Sir, We Would Like to See Jesus
Open talk in Gospel LibraryContents
Before Reading
Before reading or listening to the talk, consider the following questions:
- What does Elder Daines mean by "face-blindness"?
- How does Elder Daines connect the concept of face-blindness to our relationship with God?
- What steps does Elder Daines suggest to overcome spiritual face-blindness?
- How does Elder Daines describe the role of covenants in our relationship with God?
- What does Elder Daines mean by "the river of God’s love"?
Topics
Understanding Face-Blindness
Elder Daines introduces the concept of face-blindness, a condition where people are unable to recognize faces, even of those close to them. He connects this to a spiritual face-blindness where people struggle to recognize God's love and mercy, focusing instead on rules and obligations.
Tragically, the bullet had damaged the part of his brain that recognized faces. He now looked at his wife without a spark of recognition; he couldn’t recognize his own mother. Even the face in the mirror was foreign to him—he couldn’t tell if it was a man or a woman.
I suspect you know someone (perhaps you are someone) who suffers from a kind of spiritual face blindness.
- What is face-blindness?
- How does Elder Daines connect face-blindness to our spiritual lives?
- Have you ever felt spiritually face-blind?
- How can you work to recognize God's love more fully in your life?
Overcoming Spiritual Face-Blindness
Elder Daines shares his own experience of overcoming spiritual face-blindness. He emphasizes the importance of seeking Jesus and understanding His love and mercy. He suggests studying the Gospels to better understand Jesus" love and praying for the capacity to love God and feel His love.
The answer, as President Russell M. Nelson reminds us, is always Jesus. And that is very good news.
I also read and reread and reread the four Gospels—this time reading not to extract rules but to see who He is and what He loves. And, in time, I was swept away by the river of love that flowed from Him.
- How does Elder Daines describe the process of overcoming spiritual face-blindness?
- What role does studying the Gospels play in this process?
- How does understanding Jesus" love help us to overcome spiritual face-blindness?
- How can you apply Elder Daines" suggestions to your own study of the scriptures?
- What steps can you take to better understand Jesus" love?
The Role of Covenants
Elder Daines discusses the role of covenants in our relationship with God. He emphasizes that covenants are not about rules, but about relationships. They help us to understand and shape our lives to God's love.
When prophets and apostles talk of covenants, they aren’t like coaches yelling out from (red velvet) bleachers, telling us to "try harder!" They want us to see our covenants are fundamentally about relationships and can be a cure for spiritual face blindness.
Covenants are the shape of God’s embrace.
- How does Elder Daines describe the role of covenants in our relationship with God?
- What does he mean when he says that "Covenants are the shape of God’s embrace"?
- How do you view your covenants?
- How can you better understand your covenants as a reflection of God's love?
The River of God's Love
Elder Daines concludes his talk by discussing the concept of "the river of God’s love." He encourages us to serve in the Church and help carry God's love to His children, assuring that as we do so, His love will also splash on us.
A few years ago, I got a calling I didn’t feel up to. I awoke early, nervous—but with a phrase in mind I had not heard before: that to serve in this Church is to stand in the river of God’s love for His children.
Grab a pick and shovel and join the team. Help carry His love to His children, and some of it will splash on you.
- What does Elder Daines mean by "the river of God’s love"?
- How does serving in the Church help us to stand in this river?
- How can you better serve in the Church to help carry God's love to His children?
- Have you ever felt God's love "splash" on you as you serve His children?
