SPEAKER_07 0:00

Yeah, thank you guys. Thanks for doing that. You guys want to take that in half of mine? Thank you so much. I just did that to be honoring so that you guys would be uncomfortable too. I'm just kidding. Um, it's easier to have you as closer. I'm excited today when I listened. This is to be when this first came out, there were things that I learned, but every time I listened to her devotional, you learned so much, or I do, and so I'm excited to learn from you guys today to help me learn a little bit more about what she spoke about. Um, the topic Jesus Christ sacrifice was and is for you. I love how she says that, that it was and is for us. Um, as I studied her devotional, there was some topics that kind of stood out to me today, so that's what I'll be sharing with you, and would love to get your perspective. Um when she first starts out, she talks about God's love is personal, and we all know that. But she was talking about when she was in nursery, she was substituting and she looked at the lesson books and grabbed one and chose that topic, and then she talked to the children about you know God's love and how does God's love reach all of us. And a little boy named Charlie put his arms out and he said, God's love is big. Um, I'm sure you guys remember that from her from her devotional, and um it made me just you know stop and think about how big his love is, and it's um it's it's amazing when you when you think about it. She talks about um Apostle Paul's testimony, and so when I pass those out, if somebody could read Romans 8, 38 through 39, I love this. This is so amazing. Who wants to share that? Anybody have it? Perfect, thank you. Go ahead.

SPEAKER_02 2:19

That was me, right? Yes. Okay, Romans 8, 38. For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor death, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

SPEAKER_07 2:40

That's pretty amazing, isn't it? Can you think about that? Anyone have any thoughts on that? That's incredible. Um I I love that we are reminded that nothing, there's nothing, nothing out there. Read it one more time.

SPEAKER_02 3:04

For I am persuaded that neither death nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, nor height nor death, nor any other creature shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord.

SPEAKER_07 3:18

So that covers everything, right? I mean, he's just covering everything. There's nothing that keeps us from his love. And what better way to show us his love is through God to show us his love is through our Savior and our Savior's atoning sacrifice. And I know when we all, you know, we think about the the atonement. Um we whenever I'm hearing a devotional or a talk or a lesson about the atonement, I'm always taking something away from it. I think it's if we think of, you know, everybody has a cell phone. I can just you know muddle through my my cell phone. I you know, it works for me. My grandkids know so much more of what my phone can do than I do, you know, like they're um so much better at that than I am, and then I think about my mom who's 84, you know, she struggles a little bit with her phone, but when you think about it, your phone isn't just um something that you call, you know, it's not just to call somebody, it's for many different things, right? We can read our scriptures on our phone, we can text people on our phone, we can listen to podcasts, um, general conferences, um, we can watch you know things on our phone. So our phone is a tool and it has many different uses. And if you think about the atonement, you know, when we first think about the atonement, our first thought is you know, our our Savior sacrifice so that our sins could be forgiven, right? But what are some other things that the atonement does from for us? Have you guys anybody thought about that? I know we sent out some questions. Yeah, go ahead.

SPEAKER_04 5:05

Um, part of the atonement of Jesus Christ is that enabling power. That um it's such a gift because my efforts are never gonna be perfect, and the things I do are always gonna fall short. But because of him, that enabling power, he makes my efforts perfect. He can make what I do as a mom, as a wife, as just a human being, so much better than I could on my own. And I'm just so grateful for that enabling power of the atonement of Jesus Christ, as well as the redemptive power that can make us clean and whole before our Father. But that enabling power is such a gift as well.

SPEAKER_07 5:40

Right, absolutely. I know um she mentions in her talk because of him we can repent and change, because of him and his atonement, we can receive strength, because of him, we can find divine peace, and because of him we can have assurance. So if you think about um the atonement and and all that you know um it does for us, and Heavenly Father being so kind to give us his son and show us his love through the merciful gift of his son. Um I want to just kind of go through a little bit more of what she taught, what she taught us in this devotional. One of the things that she taught about was that our covenants connect us to the savior. And I don't know if I I mean I you know that, I don't know that I really thought of that necessarily, how our covenants connect us to the Savior. Um, and I thought that was just a really good message or point that she had brought up. And that she talks about Jesus Christ came to lift our burdens and carry what we cannot. And we all know that. Um, but the last part of her sentence she says, and we're never meant to carry on our own. And that really stood out to me because you know, of course I know he came, you know, to carry our burdens, but that we were never meant to carry them on our own is just so comforting, you know, when you think about that. Um if you guys can just you know think for a minute in your life, what has the savior, what has the atonement meant to you, and how has he carried you? I know that we've all had times in our life where we've asked for help. Um if you guys could just think for a moment, and you can share or you don't have to share, but think about a time in your life when you've had to really reach and ask for that help. I'm sure we all have. I know I have so so many times in my life. Does anybody want to share a time when you've reached out and relied on that? Promise. We're all quiet today. I'm gonna make us get up and change seats again. Yes.

SPEAKER_06 8:17

I'm gonna share. Um, I've had um some mental health struggles in my life, and um sometimes when you're going through stuff like that, um, it feels like nobody understands. And so um there's been many times where I felt like the savior was carrying me along when I felt like um no one else understood it.

SPEAKER_07 8:41

So thank you. And it and isn't that amazing? And and nobody can understand it like he can, you know. Um, and it's such a wonderful gift to have him help us through that. Anyone else? Thanks for sharing.

SPEAKER_00 8:58

I was just thinking about um different struggles that over the years we've had, and uh I thought that was the question on mind is you know, maybe some of you might have too is how how do we allow him to take that? Read about it. You know, it's very you know, said it has talked very well. Um, how do we do it? And I and for me, it has truly been through opening the scriptures and literally just reading, reading, reading. And um, there's been many times that I've been not sleeping at night because you're worried about something and you open the scriptures, and the the answer isn't always there for me, but the spirit is always there, and the spirit is part of the Godhead, and we feel God's love through the spirit, and so um you're feeling struggles with something just try opening the scriptures and just read, read, read in. Um the spirit can make you feel that peace and comfort. I have so many journal entries that I've written down, which is another really great way to um I love that uh things I walked out when she writes down her prayers. Yes, um, but I thought you know, there's so many journal entries that I've had that I can go back and remember that feeling because the answer wants something that wants us to feel bad. Um, and so writing it down is just so important.

SPEAKER_07 10:36

Thank you. Thanks for sharing that. I know I caught that too. It's like, you know, that song, I think Garth Brooke sings it, you know, thank God for unanswered prayer. But um where he talks about, you know, um the song talks about um prayers and how um they really are answered, but sometimes through unanswered. Um I know for me when I've looked back at my life and realized, oh my gosh, I we pray and then you forget, right? Sometimes we pray and we don't stop and listen. We pray and we go on. I forgot, I asked about these things, or I forgot, you know, I prayed for these things. It just took however long for those prayers to be answered. So yeah, I thought that was amazing that she writes them down. That's incredible. Yeah.

SPEAKER_02 11:20

I love that too. I am an awful journaler, like I just don't. And but I did go through a period where I would like write down three gratitudes for the day, and then I went through a period where I'm like, I'm gonna include my husband on this, so I'm gonna text him three things a day. That way, like we both kind of um partake in it. And I need to go back and do that again because it's so easy to see all the ways that you feel like prayers aren't being answered when that's kind of what you're looking for, but when you take time to look for in ways that they are, or ways that God might be answering things or stepping in or helping when you don't like take time to look at that normally, then I feel like you just feel so much um more connected to Him and more grateful. So this is good for me.

SPEAKER_07 12:11

Absolutely. Thank you. Thanks for sharing that. Yeah, I do too. Um, so how I kind of talked about you know the cell phone and the atonement, how there's different ways, like you know, reading the scriptures and getting answers and getting help through through that. Are we aware? So, one of the questions that was sent out is am I aware of and relying on all that the savior's atonement offers me? So just close your eyes for a minute. Think about right now, today, in your life. How do you rely on his atonement? What do you do to rely on his atonement? Because it's there for us every day, every moment, and think about maybe some things that you're going through in your life that maybe are not huge, but that you can absolutely rely on the atonement, even on the smallest things. We can rely on atonement in our life. You can open your eyes, thank you for doing that. What what thoughts came to mind? Did anybody have some thoughts that come to mind like that? For me, um, you know, I think about um when I rely on the atonement, I think of it in ways that are fake. And I've learned that this lesson that we can do it in the small ways. So, like when you're really struggling, you know, we rely, we we we tell um our savior help and need help, right? Um but maybe some of the smaller things they don't necessarily reach out and ask for that help or rely on the entire moment because we just kind of muddle through and do our on our own.

SPEAKER_00 14:14

And if yes, I was just thinking about um in those times just turning my will over to him and just trust, and that has brought me a lot of peace because so many times I want to try to fix things, and I uh pray and return the thing, those things have completely overhand. It I immediately can feel peace in my life just on a daily basis.

SPEAKER_07 14:44

Thank you. Yeah, absolutely. Thank you.

SPEAKER_04 14:47

It's hard to remember though. I feel like I try to just do it myself and I I know better, but I just I'm very self-sufficient, so I just try to like my head down, get to work, and just do it on my own, and then I get stuck and I'm like, oh, why didn't I even ask for help? Why am I trying to do this on my own always? And I have to relearn that over and over and over.

SPEAKER_07 15:10

We do, we do. I think that's what this message is today. She's reminding us of all stuff that we know, but just to be reminded, um she reminds us that um the savior invites us to seek his help with the everyday burdens. And so when we think about that, just you know, every day he wants us to seek his help. Um, and and even on the things that aren't so overwhelming, that aren't so big, that that he wants us to talk with him and to ask him. Um, Sister Yi talked about a personal experience that she had. She said that she was going through something. Um and I when she was saying this in my own my mind's eye, I was going through experiences that I had that were similar. She had talked about something was really bothering her and she just couldn't let it go. And that's me. I just stuff I cannot shut my head off. I can't shut my brain off. And some like I can't sleep because my brain is still, you know, if you you you have something going on with your children, or you just want to help, and you know, your brain doesn't stop. And she was talking about this this thing was really bothering her, and she tried to be kind and do everything that she could, but it just wasn't working. And then she finally said, you know, to to um she finally knelt and prayed and said, I can't carry this anymore. This this house for yours, like I can't do it anymore. Will you please take it? Um and she said that her circumstances didn't change, you know. How many how many times has that happened for us? But the peace that she felt, right? The the burden was lifted. And then one of the other things that she talked about was that her perspective completely changed. And I mean, that's all I needed my entire life, was just to change my perspective because I know the issue is me, it's not other people, but sometimes I need to change my perspective on my kids or how they see things, or um and that's what she had said is he he showed her the perspective that she needed to have, or his perspective, or how he sees things, and that really helped her. And um, I thought about wow, I I need to start paying that a whole lot more. Um, is that we can ask. So, again, when you think about the atonement, what does that mean? What does that look like? You know, um, can you take this word and can you help me get a different perspective? Can I see this in a different way? Can you help me to have the um gifts that you want me to have, which is you know, forgiveness and patience, and um can you help me with these things? Um, and that's what he wants us to do. Um and she talked about um that we were never meant to carry these alone. I think I've said that a couple of times, but that has really stood out to me. Um you think okay, we were we were quicker um to to gain strength, to gain wisdom, to gain testimonies, to be tried and tested. And so that's life, you know, and I'm just kind of the kind of person just like okay, suck up and move on. And but we're never supposed to go through it alone, and sometimes we forget that, you know, through our daily trials is that we're not supposed to go through those alone, and I think for me that was um that left an everlasting impression on me. She also talked about um automatic mode, which totally I'm I'm in automatic mode all the time. She talks about how she thinks that sometimes we're in automatic mode, that we believe that in Jesus Christ and we ask for um his help, um, but that at times we may find ourselves living in on an automatic mode where we generally believe God will help us, but we do not deliberately ask him in faith. Choosing to believe he can really take those burdens from us. And she reminds us that Jesus Christ's sacrifice was and is for each of us personally. His atonement is for you and I. He desires to heal and bless you with the help that you need and has the power to do so as we exercise faith, live our covenants, and choose to believe in him. Does that resonate with anybody? Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 19:59

That was the part of the talk. I was listening this morning, and that was the part that definitely resonated with me. But like, what am I deliberately, specifically asking for? Like, I believe God loves me, I believe he's helping me, but I felt inclined that I need to be more deliberate and specific, and maybe, you know, spend some time in my journal thinking about exactly what I deliberately want to pray for. I mean, there's always the like things of who's sick and who needs something that I'm praying for, but like, what about um the qualities that I'm striving for? Or like there's always something I'm concerned about with a child. Like, those are easy things to pray for. But I think um being more deliberate in my own personal development of what I want to achieve with my savior's help is what I felt from listening to that part.

SPEAKER_07 20:53

Absolutely. Thank you. I think that's what she meant by automatic mode. Can anybody else, does anybody else have any thoughts on what she meant by that?

SPEAKER_05 21:02

Kind of piggybacking, Jenny, is a little bit um for me, it's a little bit automatic mode to pay for my to pray for my children because you know they're sometimes a concern to me. And uh I feel like it's it's for me within that that I go into automatic mode and I'm not always as like focused or as like intensely present if it matters to me as much as it matters, because it is a constant prayer, and sometimes it's long, you know, that it was long, and maybe I like and that again, yeah. So just doing that, and so like recently I've just been like trying to feel it, and one of the things I pray for, and I just I feel this is a strong too is that my like I lost my dad kind of yummy to long life, and like I pray that he will walk with my son, and that his grandfathers will surround him and be forceful to help him see more clearly, and like just asking for things in a little bit more deliberate and intense way because I Like there's no way I will ever forget my children once I die. There's no way my dad forgot about my boy. There's no way. And so like being able to kind of the veil, the veil, there's people on their side doing their work, but like we can still unite. There's power in uniting in prayer and stuff. And so recently I've just been like trying to like feel that and invite them. Just like we would when we had to take everyone's asked for us, right? It's Sunday.

SPEAKER_03 22:23

I'm like, hey, grandpa's it's all hands on deck right now, okay?

SPEAKER_05 22:27

You know, and so I'm just trying to be a little bit more deliberate in that versus my phrase that I've repeated a lot of times, and I probably don't even have to say anymore.

SPEAKER_07 22:38

I remember I love that. I love that. Have you ever um go in listen to Brent L top, what's on the other side?

SPEAKER_05 22:45

What's it?

SPEAKER_07 22:46

Brent L top, what's on the other side. Okay. It's phenomenal because it talks about the spirit world. It's very good. Um it's really comforting if you've lost someone and and um it's a it's amazing.

SPEAKER_04 23:00

You know, Wendy, with that too, in this next week's Come Follow Me, it talks to Elijah says, I think it's Elijah that says, those that are with us are more than those that are against us. Um, because we can't see all of those that are helping every day, those those guardian angels that you know, if we can call them back, the guardian angels are around us, yeah. Those that are with us are more than those that are against us.

SPEAKER_07 23:21

Absolutely, yeah, that's incredible. I we could talk about that too. Oh my god.

SPEAKER_05 23:28

I know. But like sometimes you don't think it matters that what we effort we put into asking for it.

SPEAKER_07 23:33

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_05 23:36

Yeah, like you just it's just because we know it's there and they're on this other side. Like, do we care? Do we want to remind, and do we want to help that power of connection take place? So you know what intensifies the spirit. So like I gotta do my part. I can't just keep casually, yeah.

SPEAKER_07 23:51

So you brought up something that's really interesting too, because you said, I ask all the time, and the Lord's like, yeah, I know.

SPEAKER_05 23:58

I remember that.

SPEAKER_07 23:58

Yeah, but but um what I thought was really great, it's on your guys' handout. It's from um Dallin H. Oak. And um does somebody want to read that for me? It's just right here. Yeah.

SPEAKER_01 24:21

Because of his atoning experience in mortality, our Savior is able to comfort, heal, and strengthen all men and women everywhere. But I believe he does so only for those who seek him and ask for his help. We qualify for that blessing when we believe in him and pray for his help.

SPEAKER_07 24:40

So, I mean, that is so true, but we don't think about that. We have to ask. You know, that that's what we've been told, right? We have our free agency. We have to ask. If we want that help, we have to ask. Yes, the Lord knows our heart, and he, you know, our Heavenly Father knows what's what's on our mind and what we need, but we have to ask for those things. Um, and that's just such an amazing reminder for me is that we have to ask. And in fact, that's the point in this lesson that was so pivotal for me. Um, because um I when I pray, I have had so many miracles in my life. Just amazing. And so I'm grateful. So when I pray, I have had the thought that I'm grateful. Um, I'm grateful that I'm alive. I've um and so when I struggle through daily health challenges, I don't think to ask because I'm grateful. I have gratitude. So I was letting the adversary let me think that asking for more, even though I have been given so much, so much, that that's being ungrateful. And this lesson, when I read that one part, that was a part that I needed to hear from me. So this lesson was definitely for me to um that it's okay to ask every day for everything you need. It's okay. Um, he wants us to. Um Dalini Joke says that. He says that right here. He says um that he wants us to and that we should ask for his help. Yes.

SPEAKER_03 26:34

So um, when I was pregnant with my last one, Mia, um, I was talking with my cousin um because we both had sons the year before, um, and my pregnancy, we had a day apart, but and my home birth did not go the way that I wanted it. Hers is beautiful, and I was just like, Oh, what the heck? Like, this is something that I always wanted. And uh, we were having babies again, and uh I was talking to her about it, and she's like, I actually did a scripture class during when she was pregnant with um with her other son, and and she was like, in it, one of the girls said, Well, why didn't you ask for the birth that you want? And she's like, Why would I like she's like, What the heck? She's like, You're literally doing what God commanded you to do. You have every right to ask him. I would like this, this, and this to happen in my group. Can this please happen? And she's like, It might not always happen that way, but you have every right to ask. And so when she told me that, I was like, Why did I ever think of this? Like, what a silly thing. Like, I just thought, like, no, I'm just gonna get work. Like, this is what it is, it's gonna happen the way it's gonna happen. And so with Mia, um, when I was laboring and everything, I went to the birthing center and um I had a long labor, and normally, you know, it's your fourth, and they're like, oh well, so I have none of my kids have ever done that. They've labored for a very long time. And so um, with Mia, I had been tested and and I had um wherever you're supposed to get the antibiotics on it. Yes, and I and I all my once I my water breaks, my babies normally just like come pretty closely after that. And so I'm like, oh, looking into it, I'm very natural about things, and I'm like, I don't want to do that if I don't need to, and so then I'm like pegging the bottom. If it happens the same way I have Benny, I'll head straight there and I'll get Benny Bunch and we'll do it right away because that's what needs to happen. And if not, please don't let her water break until the right at the very end, so there's less of a chance. Let them know what I'm supposed to do. I'll follow your lead. You just let that happen, and I'll do whatever you think is best for her. And um, so we get there, and I'm layering, layering, laboring, layering forever, and I'm like, oh my gosh. And I'm like, Heavenly Father, I can't take one more minute of this. I just can't handle this anymore. And I pray, and um, at that moment, literally my heart ended, and at that moment, T goes, switch your leg and come into his and so I did, and right then her head popped out of my water burst. And then she just was in my arms, and I was like, oh my goodness, everything that I had wanted. I had prayed, please let this happen, and this is how I'd like the birth go. And did it go exactly how I wanted? No, I was laboring forever, and I was like, I can't take this. But right at that moment, and even the midwives were like, that's why I was laboring so long, is because your water didn't break and your body wasn't letting you know. But what how crazy, like, literally said the prayer. T tells me to adjust my leg, and literally she's like, here I am, and everything happened water broke, and I was just like, for me, that was just such a moment where I was like, Heavenly Father, thank you for hearing me, thank you for knowing me, and for knowing what I needed, and knowing that I needed that comfort and that assurity, and just even though I was dealing with all the pain before, like it was all worth it because at that moment I was like so connected with Heavenly Father, and it was just I don't it was such an amazing moment.

SPEAKER_07 29:48

That that's amazing, thank you. I love that. Um, he you know, it it's interesting because we we have to balance because we've also you know been taught that when we pray, don't have like a grocery list, right? You know, to be, but I think it's more of that what what our intentions are and and talking with him and having that conversation. One time I a long time ago, I saw something that really resonated with me. We're running out of time, but it was just a little cartoon of um the savior meeting up with a person um for coffee, and and the the person goes, Oh, I you know, I'll come back, I don't have time, I'll see you tomorrow. And oh, I've only had a few minutes for a little sip. And basically, it was it was a story to show you what what he's waiting there to have this conversation with us, he's waiting for us to have these. And when we pray, a lot of times our prayers are just you know, I'm so tired, we're kind of going through automatic mode, and he wants us to rely on him. It he desires to satisfy and soothe the aching soul, and that I just love that. Just knowing that that he wants to help us in everything, and that our Heavenly Father designed such an amazing plan for us to rely on him and to rely on our Savior. And if you I challenge all of you to walk away today and think about okay, with the atoning sacrifice, I'm gonna try to learn things every day that's different. I'm gonna look at it like a person with a cell phone, and and you can find all these, you know, bells and whistles on your cell phone that can do all these extra things. And I know that we can with the atonement as well, that it is for us. Um, let's see, she put it as the her words are um Jesus Christ's sacrifice was and is for you. And if we just think about that and try to find different ways where we can apply that to our lives, I challenge you, and I thank you. Thank you, everybody, for sharing with me today and helping me learn more. And I do have a testimony. Um I know that the Savior lives, he loves us, he wants to help us, and um that our Heavenly Father loves us so much to design such a great plan for us. And I say the same thing to Jesus Christ, amen.

SPEAKER_04 32:15

Thank you so much, Brendy. I appreciate you and your preparation. Um, it's a beautiful discussion today. Thank you all so much for participating. Um, I love that quote from President Oaks. Because of his atonement, experience and mortality, our Savior is able to comfort, heal, and strengthen all men and women everywhere, but I believe he does so only for those who seek him and ask for his help. We qualify for that blessing when we believe in him and pray for his help. I would challenge each one of you guys throughout this week to remember him, to pray, to ask him for help for the little things and the big things, and to remember that he's going to answer those prayers the way that he knows is best for us. And sometimes that might be different than what we want. Um, just like Bree was saying in the birth, it wasn't exactly how she wanted it, but she knew he was there. He didn't leave her. And in a moment when she couldn't do anymore, he was there for her. Um, and he'll be there for us. And I testify that in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen. Amen. And Tracy's gonna give her a closing case.