for words and his respect for the power of words. He’s so mindful of that, and he uses his words, in our home and with others, to love and to lift and to lift me.
      
      “I’ll give you just a homely little example, but if I’m seeking his opinion on something that might be good for us to do, he uses it as an opportunity to let me know how much he trusts me. I’ll give you an example: I might say, ‘Honey, do you think it would be good if we—’ and then he doesn’t even let me finish the sentence before he enthusiastically responds, ‘Yes.’ And usually, when he did that, I said, ‘Oh, how can you say yes when you haven’t even heard of what I’m proposing?’ His response was, and I love this: ‘Because I know you. I know you’ve thought it through, and if you think it’s a good idea, so do I.’ So, he’s really easy to love. …
      
      “Also, imagine having a husband who, when we’re working or playing together, he’ll say, right out of the blue: ‘Have I told you adequately today how much I love you?’ Or he’ll say, ‘Thanks for marrying me.’ And I love when I ask my husband, anytime during the day, ‘How are you today, dear?’ He answers, ‘In love.’ OK, that melts my heart every time.”

2: “To keep the vertical bond with God, we are true to the temple covenants we have made regarding the laws of obedience, sacrifice, the gospel, chastity, and consecration. We also covenant with God to receive our eternal companion and to be a righteous spouse and parent.”

Make and keep covenants with God.
Christlike Attribute: “I am true to God at all times.” (Integrity)
Questions:
1. Is there a scriptural account that demonstrates the importance of making and keeping covenants with God?
  - Luke 14:25-27 – “[25] And there went great multitudes with him: and he turned, and said unto them, [26] If any man come to me, and hate not his father, and mother, and wife, and children, and brethren, and sisters, yea, and his own life also, he cannot be my disciple. [27] And whosoever doth not bear his cross, and come after me, cannot be my disciple.”
  - New Testament Student Manual – Chapter 17: Luke 9-14 – “In the context of Luke 14:26, the Greek word translated as ‘hate’ means to ‘love less’ or ‘esteem less.’ The Savior was not revoking the commandment to ‘honour thy father and thy mother’ (Exodus 20:12); He was teaching about priorities. For a disciple, devotion to family must come after devotion to Jesus Christ.”
    
    “As recorded in Luke 14:26–33, Jesus Christ taught His followers about the sacrifices they had to be willing to make in order to persist as His disciples. Elder Neil L. Andersen of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles explained how he was affected by hearing of a new convert who made the sacrifices required of him as a disciple of Jesus Christ:
    
    “‘I had just returned home from my mission. So much seemed ahead of me. Would I be able to consistently make the right choices throughout my life?
    
    “‘Then-Elder Gordon B. Hinckley spoke [during April 1973 general conference] of meeting a young naval officer from Asia. The officer had not been a Christian, but during training in the United States, he had learned about the Church and was baptized. He was now preparing to return to his native land.
    
    “‘President Hinckley asked the officer: ‘Your people are not Christians. What will happen when you return home a Christian, and, more particularly, a Mormon Christian?’
    
    “‘The officer’s face clouded, and he replied: ‘My family will be disappointed. … As for my future and my career, all opportunity may be foreclosed against me.’
    
    “‘President Hinckley asked, ‘Are you willing to pay so great a price for the gospel?’
    
    “‘With his dark eyes moistened by tears, he answered with a question: ‘It’s true, isn’t it?’
    
    “‘President Hinckley responded, ‘Yes, it is true.’
    
    “‘To which the officer replied, ‘Then what else matters?’ [see ‘The True Strength of the Church,’ Ensign, July 1973, 48].’
    
    “Through the years, I have reflected on these words: ‘It’s true, isn’t it? Then what else matters?’ These questions have helped me put difficult issues in proper perspective. …
    
    “Of course, for all of us, there are other things that matter. When I heard President Hinckley’s talk as a 21-year-old, I needed to be serious about my studies; I needed employment to keep me in school; somehow I had to figure out how to convince a special young lady that she should take a chance on me; and I enjoyed other worthy activities.
    
    “How do we find our way through the many things that matter? We simplify and purify our perspective. Some things are evil and must be avoided; some things are nice; some things are important; and some things are absolutely essential” (“It’s True, Isn’t It? Then What Else Matters?” Ensign or Liahona, May 2007, 74).
2. How does making and keeping covenants with God strengthen our relationship with Him and with our Savior Jesus Christ?
  - An Overview of the Endowment: “During the endowment ordinance, you will be invited to make certain covenants with God. These covenants are:
    
    “Law of Obedience, which includes striving to keep God’s commandments.
    “Law of Sacrifice, which means doing all we can to support the Lord’s work and repenting with a broken heart and contrite spirit.
    “Law of the Gospel, which is the higher law that He taught while He was on the earth.
    “Law of Chastity, which means that we have sexual relations only with the person to whom we are legally and lawfully wedded according to God’s law.
    “Law of Consecration, which means dedicating our time, talents, and everything with which the Lord has blessed us to building up Jesus Christ’s Church on the earth.
    
    “All covenants with God are intended to be binding. When you keep your covenants and repent of your imperfections, your relationship with Him is strengthened and He will bless you more fully. Your relationship with the Savior also becomes closer and more meaningful. Covenant keepers gain greater access to the power of God and to lasting love, peace, comfort, and joy. God promises that those who keep their covenants will have the opportunity to return to live with Him forever.
    
    “President Russell M. Nelson explains that ‘Making a covenant with God changes our relationship with Him forever. It blesses us with an extra measure of love and mercy. It affects who we are and how God will help us become what we can become.’ Because of God’s lovingkindness for those who have covenanted with Him, ‘He will love them. He will continue to work with them and offer them opportunities to change. He will forgive them when they repent. And should they stray, He will help them find their way back to Him’ (“The Everlasting Covenant,” Liahona, October 2022).”
3. Do my actions, thoughts, and words convey to others that I am committed to God?

3: “If you have broken your temple covenants, I urge you to turn to Jesus Christ, counsel with your bishop, repent, and open your soul to the mighty healing power available because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.”

When you sin, turn immediately to Jesus Christ and repent.
Christlike Attribute: “I believe that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the power of the Holy Ghost, I can be forgiven of my sins and sanctified as I repent.” (Faith)
“If you have not remained faithful to temple covenants, is there hope? Yes! The gospel of Jesus Christ is a gospel of hope. That hope comes through Jesus Christ with sincere repentance and obediently following Christ’s teachings. I have seen individuals make grave mistakes, breaking sacred covenants. On a regular basis, I see those who sincerely repent, are forgiven, and return to the covenant path.” -Elder Carpenter
Questions:
1. Why is ‘[turning] to Jesus Christ] such an important part of the repentance process?
2. Is there a scriptural account that demonstrates that when an individual repents, the Savior will forgive them?
  - Enos 1:2-8 – “[2] And I will tell you of the wrestle which I had before God, before I received a remission of my sins. [3] Behold, I went to hunt beasts in the forests; and the words which I had often heard my father speak concerning eternal life, and the joy of the saints, sunk deep into my heart. [4] And my soul hungered; and I kneeled down before my Maker, and I cried unto him in mighty prayer and supplication for mine own soul; and all the day long did I cry unto him; yea, and when the night came I did still raise my voice high that it reached the heavens. [5] And there came a voice unto me, saying: Enos, thy sins are forgiven thee, and thou shalt be blessed. [6] And I, Enos, knew that God could not lie; wherefore, my guilt was swept away. [7] And I said: Lord, how is it done? [8] And he said unto me: Because of thy faith in Christ, whom thou hast never before heard nor seen. And many years pass away before he shall manifest himself in the flesh; wherefore, go to, thy faith hath made thee whole.”
3. Why is it not a good idea to delay our repentance?
  - “Wilt Thou Be Made Whole?“, Elder Matthew L. Carpenter, October 2018 General Conference: “A few months into his mission, our youngest son and his missionary companion were completing their study when our son felt a dull pain in his head. He felt very strange; at first he lost control of his left arm; then his tongue went numb. The left side of his face began to droop. He had difficulty speaking. He knew something was wrong. What he didn’t know was that he was in the middle of a massive stroke in three areas of his brain. Fear began to set in as he became partially paralyzed. How quickly a stroke victim receives care can have a dramatic effect on the extent of his healing. His faithful missionary companion acted decisively. After calling 911, he gave him a blessing. Miraculously, the ambulance was only five minutes away.
    
    “After our son was rushed to the hospital, the medical personnel quickly assessed the situation and determined they should administer a medicine to our son that could potentially reverse the stroke’s paralyzing effects over time. However, if our son was not having a stroke, the medicine could have severe consequences, such as bleeding in the brain. Our son had to choose. He chose to accept the medication. While full recovery required more operations and many months, our son eventually returned and completed his mission after the effects of the stroke were substantially reversed. …
    
    “As I have counseled with others seeking to repent, I have marveled that people who were living in sin had difficulty making correct decisions. The Holy Ghost would leave them, and they often struggled to make choices that would bring them closer to God. They would wrestle for months or even years, embarrassed or frightened of the consequences of their sins. Often they felt that they could never change or be forgiven. I have often heard them share their fear that if their loved ones knew what they had done, they would stop loving them or leave them. When they followed this line of thinking, they resolved to just keep quiet and delay their repentance. They incorrectly felt that it was better not to repent now so that they would not further hurt those they loved. In their minds it was better to suffer after this life than go through the repentance process now. Brothers and sisters, it is never a good idea to procrastinate your repentance. The adversary often uses fear to prevent us from acting immediately upon our faith in Jesus Christ.
    
    “When loved ones are confronted with the truth about sinful behavior, while they may feel deeply wounded, they often want to help the sincerely repentant sinner to change and to reconcile with God. Indeed, spiritual healing accelerates when the sinner confesses and is surrounded by those who love them and help them to forsake their sins. Please remember that Jesus Christ is mighty in how He also heals the innocent victims of sin who turn to Him.
    
    “(On many occasions I have witnessed the accelerated healing of individuals when family members have rallied around one who has broken vows of fidelity and trust, helping them to turn to the Savior more completely for His healing power in their lives. If the truly repentant soul sincerely seeks to change, family members who help them in gospel study, sincere prayer, and Christlike service not only help the sinner change but also open the door for increased healing from the Savior in their lives. When appropriate, innocent victims can help the errant sinner by seeking heavenly guidance on what to study together, how to serve, and how to involve family members to support and strengthen the repentant soul to change and benefit from the redemptive power of Jesus Christ.) …
    
    “The missionary companion and the medical professionals who helped our stroke-afflicted son in the mission field acted quickly. Our son chose to receive the stroke-reversing medicine. The paralyzing effects of his stroke that could have followed him for the remainder of his mortal life were reversed. Likewise, the faster we repent and bring the Atonement of Jesus Christ into our lives, the sooner we can be healed from the effects of sin. …
    
    “Our spiritual healing requires us to submit ourselves to the conditions our Savior has outlined. We must not delay! We must act today! Act now so that spiritual paralysis does not prevent your eternal progression. While I have been speaking, if you have felt the need to ask forgiveness of someone you have wronged, I invite you to act. Tell them what you have done. Ask for their forgiveness. If you have committed a sin that impacts your temple worthiness, I invite you to counsel with your bishop—today. Do not delay. …
    
    “Because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ, if we choose to repent and turn our hearts fully to the Savior, He will heal us spiritually. That healing can begin immediately. The choice is ours. Will we be made whole?”

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Conclusion

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