"Swallowed Up in the Joy of Christ"

Last updated on October 6th, 2024 at 09:21 pm

General Conference Applied

S3 E30 – Sunday, September 29, 2024 | “Swallowed Up in the Joy of Christ” by Elder Brian K. Taylor; April 2024 General Conference

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Introduction

Bio

“Elder Brian K. Taylor 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 was serving as president of the Texas Dallas Mission. He previously served as President in the Central America Area and counselor in the Idaho and North America Central Areas. He is currently serving as a counselor in the Utah Area Presidency.

“Elder Taylor has served in numerous callings, including institute teacher, high councilor, ward Young Men president, stake president, and president of the Texas Dallas Mission.

“Elder Taylor received a bachelor’s degree in arts in 1988 from Brigham Young University. He was cofounder and CEO of a software company serving the 9-1-1, Public Safety, and Homeland Security Agencies.

“Brian King Taylor was born in Utah to Lowell Moon and Marie King Taylor on April 15, 1964. He married Jill Featherstone on April 30, 1987. They are the parents of seven children.”
This was Elder Taylor’s second general conference address:
- “Am I a child of God?” – April 2018 General Conference

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

“Don’t wish it were easier, wish you were better. Don’t wish for fewer problems, wish for more skills. Don’t wish for less challenge, wish for more wisdom.” –Jim Rohn

“To avoid the darkness of discontent and instead find greater peace, hope, and even joy during life’s difficult challenges, I share three divine principles as invitations.” -Elder Taylor

Invitations

1: “One—stronger faith comes by putting Jesus Christ first.”

Put Jesus Christ first.
“Elder D. Todd Christofferson stated: ‘I believe that the challenge of overcoming and growing from adversity appealed to us when God presented His plan of redemption in the premortal world. We should approach that challenge now knowing that our Heavenly Father will sustain us. But it is crucial that we turn to Him. Without God, the dark experiences of suffering and adversity tend to despondency, despair, and even bitterness.'” -Elder Taylor
Questions:
1. Does this invitation sound familiar to Elder Paul B. Pieper’s invitation from his April 2024 General Conference address which was entitled “Trust in the Lord“?
  - “We show our trust in God by turning to Him first when confronted with life’s challenges.” (General Conference Applied season 3 episode 29)
2. What are scriptural examples of individuals who put Jesus Christ first?
  - “Am I a child of God?“, Elder Brian K. Taylor, April 2018 General Conference: “I invite each of us to seek God and His Beloved Son. ‘Nowhere,’ President Nelson directed, ‘are those truths taught more clearly and powerfully than in the Book of Mormon.’ Open its pages and learn that God does ‘all things for [our] welfare and happiness’; that He is ‘merciful and gracious, slow to anger, long-suffering and full of goodness’; and that ‘all are alike unto [Him].’ When you feel hurt, lost, scared, upset, sad, hungry, or hopelessly abandoned in life’s extremities—open the Book of Mormon, and you will come to know that ‘[God] will never desert us. He never has, and He never will. He cannot do it. It is not His character [to do so].'”
  - Mosiah 24:8-16 – “[8] And now it came to pass that Amulon began to exercise authority over Alma and his brethren, and began to persecute him, and cause that his children should persecute their children. [9] For Amulon knew Alma, that he had been one of the king’s priests, and that it was he that believed the words of Abinadi and was driven out before the king, and therefore he was wroth with him; for he was subject to king Laman, yet he exercised authority over them, and put tasks upon them, and put task-masters over them. [10] And it came to pass that so great were their afflictions that they began to cry mightily to God. [11] And Amulon commanded them that they should stop their cries; and he put guards over them to watch them, that whosoever should be found calling upon God should be put to death. [12] And Alma and his people did not raise their voices to the Lord their God, but did pour out their hearts to him; and he did know the thoughts of their hearts. [13] And it came to pass that the voice of the Lord came to them in their afflictions, saying: Lift up your heads and be of good comfort, for I know of the covenant which ye have made unto me; and I will covenant with my people and deliver them out of bondage. [14] And I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; and this will I do that ye may stand as witnesses for me hereafter, and that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions. [15] And now it came to pass that the burdens which were laid upon Alma and his brethren were made light; yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord. [16] And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage.”
3. Does Jesus Christ really know me?
  - Footnote 22: “President Jeffrey R. Holland taught: ‘When you struggle, when you are rejected, when you are spit upon and cast out and made a hiss and a byword, you are standing with the best life this world has ever known, the only pure and perfect life ever lived. You have reason to stand tall and be grateful that the Living Son of the Living God knows all about your sorrows and afflictions’ (“Missionary Work and the Atonement,” Ensign, Mar. 2001, 15).” -Elder Taylor

2: “Two—brighter hope comes by envisioning our eternal destiny.”

Envision your eternal destiny.
“Years ago, President Russell M. Nelson shared this valuable insight: ‘As we look at all things with eternal perspective, it will significantly lighten our load.’ (Footnote 16: “Personal conversation with Elder Russell M. Nelson, Apr. 2011.”)

“My wife, Jill, and I recently witnessed this truth in the faithful lives of Holly and Rick Porter, whose 12-year-old son, Trey, passed away in a tragic fire. With hands and feet severely burned in a heroic attempt to save her dear son, Holly later testified in ward sacrament meeting of the great peace and joy the Lord had poured out upon her family in their anguish, using words such as miraculous, incredible, and amazing.

“This precious mother’s unbearable grief was replaced by surpassing peace with this thought: ‘My hands are not the hands that save. Those hands belong to the Savior! Instead of looking at my scars as a reminder of what I was not able to do, I remember the scars my Savior bears.’

“Holly’s witness fulfills our prophet’s promise: ‘As you think celestial, you will view trials and opposition in a new light.'” -Elder Taylor
Questions:
1. What are scriptural examples of individuals who envisioned their eternal destiny?
2. How might ‘[envisioning your] eternal destiny’ make your life easier?
  - “Heart of the Matter: What 100 Years of Living Have Taught Me” by President Russell M. Nelson: “When we focus on our eventual end goal, that of eternal life with our family in the presence of our Heavenly Parents and the Savior, staying on the covenant path will become easier. What we will achieve, overcome, and become will astonish us.”
3. How can knowing my eternal identity and knowing who God is help me to more effectively ‘envision [my] eternal destiny’?
  - “Am I a child of God?“, Elder Brian K. Taylor, April 2018 General Conference: “This great war over divine identity rages fiercely as Satan’s proliferating arsenal aims to destroy our belief in and knowledge of our relationship with God. Thankfully, we have been blessed with clear vision and understanding of our true identity from the beginning: ‘And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness,’ and His living prophets proclaim, ‘Each [human being] is a beloved spirit son or daughter of heavenly parents, and, as such, each has a divine nature and destiny.’
    
    “Coming to know these truths with certainty helps us overcome trials, troubles, and afflictions of every kind. When asked, ‘How can we help those struggling with [a personal challenge]?’ an Apostle of the Lord instructed, ‘Teach them their identity and their purpose.’ (Note that the apostle referenced in this statement was President Russell M. Nelson)
    
    “These powerful truths were life-changing for my friend Jen, who as a teenager caused a serious car accident. Though her physical trauma was severe, she felt exquisite pain because the other driver lost her life. ‘Someone lost their mom, and it was my fault,’ she says. Jen, who just days before stood and recited, ‘We are daughters of our Heavenly Father, who loves us,’ now questioned, ‘How could He love me?’
    
    “‘The physical suffering passed,’ she says, ‘but I didn’t think I would ever heal from the emotional and spiritual wounds.’
    
    “In order to survive, Jen hid her feelings deeply, becoming distant and numb. After a year, when she was finally able to talk about the accident, an inspired counselor invited her to write the phrase ‘I am a child of God’ and say it 10 times daily.
    
    “‘Writing the words was easy,’ she recalls, ‘but I couldn’t speak them. … That made it real, and I didn’t really believe God wanted me as His child. I would curl up and cry.’
    
    “After several months, Jen was finally able to complete the task every day. ‘I poured out my whole soul,’ she says, ‘pleading with God. … Then I began to believe the words.’ This belief allowed the Savior to begin mending her wounded soul. The Book of Mormon brought comfort and courage in His Atonement.
    
    “‘Christ felt my pains, my sorrows, my guilt,’ Jen concludes. ‘I felt God’s pure love and had never experienced anything so powerful! Knowing I am a child of God is the most powerful knowledge I possess!'”
  - “Bread or Stones: Understanding the God We Pray To“, S. Michael Wilcox, BYU-Hawaii Devotional, March 31, 2009: “The scriptures are our Father in Heaven’s letters. … There are times in our lives when we need to open the letter and communicate with our Father in Heaven, and understand what He is like and His concern for us. I would like to share this morning, with you, four letters from my Father in Heaven that have been very important to me—that I hope will be indicative of the power that the scriptures can be for us as we face different trials and challenges of our lives.
    
    “The first letter is called ‘The Fourth Watch.’ That letter comes from the sixth chapter of Mark. The Savior has fed the five thousand that day, and in the late afternoon, early evening, He is sending his apostles down into the ship. He will dismiss the multitude. He wishes to pray that evening, and then He will meet the apostles a little later on the shore and they are to pick Him up. In late afternoon, early evening, the apostles get on the ship; they push out in the Sea of Galilee. The Savior dismisses the multitude, and prays. The Savior could pray a long time; so, He prays late into the night. We read in Mark what takes place with the apostles:
    
    “And when he had sent them away, he departed into a mountain to pray. And when even was come, the ship was in the midst of the sea, and he alone on the land. And he saw them toiling in rowing; for the wind was contrary unto them: and about the fourth watch of the night he cometh unto them, walking upon the sea. (Mark 6:46-48) In John’s account of this particular story we read that the apostles had rowed the equivalent of about seventy-five football fields against the wind. There are times in our lives when we toil, rowing against the wind. We are trying to make progress and sometimes it seems that there are forces that are against us. There may be some great blessing that we deeply desire. There may be some trial that we want deeply to be over. And it doesn’t seem like we are making any headway against the wind. We wonder if the Lord is listening.
    
    “Now we need to understand something about our Father in Heaven, and that is that He is a fourth watch God.
    
    “The Hebrew night was divided into four watches. The first watch—six o’clock at night to nine [p.m.], second watch—nine to midnight, third watch—midnight to three in the morning, fourth watch—three in the morning to sunrise. Sometimes that creates a bit of a problem for us, certainly for me. I worship a fourth watch God. One who tends to feel that it is good to let His children toil in rowing against the wind to face a little opposition. My problem is that I am a first watch person. Now there is something inside of me that understands that it is good for me to toil in rowing against the wind. But certainly by the second watch He would come. And when the second watch has passed and He still has not come. Sometimes I forget that as Mark says, He is watching. He watched them toiling and rowing.
    
    “I began to make some assumptions that are often dangerous to make—maybe you make the same. We begin to assume that, number one, He is not there. That is why He’s not responding. And then we calm down and understand that He is there; He is always there. Then the second assumption is if He is there, He must not be listening. And then again, in calmer times—He always listens. Well then the third assumption is He must not care. No—He’s there, He listens, He cares. Maybe the most dangerous assumption, the fourth assumption is I must not be worthy. Now that fourth assumption we are probably correct on. But when has that ever stopped Him from responding; we are as worthy as we can be. We must assume that we have not yet reached the fourth watch; and He is a fourth watch God. …
    
    “We worship a fourth watch God. So when the trials aren’t over and the blessings don’t come, don’t assume that He is not there, or He is not listening, or He doesn’t care, or you’re not worthy. Always assume you have not yet reached the fourth watch.
    
    “Now occasionally people have said to me, ‘I’m sure I’m past the fourth watch.’ I was once talking with Sheri Dew and she said later, ‘Mike, I think I’m in the ninth watch—now what?’ Well, when you feel that you have passed the fourth watch, then we need another letter. We need another letter called Tight like a Dish. Now that is an expression I think you all will understand — ‘Tight like a dish.’ It’s the description of the Jaredite barges. …
    
    “These are not submarines; they float light like a fowl, we are told, on the water. But the problem is that great waves are going to be washing over them, and so they need to be waterproof.
    
    “Now being ‘Tight like a dish’ causes two problems for the Jaredites’ crossing of the sea. Number one, minor problems, it was probably Mrs. Moriancumer who pointed them out to her husband: ‘We can’t breathe in here, and we can’t see, so unless we are going to get the Promised Land in sixty seconds, we’ve got big problems. Did you get the instructions right?’
    
    “And so Moriancumer, the brother of Jared, goes back to the Lord, and he presents his two problems. Now you learn something about your Father in Heaven in the solution or the handling of these two problems. Of the two problems—no air and no light—the Lord solves one of them just because He is asked. He tells them to put the holes in so they can have air. And sometimes when we go to the Lord, we simply ask and we will receive. He tells us the solution. The second problem we have to seek and find; for the second problem the Lord says, ‘You come up with a solution.’ Now He put some parameters on that. He tells them, ‘You can’t go by windows’—probably not invented yet, and the second, ‘You can’t go by fire’—oxygen is a problem anyway. All that tossing around in the sea with coals flying everywhere probably wouldn’t be good, so you come up with a solution.
    
    “Now you are the brother of Jared. I want you to listen with his mind at what the Lord says because the twenty-fourth verse is a really interesting verse of Ether chapter two:
    
    “‘Behold, ye shall be as a whale in the midst of the sea; for the mountain waves shall dash upon you. Nevertheless, I will bring you up again out of the depths of the sea; for the winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and also the rains and the floods have I sent forth.’
    
    “Now the reason they need ‘Tight like a dish’ ships is because there are going to be mountain waves. Now what causes mountain waves in the ocean?—wind and storm. And what did the Lord just say the source of the winds were? ‘The winds have gone forth out of my mouth, and the rains and floods have I sent forth’—do you have a solution to the problem?
    
    “If I were the brother of Jared, I would have said, ‘Lord, we don’t need these ‘Tight like a dish’ ships at all. Since waves are the problem, and waves are caused by wind, and wind comes out of your mouth—blow softly. Blow softly. Breeze us to the Promised Land. We’ll sit on deck, we’ll fish, we’ll get tanned, we’ll play shuffleboard.’ How many here want the first watch cruise version of life?—that’s me; I’m a first watch person. I don’t like mountain waves.
    
    “And then the great lesson: We know God can still the storms of our lives—we know that; there are precedents. But he prefers to do something else:
    
    “‘Behold, I prepare you against these things; for ye cannot cross this great deep save I prepare you against the waves of the sea, and the winds which have gone forth, and the floods which shall come. What will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?’ (Ether 2:25)
    
    “What we need to understand about our Father in Heaven is that He prefers to prepare us to face the storms of life, the contrary winds, rather than to still them. So if you are past your fourth watch and He has not come, don’t assume that He is not there, that He doesn’t care, He doesn’t listen, or that you are not worthy. Assume your ship is tight like a dish. You will not sink. Somewhere in the past of your life, experiences have been placed by a wise and foresighted Father in Heaven to prepare you to face the very things that you are facing. As the lion and the bear came to David, before Goliath, to prepare him to face Goliath, so will lion-and-bear moments come in your lives before the Goliath moments come. Because if your ship was not tight like a dish and you have reached the fourth watch, He will come to you and still the storm. So if the storm is not still, we must assume our ship is tight like a dish.”

3: “Three—greater power comes by focusing on joy.”

Focus on joy.
“During eternity’s most crucial, agonizing hours, our Savior did not shrink but partook of the bitter cup. How did He do it? We learn, ‘For the joy that was set before him [Christ] endured the cross,’ His will ‘being swallowed up in the will of the Father.’

“This phrase ‘swallowed up’ deeply moves me. My interest was heightened when I learned that in Spanish, ‘swallowed up’ is translated as ‘consumed’; in German, as ‘devoured’; and in Chinese, as ‘engulfed.’ Thus, when life’s challenges are most painful and overwhelming, I remember the Lord’s promise—that we ‘should suffer no manner of afflictions, save it [be] swallowed up [consumed, devoured, and engulfed] in the joy of Christ.’

“I see in so many of you this joy, which ‘[defies] … mortal comprehension,’ even though your bitter cups have not yet been removed. Thank you for keeping your covenants and standing as witnesses for God. Thank you for reaching out to bless us all, while ‘in [your] quiet heart is hidden sorrow that the eye can’t see.’ For when you bring the Savior’s relief to others, you will find it for yourselves, taught President Camille N. Johnson.” -Elder Taylor
Questions:
1. What are scriptural examples of individuals who focused on joy?
2. What has President Nelson written about ‘[focusing] on joy’?
  - “Heart of the Matter: What 100 Years of Living Have Taught Me” by President Russell M. Nelson: “We can feel joy even while having a bad day, a bad week, or a bad year!
    
    “The joy we feel has little to do with the circumstances of our lives and everything to do with the focus of our lives!
    
    “When the focus of our lives is on God’s plan of salvation and Jesus Christ and His gospel, we can feel joy regardless of what is happening—or not happening—in our lives. Jesus Christ is the source of all joy. For Latter-day Saints, Jesus Christ is joy! …
    
    “Joy is powerful, and focusing on joy brings God’s power into our lives. As in all things, Jesus Christ is our ultimate exemplar—’who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross.’ Imagine! In order to endure the most excruciating experience on this earth, our Savior focused on joy! The joy of doing His Father’s will. The joy of doing what He came here to do, including the joy of healing us from sadness, loneliness, and fear; the joy of strengthening us during difficult times; the joy of paying for the sins of all who would repent; the joy of making it possible for you and me to return home—clean and worthy—to live with our Heavenly Parents and families.
    
    “As we follow our Savior’s pattern and focus on the joy that will come to us, and to those we love, we can endure the challenges that presently seem overwhelming, painful, scary, and unfair. …
    
    “As we focus on the Savior and our eternal future, we need to avoid those things that can interrupt our joy. We need to avoid anything that would prevent us from keeping the end in mind. …
    
    “Anything that opposes Christ or His doctrine will interrupt our joy and take our focus off our end goal. Beware of the philosophies of men, which are so abundant online and throughout social media. …
    
    “The unrighteous may experience any number of emotions and sensations, but they will never experience joy! Not in this world or in the world to come. Joy is a gift for the faithful. …
    
    “Joy is the gift that comes from intentionally trying to live a righteous life, as taught by Jesus Christ.
    
    “As this truth is embedded in our hearts, each day can be a day of joy and gladness. Each day can take us one step closer to our ultimate goal: to qualify for the greatest gift of God, the gift of eternal life.”
3. Do you believe the statement: “when you bring the Savior’s relief to others, you will find it for yourselves”?
  - Footnote 35: “Last year, Jill and I met Paula, a beautiful young Guatemalan woman who was struggling mightily with cancer. Her response to my question of how she was feeling left an unforgettable memory in our minds and hearts: ‘I am grateful,’ this humble teenager quietly responded almost in a whisper, ‘that the Lord gave it to me and not to my sister.’ Then, although she was not feeling well, she; her sister, Sariah; and their father went on two ministering visits to two elderly widows with great personal needs and challenges of their own.” -Elder Taylor
  - Footnote 37: “Elder Neal A. Maxwell shared this beautiful insight, urging that ‘when, for the moment, we ourselves are not being stretched on a particular cross, we ought to be at the foot of someone else’s—full of empathy and proffering spiritual refreshment’ (“Endure It Well,” Ensign, May 1990, 34).” -Elder Taylor

“Now, return with me to the sacrament meeting where we witnessed the miracle of Holly Porter’s family being succored by the Lord. On the stand while pondering what I might say to offer comfort to this remarkable family and their friends, this thought came: ‘Use the Savior’s words.’ So I close today as I did on that Sabbath, with His words, ‘which healeth the wounded soul.’

“‘Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.’

“‘I will also ease the burdens which are put upon your shoulders, that even you cannot feel them upon your backs, even while you are in bondage; … that ye may know of a surety that I, the Lord God, do visit my people in their afflictions.’

“‘I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you.'” -Elder Taylor

Take Action

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Conclusion

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Additional Content

Previous Podcast Episode (“Trust in the Lord” by Elder Paul B. Pieper)

Next Podcast Episode (“Call, Don’t Fall” by Elder Taylor G. Godoy)

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