Transcript

What helps you feel the healing power of the Savior? Myrna, please. He heals me when I'm closest to Him through prayer and service and loving others, especially those who are not in the covenant path. Thank you. Cordi? We, together, my wife here, Tiffany, we felt blessed in serving others around us. It's caused us to come out of ourselves a little bit more, to learn to share a little bit better, to be more fluent with our testimony and letting it show that we love our Savior, and we recognize that that's happiness for us. Oh, excellent. How have covenants and ordinances helped in your particular situation? Let's see, Ryan? I had a younger brother pass away when he was 18--and a very difficult time for our family. But to go back and having done those ordinances where we're sealed as a family, it's just been such a comfort to myself and my family to know that we will see him again and to know that this isn't the only life that we have, that there's a life after this. Being able to see the eternal perspective has been very helpful. Excellent, thank you. Another comment? My husband left the Church about nine years ago, right after we moved to the East Coast with our four little ones. So for the last eight years I've been struggling and raising my children alone in the Church. And the first few years I was very focused on myself and the pain and all of that. And as soon as I started focusing on others and accepting callings, I started seeing little miracles in my life. As I've served in those callings, I saw my husband's heart soften, and I've been able to testify in all of my callings to others about how covenants and Christ can help lift us out of hard times in life. Wow, thank you, Sheryl. So it sounds like you reached up first, reached up to the Savior, and then you reached out to serve others. But how can you show love to others so that they feel welcome and needed on the covenant path? I am a convert. I joined the Church in November of 2007. I'm gay. And I had countless conversations with my friends about a faith and what that would mean to us. After joining the Church, I didn't separate myself from them, but I have made myself available to them by walking my covenants, by living my covenants, by displaying my covenants without reservation or without judgments on anybody. And through that, they have come to me with questions. And I have shared what I have found and that it is available to them. And so I think the way you make someone feel welcome is to genuinely welcome them, to look into their eyes and see them for who they are, and to love them as they are. Oh, Beth, that's beautiful. Thank you. These have been some great comments. I want you to think about love, share, and invite in reference to temple and family history work. What I love about temple and family history work is how it really binds us together. I've had the opportunity to share temple work with my children as they've gotten older. And I have no doubt that those family members who have accepted the gospel on the other side of the veil are working in our behalf and are protecting us and are looking out for us and surrounding us with faith and love and light. And that to me is an irreplaceable gift. Oh, that's terrific. Thank you so much, Ellie. Kimberly? So for me, the very first time I ever went to the temple, my sons went with me. My father passed away in 2007. And he felt that the gates of heaven were closed to him. And he was terrified of what that meant for him. My sons, by proxy, they baptized my father. The peace that I felt as my son came back up out of the water, baptized for his grandfather, is unparalleled. That is something that just shows in a genuine example of how true this faith is and what a blessing and the miracles that are available to people on both sides of the veil. Oh, thank you, Kimberly. Aren't we grateful for an eternal perspective? How has the love of others, their willingness to share and invite you to be with them, helped you stay or get back on the covenant path? This is a huge one for me. A few years ago, I was divorced. And I had just started--I got into this brand-new ward, I was by myself, very alone, very sad. And my bishop and a counselor came over to my lonely little apartment and brought with them instant warmth and comfort. And I knew right away with what they started to say to me that they had prayed on my behalf. I could tell that they were very much directed and guided by the Spirit on my behalf specifically. And it was in that moment that I remembered how individually I am loved by my Heavenly Father. And I remember that was a huge turning point for me. And I was able to, you know, find my own way and then remember why I stand so firmly on the covenant path. But I found that for myself. And that was because of the love of others just loving me for exactly where I was at in those broken states and reminding me of who I was. Oh, excellent, Gentry. Let me ask you one more question about love, share, and invite. How do those principles apply to becoming or helping others be self-reliant? Hi, thank you. I just want to say everyone's testimonies have been tremendous, and I think the question of how does love and share and invite lead to self-reliance--just everyone sharing. I mean, when I've been in my darkest times, sometimes I don't necessarily tell anyone and I don't bring it up right away. But it kind of takes someone else to share, and then you feel vulnerable and open enough to be able to share what's going on in your life, and just hearing everyone--not only their trials but your joys that have come from the gospel and keeping your covenants and keeping those ordinances and making those covenants--I think has just been so powerful. And when you think about binding us to the Savior, our trials actually do that. And so I think all of these are just these amazing building blocks that point us toward the Savior, but they also give us the strength to stand, to bear our testimonies, to share experiences, and to lift those who need to be lifted. And so I just--I really appreciate the opportunity to listen but also to share. Thank you, Courtney. I want to see who we have not heard from yet. Sarah, did you not have a chance? Hi, thanks so much. This has been so neat to be a part of. The last couple of years have been particularly difficult in my life. I went through a divorce recently as well, as has been talked about. And I was feeling really frustrated about some of the circumstances surrounding the divorce that felt really unfair. And I dropped my kids off at school, and I was driving to work and was just talking out loud to Heavenly Father as I was driving and expressing my frustrations. And expressing to Him that I felt like there needed to be an accountability for these choices that had been made that had made things so difficult. "Somebody needs to answer for this," basically. And I had a really strong impression from the Spirit that said, "The price has already been paid for those sins. Would you demand that price be paid twice? Because that would be neither just nor merciful." And it gave me a different perspective on the Atonement that I hadn't thought about before: was that when I am bound to Christ and when I keep my covenants with Him, my relationship with Him can fill in the blanks or the holes or the difficulties in other relationships. He has paid the price for all of those heartaches. "And so if you'll let what I have done be enough, then you can take peace and you can take mercy, and you can take love in exchange for that price that I've paid." And it immediately changed my heart. I felt the burden of frustration and anger be lifted. Beautiful, Sarah. Thank you. And I've felt your testimonies, every one of you, as you've shared your comments. And it's strengthened my testimony. But I want you to know that I do have a testimony of this gospel, of Jesus Christ, that He is our Savior, that our Heavenly Father knows each one of us and loves us and wants more than anything for every one of us to come home.

Adults Share Their Experiences

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Relief Society General President Jean B. Bingham asks adult members gathered in person and virtually what “love, share, and invite” means to them regarding the Savior’s power to heal and bless.
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