Nicholas Dutson

My favorite General Authority is Elder Jorg Klebingat. His 2014 conference talk remains my all-time favorite because of how bold and practical it is. Four years later, he spoke out our stake conference. I took extensive notes. Pure gold. I found those notes digging around some of my old files today. Here's what he said in those two sessions. I think you'll enjoy it-- there are some real eyebrow-raising gems in there, right out of the gate, and it's very relevant to Pres. @OaksDallinH's most recent messages. ---- ADULT SESSION ---- Read Moses 7. God created worlds without number, yet our planet is more wicked than any other planet in the universe. Satan was cast down here. This earth is his headquarters. So don't be surprised by opposition. Consider Acts 28: "Everywhere [the Gospel] is spoken against." Like the Pharisees who accused Jesus of casting out devils by the prince of devils, modern Pharisees accuse us. There is no way to follow Christ if we don't suffer, to a degree, what Christ went through. If your discipleship is serious, Christ will ask you to do that which is harder for you. One cost of discipleship we may have to pay will be to choose Heavenly Father at the expense of relationships with others. Zion never negotiates. Zion flees Babylon. The fate of Babylon is not to be converted; it is to be destroyed. Apostates will always be forgotten in the end. Practical things to remember in your discipleship and dealing with faith crises: 1. Prevent! Prepare for faith issues in advance instead of requiring desperate recue downstream. Be aware of the resources when questions arise: the temple, prayer, etc., but also the Gospel Topics essays. Educate yourselves about the issues. "If you know, then you're safe." It's the ignorant who don't pray and study daily that fall. Keep a spiritual journal of what you do learn. Don't expect lessons on the hard stuff at Church. Remember, "in this Church we always publicly teach milk." The meat is for you to do on your own time. Spiritual gut-check. 2 Corinthians 13: "Examine yourselves." Let's not fake it in this Church. What would be necessary to sweep you out of your orbit? An offense? A doctrinal blind spot? Identify your weakness, the fix it. 2. Handling questions Know the difference between a faithful question and doubt: there is no expiration date on faithful questions. No ultimatum to God: "Answer me by ___ or I'm out." The Lord expects us to run on fumes for a little bit. Put concerns in perspective. One twisted rivet on the Eiffel Tower isn't going to bring it down-- don't let one issue you see bring down your testimony, either. We don't build our testimonies on Church history; we build on the rock. Stay on the covenant path to solve issues with the Church. You may not have all the answer, but newsflash: "there are fewer answers outside the path." Questions asked with meekness don't turn to doubt.; doubt is intellectual pride. We might leave and deny our previous testimony, but each experience we've had in the Gospel will be recorded in heaven. And one day, like Korihor, we will acknowledge that we always knew. 3. A climate for questions As leaders, teachers, and members, create a better climate welcoming of honest and faithful questions. Concerns are neither a badge of honor nor a sign of sin. Don't assume unworthiness. Don't shame honest seekers with concerns, nor treat it as cool. Just address it and help resolve it. Turn doubt into inquiry. Shelve the ones you don't get quite settled. Don't stigmatize those who have concerns. And forbear going outside revealed doctrine: if the Lord has not said much, you shouldn't either. 4. Avoid fireworks Don't dramatize the testimony process. Don't normalize "light switch" testimony-building events. Faith is a daily decision. Deciding to follow the Savior is acting on testimony. You will gain a testimony as you serve, without having to frantically chase it. It will come unexpectedly. 5. Prophetic fallibility We are all imperfect. Prophets, too. Prophets have the right to time off, and to have their own opinions, too. Don't apply an unrealistically high bar to the Brethren. Focus on official doctrine. Don't get hung up on every word every leader ever spoke. Don't freak out about what some leader is reported to have said 150 years ago in a meeting with 12 people in it, held outside under a tree. Resolve issues with the starting premise of "it's true" instead of "it's false." 6. Know your enemy Become familiar with the tactics of anti-Mormons: "Oh, you didn't know that? What else is the Church hiding from you?" The Church is not hiding anything. But it's not going to spoon-feed you, either. Do your research. 7. Ministering to those who go astray Love those who wander without compromising or watering down the Gospel. If it really comes down to "tolerance" versus the Gospel, the Gospel must win. Bigotry is intolerance of a person, not intolerance of a lifestyle or a philosophy. Tolerance is love for those who stray without agreeing with their choices. Don't let go of the iron rod to help others who have wandered. But love them! 8. The gift of faith and action There is an earnest need on our part to pray for the gift of faith. Be active in your discipleship and your wording: Don't just read the scriptures, search them. Don't just say prayers, really pray! Don't just go to Church, go worship at Church! Q&A: Q: "How to handle guilt and fear of transgression?" A: I am afraid of sin. And that's good. Sin is the one thing that can distance me from God, and it's the one thing I can control. So of course I should be afraid of it. But if you are living a clean life, know that impure thoughts are not there by invitation. That is not your fault. Your job is just to flick them away like an annoying fly. Q: "How can I help my family?" Too many brethren give prayers instead of blessings. Be a little bit more bold under the influence of the Spirit. [Note: Pres. Nelson also talked about this around this time]. You need confidence in yourself. You can't merely trust that God's got this-- you need to know your own standing before God. The biggest indicator of children's activity is that the children know that their parents KNOW. ---- GENERAL SESSION ---- God differentiates between sin and weakness, between rebellion and mistakes. The law of mercy is ours to claim for sins that aren't premeditated. So use it! What angers God (Alma 33): "They will not [or choose not to] understand" the Atonement. It's refusing to take advantage of the Atonement of Christ. Once we've truly repented, we can know that any feelings of anxiety or worthlessness can be attributed to Satan. Our relationship with Him as "the Lord" and "God" will eventually evaporate as we feel Him again as our Father. As parents, is there any mountain we would not climb, any sea we wouldn't swim, any desert we wouldn't cross for our children? How could we expect less of God? To shortchange Him like that is sin. It's denying the Atonement. It's rejecting the eons of living under His love and learning His nature. The prodigal hadn't repented yet, but the Father ran to him. Love is shown even before repentance. The first step was to accept him again as his father. Being forgiven is an active process. We need to actively "receive" forgiveness like we are commanded to "receive the" Holy Ghost. The up and down "yo-yo" [or bag of rocks] of the Atonement is completely false. We aren't supposed to let sins pile up and periodically unload them by taking the Sacrament. We can retain a remission of our sins every moment of every day. Quick and immediate forgiveness anytime-- not just when we take the Sacrament! We can retain forgiveness, joy, and happiness. We can be always clean. Membership in the Church is not synonymous with a relationship with the Savior. It is easier to give up stuff than to give up self. [see King Lamoni's dad] If you feel the Lord isn't answering, your first question should be "Am I actually studying the scriptures?" Don't just read the scriptures, search the scriptures! And make time to ponder. If you only have 10 minutes to study, spend 5 minutes reading, and 5 minutes pondering. ---------- Like I said, tons of good stuff in here.